Impact of Infrastructure Projects in Colonial India

India chose planned development as the path for its economic growth after independence.

The Viceroy of British India in 1894 stated, 'If we lose India, the sun of our Empire will have risen.'

The Indian Economic Development book aims to familiarize learners with the basic features of the Indian economy before independence.

The establishment of the Planning Commission and announcement of five year plans were steps taken by the Indian government post-independence to spur economic growth.

India's economy prior to the British rule was not primarily based on agriculture.

The British colonial rule aimed to develop India's modern industrial base.

Daccai Muslin originated in places in and around Mumbai.

British colonial government made sincere attempts to estimate India’s national and per capita income.

India's growth of aggregate real output during the first half of the twentieth century was more than two percent per year.

During the British colonial rule, about 85 percent of India's population derived their livelihood directly or indirectly from non-agricultural activities.

India's economy during the pre-British period was characterized by a significant industrial sector.

The British colonial rule aimed to develop and promote India's own modern industrial base.

India's national and per capita income were accurately estimated by the British colonial government.

India's growth of aggregate real output during the first half of the twentieth century was more than two percent per year.

About 85 percent of India's population lived in urban areas during the British colonial rule.

India's handicraft industries before British rule were well known for their low-quality materials and craftsmanship.

India became a major importer of finished capital goods like light machinery produced in the factories of Britain.

The Suez Canal opening intensified French control over India’s foreign trade.

India's foreign trade was restricted to Britain and China only during the colonial period.

The export surplus generated by India during the colonial period resulted in a flow of gold or silver into the country.

The literacy level in India before 1921 was more than 16 per cent.

The second stage of demographic transition in India began before 1921.

Public health facilities were highly adequate for the population at that time.

India's infant mortality rate during the colonial period was about 33 per thousand.

The Suez Canal connects Port Said on the Mediterranean Sea with the Arabian Sea.

The opening of the Suez Canal increased the cost of transportation to access the Indian market.

India's population growth rate was very high before 1921.

Britain maintained a monopoly control over India’s exports and imports during the colonial period.

The British colonial rule led to an increase in agricultural prosperity in India.

Agricultural productivity in India increased due to the expansion of the aggregate area under cultivation during the colonial rule.

The profit from the agriculture sector under the zamindari system went to the cultivators in the then Bengal Presidency during the colonial rule.

The main interest of the zamindars during the colonial rule was to improve the economic condition of the cultivators.

Low levels of technology, lack of irrigation facilities, and negligible use of fertilisers contributed to the dismal level of agricultural productivity during the colonial rule.

India's agriculture was heavily invested in terracing, flood-control, drainage, and desalinisation of soil during the colonial rule.

The expansion of canals from Rajmahal to the sea was initiated by the British colonial government for navigation and irrigation.

The increase in cash crop yield during the colonial rule helped improve the economic condition of Indian farmers.

The agricultural scenario in India suffered mainly due to a lack of investment in irrigation and technology during the colonial rule.

The various systems of land settlement introduced by the colonial government had no bearing on the current agricultural scenario in India.

One of the major systems of land settlement introduced by the British in India was known as the zamindari system.

A considerable number of zamindars during the colonial rule actively worked to improve the condition of agriculture and economic well-being of cultivators.

Life expectancy in India during the colonial period was 69 years.

The agricultural sector accounted for the largest share of workforce, around 70-75% during the colonial period.

The railways in India were introduced by the British in 1950.

The railways in India enabled long-distance travel, breaking geographical and cultural barriers.

The introduction of railways in India had no adverse effects on the self-sufficiency of the village economies.

The volume of India’s exports expanded and its benefits accrued mainly to the Indian people.

The British colonial regime provided basic infrastructure like railways, ports, and water transport primarily to improve the living conditions of the people.

The occupational structure of India showed significant change during the colonial period.

Parts of Madras Presidency, Bombay, and Bengal saw a decline in workforce dependence on the agricultural sector during the colonial period.

India suffered from an acute shortage of all-weather roads to reach rural areas during the colonial period.

The real motive behind developing infrastructure such as railways by the British was to provide basic amenities to the people.

Before independence, measures taken for developing inland trade and sea lanes by the British colonial dispensation were entirely satisfactory.

The first official census operation in India was undertaken in 1872.

India's first official census operation was conducted in 1861.

The zamindari system had been abolished in India before independence.

The Land Systems of British India was a single-volume publication by Baden-Powell in 1892.

James Mill authored the book 'History of British India' in 1972.

Rajendra Prasad's book 'India Divided' was published by Hind Kitabs in 1956.

A large section of tenants, small farmers and sharecroppers had resources and technology to invest in agriculture during the colonial rule.

The colonial government's primary motive behind de-industrialising India was to turn India into a major exporter of finished products for their home country, Britain.

India's indigenous handicraft industries experienced a decline under the colonial rule, leading to massive unemployment.

During the second half of the nineteenth century, modern industry began to take root in India at a fast pace.

The cotton textile mills, mainly dominated by foreigners, were located in Maharashtra and Gujarat.

The iron and steel industries began coming up in India only after the Second World War.

There was a sufficient number of capital goods industries to promote further industrialisation in India during the colonial rule.

The new industrial sector made a significant contribution to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) during the colonial rule.

The public sector in the new industrial sector was involved in a wide range of operations including railways, power generation, and communications.

India's importance as a trading nation began only after independence.

The decline of indigenous handicraft industries resulted in a new demand for locally made goods in the Indian consumer market.

The Tata Iron and Steel Company (TISCO) was incorporated in 1907 at Jamshedpur, which is now in the state of Jharkhand.

The canal was successful in competing with the railways that ran parallel to it.

The expensive system of electric telegraph in India did not serve the purpose of maintaining law and order.

The postal services in India were always adequate and met the public's needs.

The British administration in India was perceived as quite beneficial in many ways.

At the time of India's independence, the agricultural sector was not burdened with surplus labor and low productivity.

The industrial sector in India did not need modernization, diversification, capacity building, and increased public investment at the time of independence.

The foreign trade in India was not oriented to feed the Industrial Revolution in Britain at the time of independence.

The economic policies of the colonial government were primarily focused on developing the economic condition of India and its people.

The largest section of Indian population did not depend on the agricultural sector for sustenance during the colonial rule.

The British-India government contributed significantly to replacing India's world-famous handicraft industries with a modern industrial base.

The colonial regime made efforts to improve infrastructure facilities without any selfish motives.

The independent Indian government did not have to build on the base of infrastructure facilities left by the colonial regime through planning.