Were there any positive contributions made by the British in India? Discuss.
Yes, there were various positive contributions that were made by the British in India. The contributions were not intentional but purely the effects of colonial exploitation of the British. The following are the positive contributions made by the British:
1. Introduction of Railways: The introduction of railways by the British was a breakthrough in the development process of Indian economy. It opened up the cultural and geographical barriers and facilitated commercialisation of Indian agriculture.
2. Introduction of Commercialisation of Agriculture: The introduction of commercial agriculture is an important breakthrough in the history of Indian agriculture. Prior to the advent of the British, Indian agriculture was of subsistence nature. But with the commercialisation of agriculture, the agricultural production was carried out as per the market requirements. It was due to this factor that today India can aim at attaining self-sufficiency in food grains production.
3. Introduced Free Trade to India: British forced India to follow a free trade pattern during colonial rule. This is the key concept of globalisation today. The free trade provided the domestic industry with a platform to compete with the Britain industries. The introduction of free trade led to an increase in the volume of India's export rapidly.
4. Development of Infrastructure: The infrastructure developed in India by the British proved as a useful tool to check the spread of famines. The telegram and postal services served Indian public.
5. Promoted Western Culture: English as a language promoted a westernised form of education. The English language acted as a window to the outside world. This has integrated India with the rest of the world.
6. Role Model: The way and the technique of British administration acts as a role model for the Indian politicians and planners. It helped Indian politicians to govern the country in an efficient and effective manner.
Indicate the volume and direction of trade at the time of independence.
Critically appraise some of the shortfalls of the industrial policy pursued by the British colonial administration.
What do you understand by the drain of Indian wealth during the colonial period?
When was India’s first official census operation undertaken?
Name some modern industries which were in operation in our country at the time of independence?
Name some notable economists who estimated India’s per capita income during the colonial period?
Highlight the salient features of India’s pre-independence occupational structure.
What were the main causes of India’s agricultural stagnation during the colonial period?
Give a quantitative appraisal of India’s demographic profile during the colonial period.
What was the focus of the economic policies pursued by the colonial government in India? What were the impacts of these policies?
What are the two major sources of human capital in a country?
What do you mean by rural development? Bring out the key issues in rural development.
Define a plan?
Who is a worker?
Explain the term ‘infrastructure’.
What is meant by environment?
Why are regional and economic groupings formed?
Why were reforms introduced in India?
Why calorie-based norm is not adequate to identify the poor?
What are the indicators of educational achievement in a country?
Identify six factors contributing to land degradation in India.
What is a ‘global burden of disease’?
Analyse the recent trends in sectoral distribution of workforce in India.
Why are employment generation programmes important in poverty alleviation in India?
Why are regional and economic groupings formed?
Why was it necessary for a developing country like India to follow self-reliance as a planning objective?
Give two instances of
(a) Overuse of environmental resources
(b) Misuse of environmental resources.
What is the state of rural infrastructure in India?
Why did India opt for planning?
Explain the two categories into which infrastructure is divided. How are both interdependent?