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.
What do you understand by the drain of Indian wealth during the colonial period?
Critically appraise some of the shortfalls of the industrial policy pursued by the British colonial administration.
When was India’s first official census operation undertaken?
Name some notable economists who estimated India’s per capita income during the colonial period?
Name some modern industries which were in operation in our country at the time of independence?
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?
Evaluate the various factors that led to the rapid growth in economic development in China.
Explain how investment in education stimulates economic growth.
Critically evaluate the role of the rural banking system in the process of rural development in India.
Meena is a housewife. Besides taking care of household chores, she works in the cloth shop which is owned and operated by her husband. Can she be considered as a worker? Why?
Distinguish between ‘Green Revolution’ and ‘Golden Revolution’.
Do you think that in the last 50 years, employment generated in the country is commensurate with the growth of GDP in India? How?
What is sustainable development?
What are the two major sources of human capital in a country?
Define a plan?
The following table shows the population and worker population ratio for India in 1999-2000. Can you estimate the workforce (urban and total) for India?
Region | Estimates of Population (in crores) |
Worker Population Ratio |
Estimated No. of Workers (in crores) |
Rural Uraban Total |
71.88 28.52 100.40 |
41.9 33.7 39.5 |
71.88/100 x 41.9 = 30.12 ? ? |