CBSE - Life Lines of National Economy

Which two of the following extreme locations are connected by the east-west corridor?
(a) Mumbai and Nagpur
(b) Silcher and Porbandar
(c) Mumbai and Kolkata
(d) Nagpur and Siligudi
ANS (b) Silcher and Porbandar

Which mode of transportation reduces trans-shipment losses and delays?
(a) Railways
(b) Roadways
(c) Pipeline
(d) Waterways
ANS (c) Pipeline

Which one of the following states is not connected with the H.V.J. pipeline?
(a) Madhya Pradesh
(b) Maharashtra
(c) Gujarat
(d) Uttar Pradesh
ANS (b) Maharashtra

Which one of the following ports is the deepest land-locked and well-protected port along the east cost?
(a) Chennai
(b) Paradwip
(c) Tuticorin
(d) Vishakhapatnam
ANS (d) Vishakhapatnam

Which one of the following is the most important modes of transportation in India?
(a) Pipeline
(b) Railways
(c) Roadways
(d) Airways
ANS (b) Railways

Which one of the following terms is used to describe trade between two or more countries?
(a) Internal trade
(b) International trade
(c) External trade
(d) Local trade
ANS (b) International trade

Merits of roadways:
→ They are cheaper than railways in terms of construction costs.
→ Roads can go through dissected and undulating land areas and through steep mountains.
→ They are economical as loading costs are low and door-to-door service can be availed of.

In the northern plains, rail transport is the most convenient mode of transportation. This is because this region has vast level lands that are good for laying tracks, and huge population and high agricultural productivity, making rail transport a profitable venture.

Border roads are strategically important as they improve accessibility to areas like the northern and north eastern border areas which have a difficult terrain.

Trade is the movement of goods and services between regions for economic gain. Trade between two or more countries is termed as international trade, while trade occurring in a region within the same country is called local trade.

The means of transportation and communication are called the lifelines of  a nation and its economy due to the reasons given below:
→ The means of transportation and communication help in the production and movement of goods and services.
→ Transport helps in the development of communication . Various means of communication help us in interacting with other in all the parts of the world It has brought the world closer. 
→ Transport like railways help us in conducting various activities like business, sight seeing, pilgrimage and transportation of goods over longer distances.
→ Pipelines are used for transporting crude oil and natural gas to refineries and factories.
→ Water provide the cheapest means of transport and is useful for international trade.
→ Air transport provides the fastest, most comfortable mode of transport.
Thus, it is clear that there are many advantages of transportation and communication. These means help in the development of the country. So they are called the lifelines of a nation and its economy.

The changing nature of the international trade for India, in the last fifteen years, has been impressive. Exchange of information and knowledge has surpassed exchange of goods and commodities. Through its advanced software knowledge and excellence in the field of information technology, India has emerged as a viable contender at the international level and is earning huge amounts of foreign exchange through the same. Tourism too has added to India's upgraded position in international trade. In 2004, there was a 23.5% increase in foreign tourist arrivals as against the number in 2003. Thus, international trade for India has undergone a cognisable change in the past fifteen years.

Quiz Drive

1. Northern terminal of the North-south corridor.
2. The name of National Highway No.2. 
3. The headquarter of the southern railway zone.
4. The rail gauge with a track width of 1.676 m. 
5. The southern terminal of the National Highway No.7. 
6.  A Riverine Port.
7.  Busiest railway junction in Northern India.
Answer

1.Srinagar
2. Grand Trunk Road
3. Chennai
4. Broad gauge
5. Kanyakumari
6. Kolkata Port Trust
7. Mughalsarai

1. Six Lane Highways are called
(i) National Highway (ii) International Highway (iii) State Highway (iv) Golden quadrilateral super highways

2. Golden quadrilateral super highways are maintained by
(i) Zila Parishad (ii) PWD (iii) CPWD iv) NHAI

3. Villages are connected to a major town through this scheme of roads
(i) MNREGA (ii) PMGSY (iii) SJGRY (iv) AAY

4. Border Roads are constructed by
(i) CRPF (ii) BSF iii Indian Army (iv) BRO

5. Provides door-to-door connectivity
(i) Airways (ii) Roadways (iii) Railways (iv) Waterways

6. Bulk carrier across nations
(i) Airways (ii) Roadways (iii) Railways (iv) Waterways

7. Bulk carrier within India
(i) Airways (ii) Roadways (iii) Railways (iv) Waterways

8. Principal mode of transportation for freight and passengers in India
(i) Airways (ii) Roadways
(iii) Railways (iv) Waterways

9. Width of two tracks of Broad Gauge is
(i) 1.676 m (ii) 1.000 m iii) 0.762 m(iv) 0.610 m

10. Natural harbour in India
(i) Hooghly (ii) Paradip (iii) Chennai (iv) Mumbai

11. Biggest natural port in India
(i) Chennai ii) Tuticorin (iii) Marmagao iv) Mumbai

12. Largest producer of feature film in the world
(i) Britain (ii) USA Iii France iv India

13. AIR stands for
(i) All India Radio (ii) Indian Airlines (iii) Indian Railways (iv) None of these

14. Terminal stations of East-West corridor
(i) Mumbai and Nagpur (ii) Nagpur and Siligudi
(iii) Mumbai and Kolkata iv) Silcher and Porbandar

15. Which mode of transportation reduces trans-shipment losses and delays?
(i) Railways (ii) Pipeline (iii) Roadways (iv) Waterways  

Answers key of MCQ :
 (1) d (2) d (3) b (4) d (5) b
 (6) d (7) c (8) c (9) a (10) d
 (11) d (12) d (13) a (14) d (15) b 

Trade between two countries is called international trade. It includes exchange of commodities, services,
information and knowledge.
Relation or difference between nation‘s exports and imports is called balance of trade. It is of two types:
 (i) Surplus trade: when the value of exported goods and services is more than the value of imported goods and
services. It is called favorable trade balance.
(ii) Trade Deficit: when the value of exported goods and services is less than the value of imported goods and
services. It is called unfavorable trade balance.

The importance of trade is:
1. No country can survive without international trade because resources are space bound.
2. Advancement of international trade of a country leads to its economic prosperity because such a trade provides
so many jobs to workers as well as business to traders.
3. It is through international trade that we earn much of our foreign exchange which is required for importing
many essential goods.
4. Foreign trade helps in transfer of technology.

Means of transport in India are:-
(i) Roadways, (ii) Waterways, (iii) Airways, (iv) Pipelines, (v) Railways.

These are those means of communication through which one can communicate with several people at the
same time. For example- Radio, newspaper and T.V.(Television):-
(i) It is one of the largest and essential networks in the world.
(ii) It provides entertainment and keeps the viewers well informed about the world.
Radio:-(i) It is the cheapest and the most effective means of communication.
 (ii) Besides entertainment, it also provides information and promotes social education.

There are six types of roads:-
1. Golden Quadrilateral Super Highways or Expressway National Highways
2. National Highways 3. State Highways 4. District Roads
5. Other Roads or Rural Roads or Village Roads 6. Border Roads

Transportation of liquid, gases or slurries through pipes made of durable metal or a plastic tube is called
pipeline transport. It is the most convenient mode of transport for crude oil, petroleum products and natural gas
even solids like iron ore in slurry form to refineries, fertilizer factories, industries and big thermal power plants.
For example:. From oil field in
From Salaya in Gujarat to Jalandhar in Punjab, via Viramgam, Mathura, Delhi and Sonipat. It has branches to
connect Koyali (near Vadodara, Gujarat) Chakshu and other places.
Gas pipeline from Hazira in Gujarat connects Jagdishpur in Uttar Pradesh, via Vijaipur in Madhya Pradesh. It
has branches to Kota in Rajasthan, Shahajahanpur, Babrala and other places in Uttar Pradesh (HVJ). 

Tourism comprises the activities of the people traveling to and staying in places outside their
usual environments for more than one consecutive day for leisure, business and other purposes. Tourists visit other
places for heritage tourism, religious activities, eco tourism, adventure tourism, cultural tourism, medical tourism
and business tourism.

1. Facilitates easy and free movement of people from one place to another.
 2. Helps to carry goods and materials from one place to another
 3. Helps in production and distribution of goods.
 4. Connect markets with the production centers.
 5. Promotes easy accessibility of goods and services.
 6. Helps in development of trade and commerce.
 7. Helps to increase the volume of the Trade.

Import Items:-
1. Agriculture and allied products (2.53 %),
2. Ores and minerals (9.12 %),
3. Gems and jewellery (26.75%)
4. Chemical and allied products (24.45%),
5. Engineering goods ( 35.63%) Petroleum products (86.12%)
Export Items:-
1. Petroleum and petroleum products (41.87%)
2. Pearls and precious stones (29.26%)
3. Inorganic chemicals (29.39%),
4. Coal, coke and briquettes (94.17% )
5. Machinery (12.56%).

1. Road network is inadequate for increasing volume of traffic.
 2. About half of the roads are unmetalled.
 3. The National Highways are inadequate and are poorly maintained.
 4. The roadways are highly congested in cities and are lacking safety measures.
 5. Most of the bridges and culverts are old and narrow.
 6.Lack of proper security measures.

1. Very useful for carrying heavy and bulky goods and materials.
 2. Comparatively cheaper than Roadways and Airways for long distances.
 3. Gives employment to a large number of people.
 4. The Indian Railways are the largest public undertaking run by the Central Government
 5. The principal (Main) mode of transportation for freight and passengers in India.
 6. Railways conduct multifarious activities like business, sightseeing and pilgrimage along with  transportation of goods.
 7. Acts as an Integrating force by bringing people close to each other.
 8. Suitable for long distances and Provides comfort of a home. 

 1. Requires huge investment at the time of installation.
 2. Maintenance and upkeep is very costly.
 3. Construction is difficult and costly in uneven and high hills and deserts.
 4. Not suitable for transportation of perishable goods.
 5. Ticket-less travelers.
 6. Thefts and damaging of railway property.
 7. Unnecessarily chain pulling to stop train.
 8. conversions.
 9. Sinking and slipping of tracks in rains.
 10. Modernization and Electrification.