Overview
Lifelines of National Economy is the concluding chapter of Contemporary India, and it explains what holds everything the book has described together. Production is not complete until goods reach the consumer, and so transport, communication and trade are the lifelines of a modern economy. The chapter opens with roadways, and argues that India has one of the largest road networks in the world because road construction costs less than railways, roads can negotiate the dissected relief and higher gradients that rail cannot, they are more economical for small numbers of people over short distances, they provide door-to-door service, and they act as feeders to the other modes. It then classifies roads by capacity - Golden Quadrilateral super highways, National Highways laid out by the Central Public Works Department, State Highways, District Roads, Other or rural roads under the Pradhan Mantri Grameen Sadak Yojana, and the Border Roads Organisation's strategic roads in the northern and north-eastern border areas. Railways are presented as the principal mode of both freight and passengers and as a great integrating force, together with the physiographic and economic reasons why the network is dense in the northern plains and thin in the Himalayas and along the Konkan. Pipelines, inland waterways with their designated National Waterways, the major sea ports through which 95 per cent of India's trade volume moves, and airways with their unmatched reach over difficult terrain complete the survey. The chapter closes on communication - personal and mass - and on international trade, which it calls the economic barometer of a country, ending with tourism as a fast-growing service industry that earns foreign exchange and promotes national integration.
Learning Objectives
- Explain why transport, communication and trade are called the lifelines of the national economy.
- State the advantages of road transport over railways.
- Classify Indian roads by capacity and describe the role of each class.
- Describe the Golden Quadrilateral and the North-South and East-West corridors.
- Explain the work of the Border Roads Organisation and the Pradhan Mantri Grameen Sadak Yojana.
- Explain the importance of railways and the physiographic factors affecting the distribution of the network.
- Describe the pipeline network of India and state the advantages of pipeline transport.
- Describe India's inland waterways and name the National Waterways.
- Describe the advantages of air transport, especially over difficult terrain.
- Distinguish mass communication from personal communication.
- Explain why international trade is called the economic barometer of a country and define balance of trade.
Topics in this chapter
5 topics · tap a topic title to jump straight to it.
Why Transport, Communication and Trade Are Lifelines
Production is not enough
The economic strength of a country is measured by the well-developed means of transport and communication. Production is not complete until the goods reach the consumer. Movement of these goods and services from their supply locations to demand locations necessitates the need for transport.
Some people are engaged in facilitating these movements. These are known as services or tertiary activities. Apart from transport, communication is also an important tertiary activity.
The three together
Today, India is well-linked with the rest of the world despite its vast size, diversity and linguistic and socio-cultural plurality. Railways, airways, waterways, newspapers, radio, television, cinema and internet have been contributing to its socio-economic progress in many ways.
The trades from local to international levels have added to the vitality of its economy. It has enriched our life and added substantially to growing amenities and facilities for the comforts of life.
Movement of goods and services can be over three important domains of our earth - land, water and air. Based on these, transport is classified into land, water and air transport.
- Production is not complete until the goods reach the consumer - the sentence that makes transport an economic necessity.
- Transport and communication are tertiary or service activities.
- Movement takes place over three domains - land, water and air - which gives the three classes of transport.
Roadways
Six reasons roads have an edge
India has one of the largest road networks in the world. In India, roadways have preceded railways. They still have an edge over railways in view of the ease with which they can be built and maintained.
- Construction cost of roads is much lower than that of railway lines.
- Roads can traverse comparatively more dissected and undulating topography.
- Roads can negotiate higher gradients of slopes and can therefore traverse mountains such as the Himalayas.
- Road transport is economical in transporting few persons and relatively smaller amounts of goods over short distances.
- It provides door-to-door service, so the cost of loading and unloading is much lower.
- Road transport is also used as a feeder to other modes of transport, providing the link between railway stations, air and sea ports.
The six classes of roads
- Golden Quadrilateral Super Highways: a major road development project linking Delhi-Kolkata-Chennai-Mumbai by six-lane Super Highways. The North-South corridor links Srinagar and Kanniyakumari, and the East-West corridor connects Silchar and Porbandar. The major objective is to reduce the time and distance between the mega cities of India. These projects are implemented by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI).
- National Highways: the primary road system, linking extreme parts of the country, laid and maintained by the Central Public Works Department (CPWD). The historical Sher-Shah Suri Marg is National Highway No. 1, between Delhi and Amritsar.
- State Highways: roads linking a state capital with district headquarters, constructed and maintained by the State Public Works Department.
- District Roads: roads connecting district headquarters with other places of the district, maintained by the Zila Parishad.
- Other Roads: rural roads linking villages with towns, given special impetus under the Pradhan Mantri Grameen Sadak Yojana, under which every village is to be linked to a major town by an all-season motorable road.
- Border Roads: built and maintained by the Border Roads Organisation, established in 1960 for roads of strategic importance in the northern and north-eastern border areas. These have improved accessibility in areas of difficult terrain and helped the economic development of these areas.
Metalled and unmetalled; road density
Roads are also classified by construction material. Metalled roads may be of cement, concrete or bitumen and are therefore all-weather roads; unmetalled roads go out of use in the rainy season.
The length of road per 100 sq km of area is the density of roads. Distribution is not uniform: density varies from only about 10 km in Jammu and Kashmir to 387 km in Kerala. The national highways constitute only about 2 per cent of the total road length but carry about 40 per cent of the road traffic.
- Golden Quadrilateral links Delhi-Kolkata-Chennai-Mumbai; North-South runs Srinagar to Kanniyakumari, East-West Silchar to Porbandar.
- The historical Sher-Shah Suri Marg is National Highway No. 1, between Delhi and Amritsar.
- National highways are about 2% of total road length but carry about 40% of road traffic.
- \[Density of roads = length of road in km per 100 sq km of area\]
Railways
The principal mode
Railways are the principal mode of transportation for freight and passengers in India. Railways also make it possible to conduct multifarious activities like business, sightseeing and pilgrimage along with transportation of goods over longer distances.
Apart from being an important means of transport, the Indian Railways have been a great integrating force for more than 150 years. Railways in India bind the economic life of the country and accelerate the development of industry and agriculture.
Why the network is uneven
The distribution pattern of the railway network has been largely influenced by physiographic, economic and administrative factors.
- The northern plains, with their vast level land, high population density and rich agricultural resources, provided the most favourable conditions for growth. However, a large number of rivers requiring bridges across their wide beds posed obstacles.
- In the hilly terrain of the peninsular region, tracks are laid through low hills, gaps or tunnels.
- The Himalayan mountainous regions are unfavourable because of high relief, sparse population and lack of economic opportunities.
- It was difficult to lay lines on the sandy plain of western Rajasthan, the swamps of Gujarat and the forested tracts of Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and Jharkhand.
- The contiguous stretch of the Sahyadri could be crossed only through passes.
- The Konkan railway along the west coast has facilitated movement in this important economic region, but faces problems such as sinking of track in some stretches and landslides.
Problems
The railway suffers from several problems. Many passengers travel without tickets. Thefts and damaging of railway property have not stopped completely. People stop trains and pull the chain unnecessarily, causing heavy damage and delay.
- The northern plains offered level land, dense population and rich agriculture - but required many bridges.
- The Himalayas resist railways because of high relief, sparse population and lack of economic opportunity.
- The Konkan railway opened the west coast but faces sinking track and landslides.
Pipelines, Waterways, Ports and Airways
Pipelines
Pipeline transport is a new arrival on India's transportation map. In the past these carried water to cities and industries; now they transport crude oil, petroleum products and natural gas from oilfields and gas fields to refineries, fertiliser factories and big thermal power plants.
Solids can also be transported through a pipeline when converted into slurry. The far inland location of refineries like Barauni, Mathura and Panipat and of gas-based fertiliser plants could be contemplated only because of pipelines.
The initial cost of laying pipelines is high but subsequent running costs are minimal, and pipelines rule out trans-shipment losses or delays.
Waterways
Waterways are the cheapest means of transport, most suitable for carrying heavy and bulky goods. They are fuel-efficient and environment friendly.
- N.W. No. 1: the Ganga between Allahabad and Haldia (1620 km).
- N.W. No. 2: the Brahmaputra between Sadiya and Dhubri (891 km).
- N.W. No. 3: the West-Coast Canal in Kerala (Kottapuram-Kollam, Udyogamandal and Champakkara canals, 205 km).
The backwaters of Kerala have special significance in inland waterways; their immense tourism value attracts national and international tourists, and the famous Nehru Trophy Vallamkali boat race is held there.
Sea ports
India's trade with foreign countries is carried from ports along the coast. About 95 per cent of India's trade volume moves by sea.
Kandla in Kachchh, also known as the Deendayal Port, was the first port developed soon after Independence to ease the volume of trade on the Mumbai port after the loss of Karachi to Pakistan at Partition. It is a tidal port. Mumbai is the biggest port, with a spacious natural and well-sheltered harbour. The Jawaharlal Nehru port was planned to decongest Mumbai and serve as a hub port for the region.
Airways
Air travel is the fastest, most comfortable and prestigious mode of transport. It can cover very difficult terrain such as high mountains, dreary deserts, dense forests and long oceanic stretches with great ease.
Consider the north-eastern part of the country, full of mountains, hills, dense forests and rivers, which form a formidable barrier to the movement of goods and people. Air travel has made access far easier there. But air travel is not within the reach of the common people; it is only in the north-eastern states that special provisions are made to extend the service to them.
- Pipelines have high initial cost but minimal running cost, and rule out trans-shipment losses or delays.
- N.W.1: Ganga, Allahabad-Haldia, 1620 km. N.W.2: Brahmaputra, Sadiya-Dhubri, 891 km. N.W.3: West-Coast Canal, Kerala, 205 km.
- About 95% of India's trade volume moves by sea; Kandla was the first port developed after Independence.
Communication and International Trade
Personal communication
Personal communication and mass communication including television, radio, press and films are the major means of communication in the country.
The Indian postal network is the largest in the world. Cards and envelopes are considered first-class mail and are airlifted between stations covering both land and air. Second-class mail includes book packets, registered newspapers and periodicals, carried by surface mail covering land and water transport.
India has one of the largest telecom networks in Asia. More than two-thirds of the villages in India have been covered with Subscriber Trunk Dialling (STD) telephone facility, and the government has made special provision to extend twenty-four-hour STD facility to every village.
Mass communication
Mass communication provides entertainment and creates awareness among people about various national programmes and policies. It includes radio, television, newspapers, magazines, books and films.
All India Radio (Akashwani) broadcasts a variety of programmes in national, regional and local languages. Doordarshan, the national television channel, is one of the largest terrestrial networks in the world. India publishes a large number of newspapers and periodicals annually, of which the largest number are Hindi newspapers, followed by English and Urdu. India is the largest producer of feature films in the world.
International trade
The exchange of goods among people, states and countries is referred to as trade, and the market is the place where such exchange takes place. Trade between two countries is called international trade, and may take place through sea, air or land routes.
Advancement of international trade of a country is an index to its economic prosperity. It is therefore considered the economic barometer for a country.
As resources are space bound, no country can survive without international trade. Export and import are the components of trade. The balance of trade of a country is the difference between its export and import. When the value of exports exceeds the value of imports, it is called a favourable balance of trade; when imports exceed exports, it is an unfavourable balance of trade.
Tourism as a trade
Tourism in India has grown substantially over the last three decades. Foreign tourist arrivals have increased, contributing to foreign exchange, and more than 15 million people are directly engaged in the tourism industry.
Tourism also promotes national integration, provides support to local handicrafts and cultural pursuits, and helps develop international understanding of our culture and heritage. Foreign tourists visit India for heritage tourism, eco tourism, adventure tourism, cultural tourism, medical tourism and business tourism.
- The Indian postal network is the largest in the world; first-class mail is airlifted, second-class goes by surface.
- Balance of trade = value of exports minus value of imports; favourable when exports exceed imports.
- More than 15 million people are directly engaged in the tourism industry.
- \[Balance of trade = value of exports - value of imports (favourable if positive\]\[unfavourable if negative)\]
Key Concepts
- Lifelines of national economy
- Transport, communication and trade, which complete production by moving goods and services from supply to demand locations.
- Golden Quadrilateral
- The six-lane super highway project linking Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai and Mumbai, implemented by the National Highway Authority of India.
- North-South and East-West corridors
- Super highway corridors linking Srinagar to Kanniyakumari and Silchar to Porbandar.
- National Highways
- The primary road system linking extreme parts of the country, laid and maintained by the Central Public Works Department.
- State Highways
- Roads linking a state capital with district headquarters, built and maintained by the State Public Works Department.
- District Roads
- Roads connecting district headquarters with other places in the district, maintained by the Zila Parishad.
- Pradhan Mantri Grameen Sadak Yojana
- The scheme under which every village is to be linked to a major town by an all-season motorable road.
- Border Roads Organisation
- The Government of India undertaking established in 1960 to build and maintain strategic roads in the northern and north-eastern border areas.
- Metalled roads
- All-weather roads of cement, concrete or bitumen, as opposed to unmetalled roads which go out of use in the rains.
- Density of roads
- The length of road per 100 sq km of area, varying from about 10 km in Jammu and Kashmir to 387 km in Kerala.
- Konkan railway
- The west-coast line that opened this economic region, but which faces sinking track in some stretches and landslides.
- Slurry
- A solid converted into a fluid mixture so that it can be carried through a pipeline.
- National Waterways
- Designated inland navigation routes - N.W.1 the Ganga (Allahabad-Haldia, 1620 km), N.W.2 the Brahmaputra (Sadiya-Dhubri, 891 km), N.W.3 the West-Coast Canal in Kerala (205 km).
- Kandla or Deendayal Port
- A tidal port in Kachchh, the first developed after Independence to ease pressure on Mumbai after the loss of Karachi at Partition.
- First-class mail
- Cards and envelopes, airlifted between stations over land and air, as against second-class mail carried by surface.
- Mass communication
- Communication through radio, television, newspapers, magazines, books and films, which entertains and creates awareness of national programmes.
- International trade
- Trade between two countries by sea, air or land; its advancement is an index of a country's economic prosperity and its economic barometer.
- Balance of trade
- The difference between the value of a country's exports and its imports.
- Favourable balance of trade
- The condition in which the value of exports exceeds the value of imports.
- Tourism as a trade
- A fast-growing service industry earning foreign exchange, promoting national integration and supporting local handicrafts and culture.
Practice Questions
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Why are means of transport and communication called the lifelines of the national economy? / परिवहन और संचार के साधनों को राष्ट्रीय अर्थव्यवस्था की जीवन रेखा क्यों कहा जाता है?
Show answer
They are called lifelines because they move raw materials, goods and people across the country, link production centres with markets, and integrate the economy by enabling trade, industry and services to function smoothly. / इन्हें जीवन रेखा कहा जाता है क्योंकि ये कच्चे माल, वस्तुओं और लोगों को देश भर में पहुँचाते हैं, उत्पादन केंद्रों को बाज़ारों से जोड़ते हैं, और व्यापार, उद्योग तथा सेवाओं को सुचारु रूप से चलाकर अर्थव्यवस्था को एकीकृत करते हैं।
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Distinguish between National Highways and Golden Quadrilateral Super Highways. / राष्ट्रीय राजमार्गों और स्वर्णिम चतुर्भुज महाराजमार्गों में अंतर बताइए।
Show answer
National Highways are primary roads that link states and major cities and are maintained by central agencies, whereas the Golden Quadrilateral is a project of six-lane super highways connecting Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata to reduce time and distance between mega cities. / राष्ट्रीय राजमार्ग प्रमुख सड़कें हैं जो राज्यों और बड़े शहरों को जोड़ती हैं तथा केंद्रीय एजेंसियों द्वारा अनुरक्षित होती हैं, जबकि स्वर्णिम चतुर्भुज छह-लेन महाराजमार्गों की परियोजना है जो दिल्ली, मुंबई, चेन्नई और कोलकाता को जोड़कर महानगरों के बीच समय और दूरी घटाती है।
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Why is road transport more advantageous than rail transport in many situations? / अनेक स्थितियों में रेल परिवहन की तुलना में सड़क परिवहन अधिक लाभप्रद क्यों है?
Show answer
Road transport has a lower construction cost, can negotiate hilly and dissected terrain, serves a small number of people over short distances, and provides door-to-door service acting as a feeder to other modes. / सड़क परिवहन की निर्माण लागत कम होती है, यह पहाड़ी और विच्छेदित भू-भाग में चल सकता है, कम दूरी पर थोड़े लोगों की सेवा करता है, और घर-घर तक सेवा देकर अन्य साधनों के लिए फीडर का कार्य करता है।
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How does the Indian Railways contribute to the social and economic life of the country? / भारतीय रेल देश के सामाजिक और आर्थिक जीवन में किस प्रकार योगदान करती है?
Show answer
Indian Railways carries goods and passengers over long distances, supports industry, agriculture, tourism and pilgrimage, and binds the country together economically and socially by enabling large-scale mobility of people and resources. / भारतीय रेल लंबी दूरी तक माल और यात्रियों को ले जाती है, उद्योग, कृषि, पर्यटन और तीर्थयात्रा को सहारा देती है, और लोगों तथा संसाधनों की बड़े पैमाने पर आवाजाही संभव बनाकर देश को आर्थिक और सामाजिक रूप से जोड़ती है।
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What are the advantages of pipeline transport, and what are its limitations? / पाइपलाइन परिवहन के लाभ क्या हैं, और इसकी सीमाएँ क्या हैं?
Show answer
Pipelines can transport crude oil, petroleum products and natural gas over difficult terrain continuously and cheaply once laid, but their initial cost is high and detecting leakages and repairing them is difficult. / पाइपलाइनें एक बार बिछ जाने पर कठिन भू-भाग में कच्चे तेल, पेट्रोलियम उत्पादों और प्राकृतिक गैस को निरंतर और सस्ते में पहुँचा सकती हैं, परंतु इनकी आरंभिक लागत अधिक होती है और रिसाव का पता लगाना तथा मरम्मत करना कठिन होता है।
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Differentiate between international trade and local trade, and explain why trade is called the economic barometer of a country. / अंतरराष्ट्रीय व्यापार और स्थानीय व्यापार में अंतर बताइए, और समझाइए कि व्यापार को देश का आर्थिक बैरोमीटर क्यों कहा जाता है।
Show answer
Trade between two countries is international trade while trade within a country at local or regional level is internal trade; trade is called the economic barometer because the volume and balance of trade reflect the economic prosperity and development of a nation. / दो देशों के बीच होने वाला व्यापार अंतरराष्ट्रीय व्यापार है, जबकि देश के भीतर स्थानीय या क्षेत्रीय स्तर पर होने वाला व्यापार आंतरिक व्यापार है; व्यापार को आर्थिक बैरोमीटर इसलिए कहा जाता है क्योंकि व्यापार की मात्रा और संतुलन किसी राष्ट्र की आर्थिक समृद्धि और विकास को दर्शाते हैं।
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Why is air transport the most preferred mode in difficult and remote areas like the Himalayas and the northeast? / हिमालय और पूर्वोत्तर जैसे कठिन और दुर्गम क्षेत्रों में वायु परिवहन सर्वाधिक पसंदीदा साधन क्यों है?
Show answer
Air transport is the fastest mode and can easily cover high mountains, dense forests and difficult terrain where building roads and railways is costly or impossible, providing quick access to remote regions. / वायु परिवहन सबसे तीव्र साधन है और ऊँचे पर्वतों, घने वनों तथा कठिन भू-भाग को आसानी से पार कर सकता है जहाँ सड़क और रेल बनाना महँगा या असंभव है, जिससे दुर्गम क्षेत्रों तक शीघ्र पहुँच मिलती है।
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How has tourism developed as a trade in India, and what benefits does it provide? / भारत में पर्यटन एक व्यापार के रूप में कैसे विकसित हुआ है, और इससे क्या लाभ होते हैं?
Show answer
Tourism has grown as cultural, heritage, eco and medical tourism attract domestic and foreign visitors; it promotes national integration, supports local handicrafts and cultural industries, earns foreign exchange and provides employment to many people. / पर्यटन सांस्कृतिक, धरोहर, पारिस्थितिक और चिकित्सा पर्यटन के रूप में बढ़ा है जो देशी और विदेशी पर्यटकों को आकर्षित करता है; यह राष्ट्रीय एकता को बढ़ावा देता है, स्थानीय हस्तशिल्प और सांस्कृतिक उद्योगों को सहारा देता है, विदेशी मुद्रा अर्जित करता है और अनेक लोगों को रोज़गार देता है।
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