NCERT Solutions for Class 11

Social Science Economics

Chapter 8 – Infrastructure

1. Explain the term infrastructure.

Ans: The term infrastructure refers to the underlying material and organizational
structures that are essential for the good and prosperous functioning of an economy.
In other words, infrastructure is seen as the basic support system that enables an
economy to function properly. Usually, the term infrastructure refers to technical
structures such as roads, transport, communication, bridges, dams, energy, public
facilities such as schools, hospitals, etc.

The absence of appropriate and technologically sophisticated infrastructure is the

primary distinction between a developed and an undeveloped country. As an input
and a support system, infrastructure has two advantages. Infrastructure as an input
(roads, banking, and electricity) promotes production and attracts national and
international investment. Infrastructure improves human capital quality by providing
technological and high-quality education and health facilities.It may be argued that
having high quality and adequate infrastructure is a necessary and sufficient
prerequisite for economic growth and development, as it enables the economy to
remove key economic problems such as poverty, unemployment, and inequality.

2. Explain the two categories into which infrastructures are divided. How are
both dependent on each other?

Ans: Infrastructure is roughly divided into two categories: Economic Infrastructure

and Social Infrastructure. Economic infrastructure refers to the elements of
economic change that support the production and distribution process. It raises the
productivity of the entire economy by improving the quality of economic resources.
It acts as a support system for economic progress in this way. Economic

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infrastructure includes things like energy, transportation, communications, banking,
and financial institutions. The bigger the economic infrastructure, the higher the
production and the greater the number of job prospects. That which emerges in the
economic infrastructure might be regarded as a prerequisite for economic growth.
All facilities and institutions that increase the quality of human capital are referred
to as social infrastructure. Both the economic and the social infrastructure are
interdependent and complement each other. While the economic infrastructure
promotes economic growth, the social infrastructure improves the quality of life and
thus leads to the well-being of the economy as a whole. Infrastructure contributes to
the prosperity of the economy. Economic growth achieved through economic
infrastructure is imperfect without human development achieved through social
infrastructure. One infrastructure thus supports the other. The infrastructure is also
essential for the smooth and efficient production of all economic sectors.

3. How do infrastructure facilities drive production?

Ans: Social and economic infrastructure, facilitates production. An example can be

used to understand the role of infrastructure in economic production. If there is a
lack of irrigation systems in agriculture, then it depends entirely on the monsoons.
That can affect your production and productivity. Since irrigation is essential to
improving the productivity of the agricultural sector. The infrastructure is also
essential for the smooth and efficient production of all economic sectors. Likewise,
industrial production without adequate means of transport can lead to delays in the
transport of raw materials, capital goods, and finished products, delays in the
production process, and thus hinders industrial production so that infrastructure is
the necessary prerequisite for higher productivity and higher production.

4. Infrastructure contributes to a country's economic development. Do you

agree? Explain.

Ans: Yes, the infrastructure acts as a support system for productive activities in the
economy and thus contributes to economic development.

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The following points are intended to explain the role of infrastructure in a country's
economic development:

● Infrastructure increases productivity. Social and economic infrastructure

facilitates production.

● The availability of high-quality infrastructure ensures that output and

productivity grow. Infrastructure facilitates the flow of commodities and raw
resources, lowering industrial costs. Inefficiencies lead to the efficient use of
scarce resources and the avoidance of waste.

● Infrastructure promotes investment: Infrastructure offers favorable conditions

for investment. Lack of facilities discourages investment For example, an
investor will not invest if basic infrastructure such as transport and
communication is lacking in the industry. Due to the extension of forwarding
and reverse links. When appropriate infrastructural facilities are available, the
process of economic expansion becomes a dynamic process. This can be
explained with the help of a forward link. If, for example, irrigation systems
drive agricultural production, then related industries that depend on
agriculture for the supply of raw materials experience an increase in
production at the same time.

● Infrastructure enlarges the market Infrastructure enlarges the market. The fast
and profitable transport of raw materials and finished products in bulk enables
the manufacturer to offer its products throughout the country and even across
international borders.

5. What is the state of rural infrastructure in India?

Ans: During colonial rule, the British set about building an infrastructure to enable
their trade fairs. The Indian government lacked the strong infrastructure needed to
achieve its ambition of economic development at the time of independence, and most
infrastructure developments was centered in metropolitan areas, where it remains
limited in comparison to the rural population. Biofuels such as cow dung and
firewood are still used by rural women to satisfy their energy demands. According

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to the 2001 census, just 56% of homes have access to electricity. Kerosene is still
used by 43% of people. Biofuels are used by almost 90% of rural households for
cooking. Only 24% of rural families have access to running water, and only 20%
have better sanitation. Element of economic growth, which is why there is a need
for time to solve infrastructure problems.

6. What is the meaning of energy? Differentiate between commercial and non-

commercial energy sources.

Ans: Energy is the most important part of the economic infrastructure. It is a critical
aspect of a nation's development process. It is indispensable for the industry as it is
not a basic product. It is produced without consuming any energy. Energy is also
used in agriculture today. It is required for the operation of pipe wells, tractors, and
crushers. It is also needed in households for cooking. You cannot imagine a day
without electricity and other energy sources like gasoline, liquefied petroleum gas,
etc. Hence we can say that energy is the nourishment of all productive activities.

Commercial Energy Non-Commercial Energy

Energy The energy sources available to Energy sources that are generally freely
users at a given price are referred to as available to users are referred to as non-
commercial energy commercial energy

This type of energy is employed in the This type of energy is mostly used in the
business sector. home.

For example coal, oil, natural gas, and Firewood, agricultural waste, and animal
electricity manure are just a few examples of non -
commercial sources of energy.

7. What are the 3 fundamental re assets of producing energy?

Ans: The 3 fundamental re assets of producing energy are thermal, hydroelectric,

and nuclear energy. Thermal energy makes use of warmness strength as its base for

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the manufacturing of power. Hydroelectric energy entails the manufacturing of
power through the usage of kinetic pressure of falling water. In addition, nuclear
energy entails the usage of sustained nuclear fission to generate power. The thermal
re assets, hydel and wind energy, and nuclear energy money owed for 70%, 16%,
and 2% of the energy era potential respectively in India.

8. What are transmission and distribution losses? How can they be reduced?

Ans: Power transmission and distribution losses refer to the losses that occur in
transmission between utility sources and distribution points. Transmission and
distribution losses are power losses caused by intrinsic resistance and transformation
inefficiencies in electrical cables or distribution transformers. To decrease energy
transmission and distribution losses, the following steps should be taken:

● Improved transmission and distribution technology should be used.

● The network must be privatized. This increases efficiency and thus avoids
waste.

● Trusted employees must be strict with power theft incidents and severe fines
and penalties must be imposed.

9. What are the different non-commercial energy sources?

Ans: The energy carriers that are generally available to consumers free of charge
and do not have a recognized market are called non-commercial energy, this form
of energy is used for domestic use and consumption. Firewood, agricultural waste,
and animal manure are just a few examples of non - commercial sources of energy.

10. Give reasons that the energy crisis can be overcome through the use of
renewable energy sources.

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Ans: If resources are mined faster than they regenerate, then it is said that the
carrying capacity of the environment is reduced. When the environment fails to
perform its life-sustaining purpose, an environmental crisis occurs. These
environmental catastrophes are the outcome of a reduction in the environment's
carrying capacity and absorption. Resources are being used at a quicker rate than
they are being produced in the current environment. Resources are soon depleted.
Renewable raw resources, on the other hand, can be rapidly regenerated or refilled.
These resources are limitless and untouched by human activity like sun and wind
energy.

11. How has the pattern of energy use changed over the years?

Ans: The percentage of use of different energy sources is called the energy
consumption pattern. It can only be analyzed if the various energy sources are
converted into a common unit, which in India is called MTOE (Million Tons of Oil
Equivalent). The pattern of energy use has changed significantly over time. The use
of primary sources such as coal, oil, and natural gas has changed dramatically. The
non-commercial use of this energy increased from 36% to 76% between 1953-54
and 2004-05. The final coal consumption was drastically reduced regardless of the
increase in the total coal consumption. Its consumption increased from 95 million
tons in 1980-81 to 355 million tons in 2008-09. Oil consumption has also increased,
for which our country was dependent on the Gulf States, electricity consumption in
agriculture has increased over time, while it has remained highest in the industrial
sector compared to other sectors.

12. Are energy consumption and economic growth related?

Ans: The rate of energy consumption is critical to a nation's economic growth or

development process. The consumption of renewable energy sources is related to
sustainable economic development. Renewable energy sources are free from
pollution and health hazards. In addition, energy consumption is essential for
promoting agriculture and industrial processes. Hence, greater use of renewable
energy sources leads to more sustainable economic development.

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13. What problems does the energy sector in India have?

Ans: The critical challenges for the energy sector in India are as follows:

● India's installed power generation capacity is insufficient to meet annual

economic growth of 7%.

● State Electricity Boards (SEB) that distribute electricity suffered a great loss
of more than 500 billion rupees from the transmission and distribution of
electricity.

● The wrong prices for electricity, such as the supply of electricity at subsidized
tariffs for the agricultural sector and electricity theft, have exaggerated the
problems of the electricity sector.

● High electricity prices and prolonged blackouts are other challenges in the
electricity sector. Thermal power faces a shortage of raw materials for power
generation.

14. Discuss the recent reforms to deal with the energy crisis in India.

Ans: The government has initiated the following reforms to deal with the energy
crisis:

● In the power generating industry, privatisation is taking place. Energy:

Previously, the government maintained a monopoly on energy generation and
delivery. It has now been transferred to the private sector.

● Electricity transmission rights for privatization: The Indian government has

approved a joint venture between Tata Power and Power Grid Corporation of
India to build transmission networks in 2012 in order to meet India's goal of
1000 KwHr (units) of electricity consumption per capita. This goal is geared
towards the goal of economic growth of 8% p. The main reason for this goal
is to improve energy quality, started in 2000-01 to improve financial
sustainability, reduce transmission and distribution losses, and promote
transparency through computerization.

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 ● The government has drawn up the National Energy Efficiency Program
(NEEP) in a five-year plan, which aims to conserve petroleum products.

● Productivity Improvement: The Government of India has emphasized

measures to improve the productivity of the existing power generation
industries.

15. What are the main health characteristics of the people of our country?

Ans: Health is the ability of a biological system to generate, convert, distribute,

distribute and use energy with maximum efficiency only the absence of disease, but
also the ability to realize its potential. It's a measure of wellbeing. A country's health
status can be assessed using indicators such as infant mortality rate, maternal
mortality rate, life expectancy and nutritional levels, and the incidence of
communicable and non-communicable diseases.

16. What is the Global Burden of Disease?

Ans: Global Burden of Disease (GBD) is an indicator used by experts to measure

the number of people who die prematurely from a specific disease. This also includes
the number of years they have been in a state of disability due to various illnesses.
India carries an alarming 20% of GBD. More than half of GBD is explained by
communicable diseases such as diarrhea, malaria, and tuberculosis.

17. Discuss the main disadvantages of our health system.

Ans: In recent years, India has started on a massive health infrastructure

development project. The decrease in the death rate, infant mortality rate, and
increase in life expectancy are evidence of this. However, there is still work to be
done in the realm of healthcare. Some of the shortcomings in Indian health care are
as follows:

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 ● Unequal distribution of health services: The distribution of health care
services in rural and urban regions is uneven. Only one hospital serves the
rural districts, which house 70% of the population. In addition, the doctor-to-
population ratio might be as high as 1:2,000. This means that in India, there
is just one doctor for every 2,000 people. Village dispensaries account for just
half of the total number of dispensaries. The majority of health-care facilities
are concentrated in metropolitan regions.

● Communicable Diseases: Various communicable diseases such as AIDS

(Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome), HIV (Human Immunodeficiency
Syndrome), and SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) have reached
India. Human capital reserve hinders economic growth.

● Poor management: There is a lack of educated and trained staff in rural areas,
so the rural population needs to move quickly to urban health centers. Lack of
adequate roads and other inexpensive means of transportation

● Lack of modern technology and facilities: Government health centers

generally lack basic facilities such as blood tests, X-rays, etc. These centers
lack modern technology and medical facilities such as CT scans, ultrasound,
etc. to access these services to be able to do so, people have to rely on private
hospitals, which charge exorbitant fees.

● Privatization: The government's inability to provide adequate health centers

and other medical facilities paved the way for the private sector to intervene
and the poor left to their own devices. This is due to the privatization of the
health sector, private hospitals attract more patients than state hospitals
because state hospitals have no facilities.

18. How has women's health become an important issue?

Ans: Half of the total population of India is made up of women. Women lag behind
men in education, health care, and economic participation. 927 in 2001 to 914 as the
2011 census showed, which shows the increasing incidents of female feticides in the
country that gave birth to a son. About 50% of married women between the ages of

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15 and 49 suffer from anemia. This resulted in 19% of maternal mortality. The
leading cause of maternal morbidity and mortality in India is abortion due to which
has become a big problem.

19. Describe the importance of public health. Discuss key public health
measures the state has taken to fight disease in recent years.

Ans: Public health refers to protecting public health through education, research and
development, and promoting healthy lifestyles. Their goal is the improvement and
well-being of people across the country. It focuses on protecting and improving the
health of the entire population, not individuals. In recent years India has started
building a huge infrastructure. At the village level, various hospitals were founded
under the name Primary Health Centers (PHC). Various non-profit groups and the
business sector manage a vast number of hospitals. Professionals and paramedical
staff trained in medical, pharmaceutical, and nursing schools operate hospitals. The
number of health services available has increased dramatically. Between 1951 and
2000, the number of hospitals and pharmacies rose from 9,300 to 44,000, and the
number of hospital beds climbed from 1.2 to 6.3 lakhs. During the same time period,
the number of nurses rose from 0.18 to 23.44 lakhs, while the number of allopathic
physicians climbed from 0.62 to 9.2 lakhs. Smallpox, polio, leprosy, and other fatal
illnesses have all been eradicated thanks to the availability of various facilities.

20. Distinguish the six systems of Indian medicine.

Ans: Below are the six medical systems formed by ISM (Indian Systems of
Medicine).

● Ayurveda

● Yoga

● Siddha

● Natural Medicine

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 ● Unani

● Homeopathy

Ayurveda is a historic Indian medical system that is still practised today. It's a
holistic approach to health that takes into account the body, mind, and spirit. Dietary
and lifestyle modifications, as well as medication therapy, are recommended by
ayurvedic practitioners. They've discovered a number of pharmaceutical
formulations and surgical methods for treating a variety of illnesses and disorders
that other medical systems can't entirely cure. Ayurvedic treatments like as applying
herbs and massage can be used in conjunction with other systems.

Yoga is an ancient Indian art form that has been practised for thousands of years. It
is mentioned in the Vedic period's 'Upanishads' and 'Puranas' written by Indian
Aryans. Patanjali, who penned the 'Yoga Sutra' two thousand years ago, is credited
for systematising yoga. The Yoga Sutra is the most fundamental literature on Yoga.
The basic message of yoga is transmitted around the world through this method. It
is characterised as a comprehensive system or an art of ethical living for the benefit
of the body, mind, and inner soul.

Siddha is derived from the Sanskrit word Siddhi, which meaning "object of
perfection" or "heaven." Ayurveda and Unani are the two most ancient Indian
medical systems. It is also known in India as Siddha Vaidya and is the world's oldest
medical system. Siddha has developed as a significant and distinctive system of
Indian medicine when compared to other traditional medical systems in existence,
as people's demand for natural health treatments and herbal health cures grows by
the day.

Naturopathy focuses on the healing power of nature, assuming that all healing
abilities reside inside our bodies. This indicates that there is a healing energy within
every human being. Naturopathy believes that humans only get unwell when we go
against nature. Nature's technique of recovering has been termed as 'fasting.' A
complete rest, including fasting, is the most beneficial condition for a sick body to
cleanse and recuperate.

In India, Unani has a lengthy and illustrious track record. With the advent of Islamic
culture, it was introduced to India in the 10th century A.D. Unanipathy has now

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become a major element of Indian medical systems. India is one of the most popular
countries in the world. It is quite similar to Ayurveda in India. Unani maintained that
sickness is a normal occurrence and that symptoms are the body's responses to it.

Homeopathy is made up of two words: "Homeo," which means "like," and "Pathos,"
which means "suffering" or "therapy." Medication and sickness that generate
comparable symptoms cancel each other out in this system. It is well-liked by the
public owing to its extraordinary healing abilities. Its treatments also have no
negative side effects.

21. How can we make health programs more effective?

Ans: Health is a public good as well as a fundamental human right. As a result, it

should be available to everyone, and no one should be denied access to health care.
If public health services are decentralised, these amenities may be made available to
everyone. It indicates that the authority to provide these services should be
transferred from the federal government to local governments. Education,
information dissemination, awareness, and a well-functioning health infrastructure
are all critical to the effectiveness of health care. It is critical to raise public
knowledge about health and cleanliness. The telecommunications and information
technology industries have the potential to exacerbate the ineffectiveness of health-
care programmes.

Furthermore, delivering high-quality medical services at a low cost might help it

gain credibility and appeal. The major focus should be on growing the number of
hospitals, modernising medical facilities, developing infrastructure, improving the
doctor-to-population ratio, and increasing the number of medical colleges in India
in order to improve the efficacy of health-care programmes. In rural regions, the
availability and development of medical services is still a long way off. Furthermore,
in order to make health care facilities accessible and cheap to everybody, there must
be some legislation to curb the excessive rates imposed by private medical centres.

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