Chapter 8 Role of government in the development of the country

Answer in brief
Q1) What are five years plans?What replaced them in the year 2014?

Ans: Five years plan were started by the government of India to ensure balanced distribution of
resources and to ensure that everyone is benefited by the process of development.

NITI Aayog (National Institution for Transforming India) replaced them in the year 2014.

Q2) Name one programme of the government of India aimed at rural development.

Ans: Indira Awoaz Yojona is aimed at rural development

Q3) 'India transport system is an amalgam of both the ultra-modern and traditiona'l. Explain how ?

Ans: On the one hand we have one of largest networks of roads in the world, a very large railway,
modern ports and modern airports. But even today there are nearly 15 million bullock cart across rural
India, which happen to be the cheapest means of transport there. Thus the Indian transport system is an
amalgam of both the ultra-modern and the traditional as we have both the supersonic jets and the slow
moving bullock carts.

Q4) Name the longest national highway in India? From where to where does it run?

Ans: NH 44, which runs from Srinagar to Kanyakumari, is the longest highway in India. It cuts across
India, north to south, and covers a distance of over 3,806 km.

Q5) Name one public sector and one private sector company that offer telecommunication services in
India.

Ans: BSNL is a public sector company while Airtel and Reliance communications are private sector
companies that offer telecommunication services in India.

Q6) Give full form of

i) SAIL ii) GAIL

ii) GVA iv) NHAI v) GDP

Ans: i) SAIL : Steel Authority of India Limited.

ii) GAIL : Gas Authority of India Limited

iii) GVA: Gross Value Added

iv) NHAI: National Highway Authority of India.

v) GDP: Gross Domestic Product.

Q7) Give evidence that indicates that India is still lagging in education. Mention one remedy the
government has come up with.
Ans: Less than half of India’s children aged between six and fourteen go school. Over one-third of all
children who enroll in school never reach the eighth grade. Fifty three percent of girls in the age group
of 5-19 years are illiterate. Only 53% of habitation has a primary school. Many schemes have been
launched by the government to counter this.

For example under Kastruba Ghandi Balika, funds are provided for an additional 410 vidyalayas in
educationally backward areas.

Q8) Mention one ill effect of uncontrolled urbanization.

Ans: One major ill effect is the increase of slums in the major cities in India.

Answer in detail
Q1) What are the major functions of a government.

Ans: The major functions of a government are

a) Maintaining law and order.

b) Controlling natural resources

c) Providing civic amenities and basic

infrastructure.

d) Working towards poverty alleviation and

welfare the poor.

e) Sustaining economic growth.

Q2) Give an account of the efforts taken by the government to develop agriculture. What was the result
achieved?

Ans: The government has launched many land reforms. Land holding of the marginal farmers were made
bigger by redistributing extra land taken from the larger Zamindars.

Cooperative banks were started to lend money to the farmers at reasonable rates. Massive irrigation
projects were launched. High yielding seeds, pesticides and fertilizers were made available at highly
subsided rates. Agricultural product shot up. India is today self sufficient in food and has a buffer stock
to fall to fall back on in case of drought.

Q3) Give a brief summary of the spectacular growth of transport and telecommunication section in
India.

Ans: At the time of independence, the Indian economy was in state of ruin. Large tracts of India were
poorly linked with the rest of the country. Since independency, India has made rapid strides in the
transportation and telecommunication sector. Today, India has a very large network of roads. The
government setup the National Highway Authority of India.
Another massive project is the “ Golden Quadrilateral “ connecting the four metros. Of all the sectors,
the telecommunication sector has probably witnessed the most rapid technological advancement over
the past few years.

In the field of telecommunications, the growth rate in 2006 was 21% and is expected to grow over 150%
by the year 2012.