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Economics · 2025 · 3 marks
CBSE 2025 · Region 6 · Set 1 · Q28
(a) “During the British rule, contribution of industrial sector to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) remained very low.” Justify the given statement…
(a)
“During the British rule, contribution of industrial sector to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) remained very low.”
Justify the given statement with valid arguments in support of your answer.
OR
(b)
“The real motive behind infrastructural development under the British rule was not to provide basic amenities to the people of India but to subserve various colonial interests.”
Do you agree with the given statement ? Give valid reasons in support of your answer.
Marking-scheme solution
Under British rule, India's industrial sector remained underdeveloped due to the systematic deindustrialization policy of the colonial government. The British aimed to make India an exporter of raw materials and a market for British finished goods.
The British policies led to the decline of the indigenous handicraft industry and lack of capital goods industries, keeping their contribution to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) minimal.
Yes. Basic infrastructure such as railways, posts and telegraphs were developed to serve the interest of the colonial regime. Roads and railways were built primarily to mobilise the army within India, drawing out raw materials from the countryside. In addition, communication tools like telephone and telegraph were introduced to maintain law and order.
Thus, the real motive behind this development was not to provide basic amenities to the people of India but to serve various colonial interests.
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