CBSE Class 12 Geography Transport and Communication Assignment Set B

I. Read the case study given below and answer the questions that follow:
Indian Railways network is one of the longest in the world. It facilitates the movement of both freight and passengers and contributes to the growth of the economy. Indian Railway was introduced in 1853, when a line was constructed from Bombay to Thane covering a distance of 34 km. Indian Railways is the largest government undertaking in the country. The length of Indian Railways network was 66,030 km as on 31st March, 2015. Its very large size puts a lot of pressure on the centralised railway management system. Thus, in India, the railway system has been divided into 16 zones. Indian Railways has launched extensive programme to convert the metre and narrow gauges to broad gauge. Moreover, steam engines have been replaced by diesel and electric engines. This step has increased the speed, as well as, the haulage capacity. The replacement of steam engines run by coal has also improved the environment of the stations.

Question. Which is the largest railway network in Asia?
(a) Indian railways
(b) Trans-Siberian
(c) Australian railways
(d) None of the above

Answer: A

Question. When was Indian Railways introduced?
(a) 1841
(b) 1843
(c) 1853
(d) 1863

Answer: C

Question. Which is the longest railway track in India?
(a) Dibrugarh to Kanyakumari
(b) Trivandrum to Jammu
(c) Manipur to Jamnagar
(d) None of the above

Answer: A

Question. Why is electric engine considered more efficient than the traditional diesel engine?
(a) Cost effective
(b) Higher speed
(c) More accurate
(d) All of these

Answer: D

II. Read the case study given below and answer the questions that follow:
India has one of the second largest road networks in the world with a total length of about 56 lakh km (morth.nic.in, Annual Report 2017-18). About 85 per cent of passengers and 70 per cent of freight traffic are carried by roads every year. Road transport is relatively suitable for shorter distance travel. Road transport in modern sense was very limited in India before World War-II. The first serious attempt was made in 1943 when ‘Nagpur Plan’ was drawn.
This plan could not be implemented due to lack of coordination among the princely states and British India. After Independence, twenty-year road plan (1961) was introduced to improve the conditions of roads in India. However, roads continue to concentrate in and around urban centres. Rural and remote areas had the least connectivity by road.
For the purpose of construction and maintenance, roads are classified as National Highways (NH),State Highways (SH), Major District Roads and Rural Roads.

Question. What is the length of the Indian road networks as per Annual Report 2017-18?
(a) 56 lakh km
(b) 46 lakh km
(c) 36 lakh km
(d) 26 lakh km

Answer: A

Question. How much passenger traffic is carried out by roads every year?
(a) 70%
(b) 75%
(c) 80%
(d) 85%

Answer: D

Question. What was purpose of the twenty-year road plan introduced after independence?
(a) Bifurcate the roads
(b) To introduce toll tax
(c) Improve the conditions of the road
(d) None of these

Answer: C

Question. State the importance of national highways.
(a) Connects important places
(b) Very less maintenance cost
(c) Disintegrates into smaller roads
(d) None of these

Answer: A

III. Read the case study given below and answer the questions that follow:
Air transport is the fastest means of movement from one place to the other. It has reduced distances by minimising the travel time. It is essential for a vast country like India, where distances are large and the terrain and climatic conditions are diverse. Air transport in India made a beginning in 1911 when airmail operation commenced over a little distance of 10 km between Allahabad and Naini. But its real development took place in post- Independent period. The Airport Authority of India is responsible for providing safe, efficient air traffic and aeronautical communication services in the Indian Air Space. The authority manages 125 airports. Now, many private companies have also started passenger services. Air India provides International Air Services for both passengers and cargo traffic. It connects all the continents of the world through its services. Some private companies have also started operations to foreign countries.

Question. What is an example of air travel?
(a) Ferry
(b) Mountain truck
(c) Helicopter
(d) Crane

Answer: C

Question. Who is responsible for providing safe, efficient air traffic and aeronautical communication services in the Indian Air Space?
(a) The Airport Community of India
(b) The Airport Authority of India
(c) The Airport Mission of India
(d) All of the Above

Answer: B

Question. Why is air travel more expensive than land travel?
(a) Not very frequently taken
(b) High cost of fuel
(c) Limited air crafts available
(d) None of these

Answer: B

Question. Name one private airline operating in India.
(a) GoAir
(b) Air India
(c) Indian Airlines
(d) Emirates

Answer: A

Read the case/source given and answer the following questions.
Human beings have evolved different methods of communication over time. In earlier times, the messages were delivered by beating the drum or hollow tree trunks, giving indications through smoke or fire or with the help of fast runners. Horses, camels, dogs, birds and other animals were also used to send messages. Initially, the means of communication were also the means of transportation. Invention of post office, telegraph,printing press, telephone, satellite, etc has made the communication much faster and easier. Development in the field of science and technology has significantly contributed in bringing about revolution in the field of communication. Among all the personal communication system internet is the most effective and advanced one. It is widely used in urban areas. It enables the user to establish direct contact through e-mail to get access to the world of knowledge and information.
It is increasingly used for e-commerce and carrying out money transactions. The internet is like a huge central warehouse of data, with detailed information on various items. The network through internet and e-mail provides an efficient access to information at a comparatively low cost. It enables us with the basic facilities of direct communication.
Satellites are mode of communication in themselves as well as they regulate the use of other means of communication. However, use of satellite in getting a continuous and synoptic view of larger area has made satellite communication very vital for the country due to the economic and strategic reasons. Satellite images can be used for the weather forecast,
monitoring of natural calamities, surveillance of border areas, etc.

Question. Discus about the evolution of communication system.
Answer: Human beings have evolved different methods of communication over time. In earlier times, the messages were delivered by beating the dram or hollow tree trucks,
giving indications through smoke or fire or with the help of fast runners. Horses, camels, dogs, birds and other animals were also used to send message. Initially, the means of communication were also the means of transportation.
But invention of post offices, telegraph, printing press, telephone, satellite, etc has made the communication much faster and easier.

Question. What is satellite communication?
Answer: Satellites are mode of communication in themselves and they regulate the use of other means of communication.

Question. Internet has become a major part of our lives.State its importance in brief.
Answer: It is true that internet has become a major part of our lives due to its importance as
– It enables the users to establish direct contact through e-mail to get access to the world of knowledge and information.
– It is increasingly used for e-commerce and carrying out money transactions.

Read the case/source given and answer the following questions.
The main roads which are constructed and maintained by the Central Government are known as the National Highways. These roads are meant for inter-state transport and movement of defence men and material in strategic areas.These also connect the state capitals, major cities, important ports, railway junctions, etc. The length of the National Highways has increased from 19,700 km in 1951 to 1,010,11 km in 2016. The National Highways constitute only about 2 per cent of the total road length but carry 40 per cent of the road traffic.
State Highways are constructed and maintained by State governments. They join the state capitals with district headquarters and other important towns. These roads are connected to the National Highways. These constitute 4 per cent of total road length in the country. District Roads are the connecting link between District Headquarters and the other important nodes in the district.
They account for 14 per cent of the total road length of the country. Rural roads are vital for providing links in the rural areas. About 80 per cent of the total road length in India are categorised as rural roads. There is regional variation in the density of rural road because these are influenced by the nature of the terrain.Other roads include Border Roads and
International Highways. The Border Road Organisation (BRO) was established in May 1960 for accelerating economic development and strengthening defence preparedness through rapid and coordinated improvement of strategically important roads along the Northern and North-Eastern boundary of the country. It is a premier multifaceted construction agency. It has constructed roads in high altitude mountainous terrain joining Chandigarh with Manali (Himachal Pradesh) and Leh (Ladakh).
This road runs at an average altitude of 4,270 metres above the mean sea level.

Question. National Highways are very important for a vast country like India. State its two features.
Answer: Two features of National Highways are
(i) These roads are meant for inter-state transport and movement of defence mean and materials in strategic areas.
(ii) These also connect the state capitals, major cities, important ports, railways junctions, etc.

Question. Mention any one point of difference between National Highways and State Highways.
Answer: National Highways are constructed and maintained by the Central Government whereas State Highways are constructed and maintained by State Governments.

Question. What is Border Road Organisation (BRO)? Explain in brief.
Answer: BRO is a government organisation which was established in May, 1960. It was established for accelerating economic development and strengthening defence preparedness through rapid and coordinated improvement of strategically important roads along the Northern and North-Eastern boundary of the country. It is a premier multifaceted construction agency.

Read the case/source given and answer the following questions.
Indian Railways, network is one of the longest in the world. It facilitates the movement of both freight and passengers and contributes to the growth of the economy. Mahatma Gandhi said, the Indian railways “…brought people of diverse cultures together to contribute to India’s freedom struggle.” Indian Railway was introduced in 1853, when a line was constructed from Bombay to Thane covering a distance of 34 km. Indian Railways is the largest government undertaking in the country. The length of Indian Railways network was 66,030 km as on 31st March, 2015. Its very large size puts a lot of pressure on a centralised railway management system.
Thus, in India, the railway system has been divided into 16 zones. Indian Railways has launched extensive programme to convert the metre and narrow gauges to broad gauge.Moreover, steam engines have been replaced by diesel and electric engines. This step has increased the speed, as well as, the haulage capacity.
The replacement of steam engines run by coal has also improved the environment of the stations.Metro rail has revolutionlised the urban transport system in Kolkata and Delhi. Replacement of diesel buses by CNG-run vehicles along with the introduction of metro is a welcome step towards controlling the air pollution in urban centres. One of the important achievements of the Indian Railways has been the construction of Konkan Railway in 1998. It is 760-km long rail route connecting Roha in Maharashtra to Mangalore in Karnataka.

Question. Mention any one point that identify the development of Indian Railways.
Answer: One point that identify the development of Indian Railways is that when Indian Railway was introduced in 1853, a line was constructed from Bombay to Thane only covering a distance of 34 km. But now, the length of Indian Railways network increased to 66,030 km as on 31st March, 2015.

Question. Which strategy has improved the environment of railway stations in India?
Answer: The replacement of steam engines run by coal has improved the environment of the stations in India.

Question. Konkan Railways is one of the important achievement of Indian Railways. Explain your answer.
Answer: One of the important achievements of the Indian Railways has been the construction of Konkan Railway in 1998. It is 760 km long rail route connecting Roha in Maharashtra to
Manglore in Karnataka. It crosses 146 rivers, streams,nearly 2000 bridges and 91 tunnels. Asia’s larget tunnel which is nearly 6.5 km long, also lies on this route.