Case Study: The Development of India

Question 1

Describe India’s Geographical Location

Answer 1

• Shares international borders with: Pakistan, Nepal, China, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Burma (PNCBBB)
• Asia/south Asia

Question 2

How has India’s location impacted its economic development?

Answer 2

• India has been motivated by rapid development of other emerging nations in the region such as Malaysia, Indonesia and China

Question 3

What are the positives and negatives of Monsoons in India?

Answer 3

• Monsoon rain is vital for water supply and farming
• Monsoon rain results in flooding

Question 4

How is Indian society divided?

Answer 4

• Indian society is divided into social ranks called CASTES determined at birth by their parents’ status

Question 5

What is the majority religion in India? (+ other religion)

Answer 5

• over 80% Hindu
• 13% Muslim

Question 6

Describe India’s political divisions

Answer 6

• Divided into 29 states and 7 union territories
• Largest state is Rajasthan, smallest is Goa

Question 7

How is development spread in India? - why?

Answer 7

• Uneven social and economic development in India
• This has widened the development gap between more advanced regions and ones with more progress
• Rising inequality has become and important issue

Question 8

What factors have impacted uneven development in India? - with examples

Answer 8

• Mumbai is coastal, benefitted from trade routes
• Bihar is landlocked
• Rajasthan is affected by drought and therefore crop failure
  Rich-poor gap grew as states with higher levels of development attracted investments from transnational corporations, further increasing their wealth.
• People move out of poorer state due to lack of schools and transport networks, so the high achievers move to more successful cities

Question 9

What are the 4 job sectors?

Answer 9

primary - eg farming or forestry

secondary - making products out of raw materials, eg food processing and car
manufacturing

tertiary - providing a service, eg doctors and teachers

quaternary - ICT and research, eg computer software designers and scientists

Question 10

How did the job sectors progress in india?

Answer 10

• Government encouraged TNCs to set up in India
• Increased number of factories = secondary tier jobs
• Factory workers earned more money, so more people could afford services like entertainment and healthcare
• This created more jobs in the tertiary sector

Question 11

Advantages of TNCs (transnational corporations) in India

Answer 11

• Created jobs
• Improved infrastructure: new roads and internet cabling
• TNCs pay tax to the government, which can be spent on development projects

Question 12

Disadvantages of TNCs in India

Answer 12

• Conditions in factories are harsh
• Best jobs given to foreign workers from the TNC’s country of origin
• TNCs owned by foreign countries = economic leakage + profits sent abroad

Question 13

What are India’s biggest imports?

Answer 13

Oil, machinery, precious stones

Question 14

What are India’s biggest exports?

Answer 14

Petroleum products, jewellery, rice, pharmaceutical products

Question 15

Describe India’s population structure in 1985

Answer 15

Large numbers of young people, decreasing numbers of old people due to high birth rate so children could help their parents out on farms. Life expectancy of older people was lower due to lack of medical care and poor access to clean water

Question 16

Describe India’s population structure now

Answer 16

• A decline in birth rates. As more people work in secondary and tertiary jobs, children are seen as less of an asset and so the birth rate has dropped
• The development of the economy has improved the education of the population and so more people are pursuing a career before having children, resulting in smaller families
• The life expectancy of older people has increased due to improvements in medical care

Question 17

What aid did India receive?

Answer 17

ODA - spends on education and infrastructure projects
Biggest contributors are Japan, UK, France and Germany

Question 18

What are the advantages of rapid urbanisation in India?

Answer 18

• Increase in population creates skilled workforce which attracts TNCs and increases wealth
• The increase in wealth can develop education, further increasing the skills base of the area (cycle)
• Increase in wealth used to develop sanitation in urban areas, reducing infant mortality rate

Question 19

What are the disadvantages of rapid urbanisation in India?

Answer 19

• Urbanisation happens so fast to keep up with, so there is a lack of affordable accommodation meaning migrants live in self-built area like Dharavi in Mumbai
• Growth of these slums = disease, conflict
• People can work in poor conditions and low pay due to pressure of job opportunities

Question 20

What social improvements have occurred in India?

Answer 20

• Health and hygiene improvements = life expectancy increased from 58 to 70 within the last 30 years
• More people of working age

Question 21

What environmental improvements have occurred in India?

Answer 21

National Green Tribunal set up in 2010 has helped to clean up India’s cities
- e-waste recycling (electronics are broken down and reused) is an example
- and regular checks on factory waste