CBSE Class 10 Social Science Geography Notes Chapter 7 – Lifelines of National Economy

Lifelines of National Economy notes Class 10 explain how transport and communication help in the economic development of a country. Class 10 Geography Chapter 7 notes focus on the movement of goods, people, and information, which is essential for growth. A nation’s development depends on how efficiently goods and services are produced and distributed across different regions. With fast and reliable transport systems, the world has truly become a global village.

In class 10th geography chapter 7 notes, students learn that India has a well-developed network of transport and communication, which strengthens its internal and international trade. Roads, railways, waterways, airways, pipelines, and communication systems together form the lifelines of the national economy. These systems connect villages to towns, towns to cities, and India to the rest of the world.

Ch 7 geo class 10 notes clearly explain different modes of transport. Roads are the most commonly used means of transport in India and are important for short-distance travel. Railways are the backbone of long-distance transport and carry heavy goods and large numbers of passengers. Waterways are the cheapest means of transport, especially for bulky goods, while airways are the fastest mode, useful for long distances and emergencies. Pipelines are used to transport oil, gas, and water.

Overall, lifelines of national economy notes help students understand how transport and communication play a vital role in India’s economic development. These lifelines of national economy class 10 notes are important for exams and for understanding how a country functions as one connected system.

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CBSE Class 10 Social Science Geography Notes Chapter 7 Lifelines of National Economy

Land, sea, and air are the three main regions on the planet where products and services can be transported. Accordingly, land, sea, and air transportation can likewise be categorised as forms of transportation. Let's have a discussion about:

Transport

Three major earth domains—land, sea, and air—can be used for the transportation of goods and services. Transport can also be divided into land, sea, and air categories based on these. Let's go over them in more depth.

Roadways

With a total length of over 54.7 lakh kilometres, India boasts one of the biggest road networks globally. The following lists the increasing significance of vehicle travel over rail transit:

• Road construction is significantly less expensive than building railway tracks.
• More geographically challenging areas that the railroads are unable to reach can be covered by roads.
• Roads may readily be built into and through mountains like the Himalayas, allowing them to cover higher grades of slope.
• Transport by road is cost-effective.
• It offers door-to-door service as well.
• Seaports, airports, and train stations are connected via road transportation.
• Based on their capacity, Indian highways are divided into the following six groups.

Golden Quadrilateral Superhighways

The Golden Quadrilateral is a highway network that links Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, and Mumbai, India's major four metropolises. The National Highway Authority of India is in charge of carrying out these road developments (NHAI).

National Highways - The Central Public Works Department (CPWD) is responsible for the construction and upkeep of the network of trunk roadways known as the National Highways. Between Delhi and Amritsar, National Highway No. 1 is known as the ancient Sher-Shah Suri Marg.

State Highways - State Highways are the routes that connect several district heads to the state capital. The State Public Works Department (PWD) builds and maintains these highways.

District Roads - The district headquarters and other locations are connected by these highways. The Zila Parishad is in charge of maintaining these roads.

Other Roads - This category includes rural highways that connect villages and rural areas with towns. A major boost to these roads came from the Pradhan Mantri Grameen Sadak Yojana.

Border Roads - The organisation known as Border Roads Organisation builds and maintains roads along the nation's borders. This institution was founded in 1960 with the goal of developing strategically significant roads in the border regions to the north and northeast.

Additionally, roads can be categorised according to the kind of material that was used to build them, including:

Metalled roads - Bitumen, coal, concrete, or cement can all be used to make metalled roadways. These are weather-resistant roadways.

Unmetalled roads - In the rainy season, unsealed roads are closed.

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Railways

In India, the primary means of transportation for large loads and heavy goods across short and long distances is the railway. India's economy now depends more on the railways. However, there are a few issues with rail transport as well, which are listed below:

• In order to install railway lines, bridges must be built over the broad banks of rivers.
• Railway tracks are buried in low hills, gaps, and tunnels in the peninsula's rough geography.
• Because the Himalayan mountains have the greatest elevation points on Earth, a sparse population, and little economic opportunities, they are also not ideal for the development of railway lines.
• Railway lines are hard to install on sandy areas.

Pipelines

Pipelines, typically buried, are used in pipeline networks to distribute and move fluids. These are employed in the transportation of large thermal power plants, fertiliser industries, water, natural gas, and petroleum goods. When solids are made into a slurry, they can also be moved via a pipeline. In the nation, there are three significant pipeline transportation networks.

1. From oil field in upper Assam to Kanpur (Uttar Pradesh)

2. From Salaya in Gujarat to Jalandhar in Punjab

3. From Hazira in Gujarat to Jagdishpur in Uttar Pradesh

Waterways

The least expensive form of transportation is by water. They work best for transporting large, bulky items. It is an environmentally beneficial and fuel-efficient form of transportation. India's National Waterways are:

• N.W. No.1 – The Ganga River between Allahabad and Haldia (1620 km).
• N.W. No.2 – The Brahmaputra River between Sadiya and Dhubri (891 km).
• N.W. No.3 – The West-Coast Canal in Kerala (Kottapurma-Kollam, Udyogamandal and Champakkara canals-205 km).
• N.W. No.4 – Specified stretches of Godavari and Krishna rivers along with the Kakinada Puducherry stretch of canals (1078 km).
• N.W. No.5 – Specified stretches of river Brahmani along with Matai river, delta channels of Mahanadi and Brahmani rivers and East Coast Canal (588 km).

India's inland waterways include the backwaters of Kerala, the Mandavi, Zuari, and Cumberjua, the Sunderbans, and Barak.

Major Sea Ports

India uses its ports to carry out its trade with other nations. India has 200 recognised non-major (minor/intermediate) ports in addition to its two major ports. The list of India's principal ports is as follows:

• The first port to be established in Kachchh after independence was Kandla. Another name for it is the Deendayal Port.
• The largest port, Mumbai, has a large, naturally sheltered harbour.
• India's top port for exporting iron ore is Marmagao Port (Goa).
• Iron ore exports are handled by the Mangalore Port in Karnataka.
• The farthest southwest port, Kochchi, is situated near a lagoon's entrance.
• The location of Tuticorin Port is at the far southeast.
• One of India's first man-made ports is Chennai.
• The most secure and deepest landlocked port is Visakhapatnam. Paradwip Port, which is in Odisha, is specialised in the export of iron ore.
• Kolkata is a riverine port located inland.
• The purpose of developing Haldia port as a secondary port was to reduce the rising pressure on Kolkata port.

Airways

The fastest, cosiest, and most prestigious form of transportation is the aeroplane. Access to topographical areas such as lengthy oceans, deep forests, gloomy deserts, and high mountains has been facilitated by air travel. In 1953, aircraft became a national industry. Both domestic and international flight travel is offered by aviation India. Oil and Natural Gas Corporation uses Pawanhans Helicopters Ltd.'s helicopter services for its offshore operations in difficult-to-reach locations. But the average person cannot afford to travel by air.

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Communication

Television, radio, newspapers, films, and other media are India's main forms of communication. The world's largest postal network is found in India. It manages both personal letters and packages. Airlifting first-class mail between stations using both land and air transportation is done. Book packets, registered newspapers, and journals are examples of second-class mail. Surface mail is used to transport them via land and sea. One of Asia's biggest telecom networks is located in India. The combination of space technology with communication technology has enabled Subscriber Trunk Dialling (STD) facilities throughout India. In addition to entertaining people, mass media raises public awareness of numerous national initiatives and programmes. Radio, TV, newspapers, magazines, books, and films are all included. Numerous shows are aired on India Radio Channel (Akashwani) in local, regional, and national languages. One of the biggest TV networks in the world is Doordarshan, the national television network. In around 100 different languages and dialects, India publishes a sizable number of newspapers.

International Trade

Trade is the exchange of goods between individuals, nations, and states. International trade is defined as trading between two nations. It is regarded as a nation's economic barometer. The two parts of trade are import and export. The difference between a nation's import and export is known as its trade balance.

• A positive trade balance exists when the value of exports exceeds the value of imports.
• An unfavourable trade balance occurs when the value of imports surpasses the value of exports.

Exported from India- India exports a variety of goods to foreign nations, such as jewellery and gems, chemicals and associated goods, agricultural products, and related goods.

Imported to India- India imports a variety of goods, including basic metals, gems and jewellery, petroleum crude and products, electronics, machinery, agricultural products, and allied goods.

Tourism as a Trade

The tourist business directly employs around 15 million people. India's tourism industry:

• Encourages the integration of nations.
• Supports regional handicrafts and artistic endeavours.
• Aids in the growth of global awareness of Indian heritage and culture. Travellers from other countries come to India for commercial, medical, adventure, cultural, eco-, and heritage-related reasons.

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CBSE Class 10 Social Science Geography Notes Chapter 7 FAQs

1. What is meant by “Lifelines of National Economy”?
Lifelines of the national economy refer to transport and communication systems that help in the movement of goods, people, and information across the country.

2. Why are transport and communication called lifelines of the national economy?
They connect different regions of the country, support trade and industry, promote economic growth, and help in national and international connectivity.

3. Which chapter covers Lifelines of National Economy in Class 10?
It is covered in Class 10 Geography Chapter 7 of CBSE Social Science.

4. What are the main modes of transport explained in this chapter?
The chapter explains roads, railways, waterways, airways, pipelines, and modern communication systems.

5. Why are railways important for India’s economy?
Railways carry heavy goods and large numbers of passengers over long distances, making them essential for trade and economic development.