Q. “Physical diversity in India has lead to uneven economic development.”- Elucidate with suitable example. [48-52 BPSC/2009]

Q. “Physical diversity in India has lead to uneven economic development.”- Elucidate with suitable example. [48-52 BPSC/2009] ©crackingcivilservices.com
Ans:

India is a land of diversity. Physical diversity is one among various diversities which influences the extent of development of various regions in India. The physical diversity presents different kinds of climatic conditions for the inhabitants. India has high mountains, and deserts, plateaus, fertile plains, rivers, valleys and vast sea coasts.

Since last three decades, India has developed fast in economically. However, this economic development is uneven. Regional growth performance is characterised by a high-income club and a low-income club.

The rich club constitutes states such as Gujarat, Maharashtra, Punjab, Haryana, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka etc. The low-income club includes Orissa, Bihar, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, amongst others.

Often the physical diversities are associated with the uneven economic growth. The differences in characteristics generally affect the location factors of industries, agricultural development.

• Physical diversity and location factors:
  • Raw Materials:
    • The location of industrial enterprises is sometimes determined simply by location of the raw materials. Modem industry is so complex that a wide range of raw materials is necessary for its growth.
    • It is true in the case of raw materials which lose weight in the process of manufacture or which cannot bear high transport cost or cannot be transported over long distances because of their perishable nature. e.g. Steel Industries are generally located near coal and Iron producing regions.
    • Similarly, the jute mills in West Bengal, sugar mills in Uttar Pradesh, cotton textile mills in Maharashtra and Gujarat are concentrated close to the sources of raw materials for this very reason.
  • Power:
    • Regular supply of power is a pre-requisite for the localisation of industries. Coal, mineral oil and hydro-electricity are the three important conventional sources of power. Most of the industries tend to concentrate at the source of power.
    • Tata Iron and Steel plant at Jamshedpur, the new alluminium producing units at Korba (Chhattisgarh), Renukoot (Uttar Pradesh), the copper smelting plant at Khetri (Rajasthan) and fertilizer factory at Nangal (Punjab) are near sources of power and raw materials.
  • Transport:
    • Transport by land or water is necessary for the assembly of raw materials and for the marketing of the finished products.
    • e.g. Mountainous regions lack connectivity with other regions. It hampers the economic development in these region.
  • Market:
    • Nearness to market is essential for quick disposal of manufactured goods. It helps in reducing the transport cost and enables the consumer to get things at cheaper rates.
    • The physical features of country is also associated with the regional population density and markets. Plains and well connected regions are better markets for finished goods than remote areas.
    • Further, Coastal regions are better connected with external markets through the sea routes. So, coastal states are industrially more developed than landlocked states.
  • Water:
    • Water is another important require­ment for industries. Many industries are established near rivers, canals and lakes, because of this reason. Iron and steel industry, textile industries and chemical industries require large quantities of water, for their proper functioning.
    • e.g. There are industries set up at the banks of rivers like Gnaga, Yamuna etc.
  • Site:
    • Site requirements for industrial development are of considerable significance. Sites, generally, should be flat and well served by adequate transport facilities.
  • Climate:
    • Climate plays an important role in the establishment of industries at a place. Harsh climate is not much suitable for the establishment of industries. There can be no industrial development in extremely hot, humid, dry or cold climate.
    • Because of this reason, about 24 per cent of India’s modem industries and 30 per cent of India’s industrial labour is concentrated in Maharashtra-Gujarat region alone.
    • Cotton textile industry requires humid climate because thread breaks in dry climate. Consequently, majority of cotton textile mills are concentrated in Maharashtra and Gujarat.
• Fertile land, availability of water,climatic conditions also a major determinant of the Agriculture’s success in any region. e.g. Major agricultural regions in India are situated in river valleys. e.g. Punjab, Haryana, U.P., Bihar etc.

However, the physical diversities are not the only regions behind the uneven economic development in India. There are multiple factors associated with this phenomenon:

• Location of Industries are also influenced by the availability of Capital (capitals are available in big cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai etc), Government Policies (Freight equalisation policy after independence adversely impacted the Industrialisation of Bihar), Industrial Inertia (Industries tend to develop at the place of their original establishment), situation of Law and order ( insurgencies in North-Eastern India and naxalism in eastern India)etc.
• The agricultural development is also associated with the modernisation of Agricultural process, Government policies etc. e.g. Green revolution benefited the north-western part of India more than any other regions.

Thus, the uneven economic development has diverse reason behind it. This multi-dimensional problem required holistic solution. Currently, central government is trying to bridge the regional imbalances through some measures like Aspirational Districts’ Programme, special category status to mountainous states, more grant-in aid to financially poor states and incentivising the industry set up in backward regions etc. ©crackingcivilservices.com