CHAPTER 7: INFRASTRUCTURE: ENGINE OF INDIA’S DEVELOPMENT
1. What is physical infrastructure?
A. A network of tangible structures that keeps cities and villages functioning
B. A collection of cultural traditions
C. A system used only for entertainment
D. A group of political organisations
Answer: A. A network of tangible structures that keeps cities and villages functioning
2. Which of the following is an example of physical infrastructure?
A. Roads and bridges
B. Festivals and celebrations
C. Folk songs
D. Traditional stories
Answer: A. Roads and bridges
3. Which of the following is included in physical infrastructure?
A. Transportation systems
B. Electricity and water pipelines
C. Communication networks
D. All of the above
Answer: D. All of the above
4. According to the chapter, why is physical infrastructure important?
A. It makes life easier and helps businesses and governments function smoothly
B. It prevents people from travelling
C. It stops trade between regions
D. It removes the need for public services
Answer: A. It makes life easier and helps businesses and governments function smoothly
5. How does transportation infrastructure support trade?
A. By connecting places where goods are produced to markets
B. By preventing goods from reaching consumers
C. By stopping the movement of raw materials
D. By limiting trade to villages only
Answer: A. By connecting places where goods are produced to markets
6. How can infrastructure help during natural disasters?
A. By making emergency services less accessible
B. By improving access and helping emergency supplies reach affected areas
C. By stopping communication
D. By closing all transport routes permanently
Answer: B. By improving access and helping emergency supplies reach affected areas
7. Which department maintains state highways, according to the chapter?
A. State public works departments
B. Private schools
C. Railway stations
D. Local markets
Answer: A. State public works departments
8. Which roads connect towns and districts within a state?
A. State highways
B. Footpaths only
C. Railway tracks
D. Airport runways
Answer: A. State highways
9. Which type of roads are described as super-fast roads connecting cities across states?
A. Village paths
B. Expressways
C. Forest trails
D. Footpaths
Answer: B. Expressways
10. According to the chapter, which country had the world’s second-largest road network in 2024?
A. India
B. Japan
C. France
D. Australia
Answer: A. India
11. As of 2025, approximately how long was India’s national highway network?
A. 15,000 km
B. 50,000 km
C. 150,000 km
D. 500,000 km
Answer: C. 150,000 km
12. Which is the longest national highway in India, according to the chapter?
A. NH 1
B. NH 44
C. NH 27
D. NH 48
Answer: B. NH 44
13. What is the approximate length of NH 44 mentioned in the chapter?
A. 1,112 km
B. 2,500 km
C. 3,000 km
D. 4,112 km
Answer: D. 4,112 km
14. NH 44 runs between which two places?
A. Mumbai and Kolkata
B. Srinagar and Kanyakumari
C. Delhi and Chennai
D. Jaipur and Bengaluru
Answer: B. Srinagar and Kanyakumari
15. Which four major cities are connected by the Golden Quadrilateral highway network?
A. Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata
B. Delhi, Jaipur, Lucknow and Patna
C. Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad and Kochi
D. Chennai, Bengaluru, Mysuru and Mangaluru
Answer: A. Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata
16. Which bridge connects Assam and Arunachal Pradesh across the Lohit River?
A. Atal Setu
B. Dhola Sadiya Bridge
C. Howrah Bridge
D. Bandra-Worli Sea Link
Answer: B. Dhola Sadiya Bridge
17. What is another name for the Dhola Sadiya Bridge?
A. Bhupen Hazarika Setu
B. Mahatma Gandhi Setu
C. Vidyasagar Setu
D. Pamban Bridge
Answer: A. Bhupen Hazarika Setu
18. What was one important benefit of the Dhola Sadiya Bridge?
A. It made travel possible throughout the year and reduced travel time
B. It stopped farmers from transporting crops
C. It replaced all railway lines in the region
D. It prevented access to hospitals
Answer: A. It made travel possible throughout the year and reduced travel time
19. Which communities are associated with the living root bridges of Meghalaya?
A. Khasi and Jaintia
B. Toda and Bhil
C. Gond and Santhal
D. Bodo and Mizo
Answer: A. Khasi and Jaintia
20. Which tree’s roots are used to create living root bridges?
A. Neem
B. Ficus elastica, or Indian rubber tree
C. Banyan only
D. Coconut palm
Answer: B. Ficus elastica, or Indian rubber tree
21. When did the British introduce railways in India, according to the chapter?
A. 1757
B. 1853
C. 1905
D. 1947
Answer: B. 1853
22. What was one major purpose of railways during British rule?
A. Transporting raw materials to ports for export to Britain
B. Providing free education throughout India
C. Building irrigation canals
D. Replacing all forms of shipping
Answer: A. Transporting raw materials to ports for export to Britain
23. How did railways help the British maintain control over India?
A. By enabling quicker movement of troops and resources
B. By preventing the movement of troops
C. By ending all trade
D. By removing access to major markets
Answer: A. By enabling quicker movement of troops and resources
24. Approximately how many passengers do Indian Railways carry every day, according to the chapter?
A. Over 2 million
B. Over 5 million
C. Over 10 million
D. Over 20 million
Answer: D. Over 20 million
25. Which of the following is a type of goods commonly carried by cargo trains?
A. Coal
B. Grains
C. Textiles and electronics
D. All of the above
Answer: D. All of the above
26. Compared with road transport, cargo trains use approximately how much less energy, according to the chapter?
A. 5–10 per cent
B. 25–30 per cent
C. 75–90 per cent
D. 95–100 per cent
Answer: C. 75–90 per cent
27. According to the chapter, what was India’s railway electrification percentage in the 2024 comparison chart?
A. 38%
B. 55%
C. 75%
D. 97%
Answer: D. 97%
28. Approximately how many people did Indian Railways employ in 2024?
A. 120,000
B. 500,000
C. 1.21 million
D. 5 million
Answer: C. 1.21 million
29. In how many Indian cities did metro train systems operate, according to the chapter?
A. 8
B. 12
C. 23
D. 40
Answer: C. 23
30. How do metro trains help reduce road traffic?
A. By providing a fast and reliable option for daily commuting
B. By increasing the number of private cars
C. By closing railway stations
D. By preventing people from using public transport
Answer: A. By providing a fast and reliable option for daily commuting
31. Which is the fastest mode of transport for connecting people and places, according to the chapter?
A. Road transport
B. Rail transport
C. Air transport
D. Water transport
Answer: C. Air transport
32. Which goods are especially suitable for transport by cargo flights?
A. High-value or perishable goods such as vaccines and seafood
B. Only building sand
C. Only heavy road construction equipment
D. Only agricultural land
Answer: A. High-value or perishable goods such as vaccines and seafood
33. Which airport is designed around the concept of a ‘garden city’?
A. Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru
B. Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi
C. Chennai International Airport
D. Jaipur International Airport
Answer: A. Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru
34. According to the chapter, how many airports did India have in 2025?
A. 59
B. 99
C. 159
D. 259
Answer: C. 159
35. Approximately how long is India’s coastline, according to the chapter?
A. 1,100 km
B. 5,500 km
C. 11,100 km
D. 21,100 km
Answer: C. 11,100 km
36. How many major ports does India have, according to the chapter?
A. 8
B. 12
C. 25
D. 217
Answer: B. 12
37. How many minor ports does India have, according to the chapter?
A. 12
B. 50
C. 100
D. 217
Answer: D. 217
38. Why are ships commonly used to transport heavy goods over long distances?
A. Shipping is a relatively cheaper mode of transport
B. Ships can travel on highways
C. Ships do not require ports
D. Shipping is used only for passengers
Answer: A. Shipping is a relatively cheaper mode of transport
39. What does TEU stand for in the chapter’s discussion of container ports?
A. Transport Energy Unit
B. Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit
C. Total Export Utility
D. Technical Equipment Unit
Answer: B. Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit
40. What is communication infrastructure?
A. A network of cables, wireless devices, towers, satellites and data centres that enables communication
B. A system used only for road construction
C. A collection of seaports
D. A network used exclusively for railway transport
Answer: A. A network of cables, wireless devices, towers, satellites and data centres that enables communication
41. In the example of Rani sending a voice note, what helps transmit the message over long distances?
A. Mobile towers, fibre cables, satellites and servers
B. Roads and bridges alone
C. Ships and seaports only
D. Irrigation canals and water pumps
Answer: A. Mobile towers, fibre cables, satellites and servers
42. What is e-governance?
A. The use of communication technologies by the government to deliver services to citizens
B. The use of trains to transport goods
C. The buying and selling of products in physical markets only
D. The construction of roads in rural areas
Answer: A. The use of communication technologies by the government to deliver services to citizens
43. Which of the following is an example of e-governance mentioned in the chapter?
A. DigiLocker
B. A cargo ship
C. A railway locomotive
D. A highway toll booth operated without digital services
Answer: A. DigiLocker
44. What is e-commerce?
A. Buying or selling products and services through online platforms or the internet
B. Transporting passengers by train
C. Building bridges over rivers
D. Providing irrigation to farms
Answer: A. Buying or selling products and services through online platforms or the internet
45. Who demonstrated wireless transmission in India in 1895, according to the chapter?
A. Alexander Graham Bell
B. Jagadish Chandra Bose
C. Samuel Morse
D. Alexander Bain
Answer: B. Jagadish Chandra Bose
46. Which institution did J. C. Bose establish in 1917?
A. Bose Institute
B. Indian Railways
C. National Highway Authority
D. Indian Foreign Service
Answer: A. Bose Institute
47. What is social infrastructure?
A. Facilities such as schools, hospitals, police stations, parks and libraries that support community wellbeing
B. Only roads and expressways
C. Only railway tracks and airports
D. Only mobile towers and data centres
Answer: A. Facilities such as schools, hospitals, police stations, parks and libraries that support community wellbeing
48. Why should infrastructure be designed to meet the needs of children, elderly people and persons with disabilities?
A. To make infrastructure accessible and useful to different members of society
B. To restrict access to public facilities
C. To increase pollution
D. To reduce public safety
Answer: A. To make infrastructure accessible and useful to different members of society
49. According to Kautilya’s Arthashastra, what was recommended for royal highways, countryside roads, port-town roads and roads leading to villages?
A. A width of 2.5 metres
B. A width of 8 metres
C. A width of 16 metres
D. A width of 30 metres
Answer: C. A width of 16 metres
50. What is the collective responsibility of citizens towards public infrastructure?
A. Use it responsibly and report damage to the authorities
B. Write on monuments and public buildings
C. Damage public facilities without consequences
D. Leave all maintenance responsibilities to citizens alone
Answer: A. Use it responsibly and report damage to the authorities
