Infrastructure — Economics STD 12 Humanities & Commerce — Question

Though public sector is very essential for industries, many public sector undertakings incur huge losses and are a drain on the economy’s resources. Discuss the usefulness of public sector undertakings in the light of this fact.

Critically evaluate the role of the rural banking system in the process of rural development in India.

Read the passage given below and answer the following questions from 1 to 5.
Traditional economic theory viewed capital in physical terms only. Economists during the late 1950s based on the aggregate production function found that the standard measures of simple labour and physical capital were incapable of explaining adequately the rapid post-war growth. Speculations on what was missing were diverse. Some argued that the principal explanation lays in the lack of appropriate adjustments for improvement in the quality of physical capital and the embodiment of technical progress in that capital. Others suggested that the most important omission pertains to the organisational advance or a vaguely specified human capital. The residual of unexplained growth was at first ascribed to technology by Solow, but later, the residual was defined to include improvements in the quality of capital can the investment in human beings. Human capital is formed with improvement in skills education. Improved health and education is merit as well as a public good and is associated with a large number of externalities which are often indirect, indivisible and non-quantifiable.

1. Which of the following gives the definition of public goods?

1. Excludable and non rivalrous in nature
2. Non-excludable and non-rivalrous in nature
3. Non-excludable and rivalrous in nature
4. Excludable and rivalrous in nature

2. Consider the situation of 2 countries – A and B. Country A has invested more towards the technological progress whereas Country B has invested more towards expanding its military network and arms. To Solow, which country would go faster?

1. Country A
2. Country B
3. Both grows and the same pace
4. Can’t comment

3. Standard economic theories failed to explain the post war rapid growth due to?

1. Measuring growth in terms of physical inputs only
2. Ignoring other important factors such as improved skills and education
3. Both (a) and (b)
4. None of the above

4. An externality is the good or bad impact which enters the utility or production function of another individual or firm with no choice of their own. The given statement is?

1. True
2. False
3. Partially True
4. Partially False

5. In the context of the above paragraph, the ‘residual’ factor include.

1. Improvement in the quality of human capital
2. Investment in human beings
3. Improvement in technology
4. All of the above

Discuss the distribution for the workforce in rural and urban areas in the year 1972-73. What is an important observation in the data? Analyse it and give reasons for the nature of workforce distribution.

Why are less women found in regular salaried employment?

Consider the table given below:

S. No	Country	Per Capita Income (in US dollars) in 2012(ppp)	Per Capita Consumption of Energy(KWh) in 2011
1.	India	3,840	684
2.	Indonesia	4,810	680
3.	Egypt	6,640	1,743
4.	UK	36,880	5,472
5.	Japan	36,290	7,848
6.	USA	50,610	13,248

Do you think that energy consumption is an effective indicator of development? Are developed countries fulfilling their global responsibility?

How do community and non-profit organisations contribute to health care in India?

What is the state of rural infrastructure in India?

In your view, is it essential for the government to regulate the fee structure in education and health care institutions? If so, why?

Infrastructure contributes to the economic development of a country. Do you agree? Explain.