Transport and Communication

2.1 Core concepts

• The use of transport and communication depends on the human need to move things, people, ideas and messages from the place of availability to the place of use (NCERT §Introduction, p. 75).
• Means of transport classified into: Land (Road, Railway, Pipeline), Water (Inland; Seaways and Oceanic), Air (National, International) — NCERT Fig. p. 75.
• Land transport — pathways and unmetalled roads have been used since ancient times; with economic and technological development metalled roads and railways were developed for large-volume movement; ropeways, cableways and pipelines carry specific goods under special circumstances (NCERT §Land Transport, p. 75). Road Transport
• India has one of the second-largest road networks in the world with a total length of about 62.16 lakh km (Ministry of Road Transport and Highways Annual Report 2020–21). About 85% of passenger and 70% of freight traffic is carried by roads every year; road transport is relatively suitable for shorter-distance travel (NCERT §Road Transport, p. 76).
• "Do You Know" — Sher Shah Suri built the Shahi (Royal) road to consolidate his empire from the Indus Valley to the Sonar Valley in Bengal; this road was renamed the Grand Trunk (GT) Road during the British period, connecting Calcutta and Peshawar. At present it extends from Amritsar to Kolkata (NCERT box, p. 76).
• Road transport in the modern sense was very limited in India before WWII. The first serious attempt was the Nagpur Plan (1943), which could not be implemented due to lack of coordination among princely states and British India. After Independence, the Twenty-Year Road Plan (1961) was introduced; but roads continued to concentrate in and around urban centres, with rural and remote areas having the least connectivity (NCERT p. 76).
• For purposes of construction and maintenance, roads are classified as National Highways (NH), State Highways (SH), Major District Roads, and Rural Roads (NCERT p. 76).
• National Highways — main roads built and maintained by the Central Government; meant for inter-state transport and movement of defence men and material in strategic areas. They connect state capitals, major cities, important ports and railway junctions. NH length grew from 19,700 km (1951) to 1,36,440 km (2020). NHs constitute only about 2% of total road length but carry 40% of road traffic (NCERT §National Highways, p. 76).
• The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) was operationalised in 1995 as an autonomous body under the Ministry of Surface Transport, responsible for development, maintenance and operation of NHs and improvement of road quality (NCERT p. 76).
• National Highways Development Projects (box, p. 77):
• Golden Quadrilateral — 5,846-km long 4/6-lane high-density traffic corridor connecting India's four big metro cities Delhi–Mumbai–Chennai–Kolkata; reduces time, distance and cost of movement among the mega cities.
• North-South Corridor — connects Srinagar (J&K) with Kanniyakumari (Tamil Nadu) including the Cochin–Salem Spur; 4,076 km long.
• East-West Corridor — connects Silchar (Assam) with the port town of Porbandar (Gujarat); 3,640 km long.
• Table 7.1 India Road Network (2020): NH 1,36,440 km; SH 1,76,818 km; Other Roads 59,02,539 km; Total 62,15,797 km (NCERT p. 77).
• State Highways — constructed and maintained by state governments; join state capitals with district HQs and other important towns; connected to NHs. District Roads — link district HQs with other nodes in the district. Rural Roads form about 80% of total road length in India; density varies with terrain (low in hilly, plateau and forested areas) (NCERT p. 77).
• Other Roads include Border Roads and International Highways. The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) was established in May 1960 to accelerate economic development and strengthen defence preparedness through rapid and coordinated improvement of strategically important roads along the northern and north-eastern boundary. BRO has constructed roads in high-altitude mountainous terrain joining Chandigarh with Manali (HP) and Leh (Ladakh) running at an average altitude of 4,270 m above MSL; it also undertakes snow clearance in high-altitude areas. International highways promote harmonious relations with neighbouring countries — e.g., the Delhi–Lahore Bus and Aman Setu between Baramula and Muzaffarabad (NCERT pp. 77–78; Figs. 7.4, 7.5).
• Atal Tunnel (9.02 km) — the world's longest highway tunnel, built by BRO; connects Manali to Lahaul-Spiti valley throughout the year (earlier the valley was cut off for about 6 months annually due to heavy snowfall). It is built with ultra-modern specifications in the Pir Panjal range of the Himalayas at an altitude of 3,000 m from MSL (NCERT "Do You Know" box, p. 78).
• Bharatmala Pariyojana — envisages development of about 26,000 km of Economic Corridors which, along with GQ and NS-EW Corridors, are expected to carry the majority of freight traffic. Also focuses on ring roads, bypasses and elevated corridors to decongest traffic and enhance logistics efficiency (NCERT box, p. 79). Rail Transport
• Indian Railways is the largest government undertaking; introduced in 1853 when a line was constructed from Bombay to Thane (34 km). The network was 67,956 km (Railway Yearbook 2019–20) and the system is divided into 17 zones (NCERT §Rail Transport, p. 79).
• Three gauges (NCERT "Do You Know" box, p. 79):
• Broad gauge — distance between rails = 1.676 m; total length 63,950 km (2019–20).
• Metre gauge — distance = 1 m; total length 2,402 km (2019–20).
• Narrow gauge — distance = 0.762 m or 0.610 m; total length 1,604 km (2019–20); generally confined to hilly areas.
• Indian Railways has launched an extensive programme to convert metre and narrow gauges to broad gauge; steam engines have been replaced by diesel and electric engines, increasing speed and haulage capacity and improving station environment (NCERT pp. 79–80).
• Metro rail has revolutionised urban transport; replacement of diesel buses by CNG-run vehicles along with metro introduction has helped control urban air pollution (NCERT p. 80).
• Konkan Railway (1998) — a 760-km rail route connecting Roha (Maharashtra) to Mangalore (Karnataka). Engineering marvel that crosses 146 rivers/streams, nearly 2,000 bridges and 91 tunnels; Asia's largest tunnel (~6.5 km) lies on this route. Partner states: Maharashtra, Goa and Karnataka (NCERT box, p. 80).
• Railway network is relatively less dense in hill states, north-eastern states, central India and Rajasthan (NCERT p. 80).
• Table 7.2 Indian Railways: Railway Zones and Headquarters (p. 79) — 17 zones: Central (Mumbai CST), Eastern (Kolkata), East Central (Hajipur), East Coast (Bhubaneswar), Northern (New Delhi), North Central (Prayagraj), North Eastern (Gorakhpur), North East Frontier (Maligaon — Guwahati), North Western (Jaipur), Southern (Chennai), South Central (Secunderabad), South Eastern (Kolkata), South East Central (Bilaspur), South Western (Hubli), Western (Mumbai Church Gate), West Central (Jabalpur), Metro Railway (Kolkata). Water Transport
• Water transport is the cheapest, fuel-efficient and eco-friendly mode and is most suitable for heavy and bulky material. Two types: inland waterways and oceanic waterways (NCERT §Water Transport, p. 80).
• Inland Waterways were the chief mode of transport before the advent of railways; faced tough competition from road and rail; diversion for irrigation made parts non-navigable. India has 14,500 km of navigable waterways, contributing about 1% to the country's transportation; comprises rivers, canals, backwaters, creeks etc. (NCERT p. 80).
• The Inland Waterways Authority was set up in 1986 to create a wide waterways network as an economical, environment-friendly supplementary mode of transport to rail and road. 111 inland waterways (including the 5 earlier National Waterways) have been declared National Waterways under the National Waterways Act, 2016 (NCERT p. 81).
• Table 7.3 National Waterways of India (p. 81):
• NW-1 — Prayagraj–Haldia (1,620 km) on the Ganga; one of India's most important waterways, navigable by mechanical boats up to Patna and by ordinary boats up to Haridwar; divided into three parts — Haldia–Farakka (560 km), Farakka–Patna (460 km), Patna–Prayagraj (600 km).
• NW-2 — Sadiya–Dhubri (891 km) on the Brahmaputra, navigable by steamers up to Dibrugarh (1,384 km) which is shared by India and Bangladesh.
• NW-3 — Kottapuram–Kollam (205 km) including 168 km of West Coast Canal, along with Champakara Canal (14 km) and Udyogmandal Canal (23 km).
• NW-4 — Specified stretches of the Godavari and Krishna rivers along with the Kakinada–Puducherry stretch of canals (1,078 km).
• NW-5 — Specified stretches of river Brahmani along with the Matai river, delta channels of Mahanadi and Brahmani, and East Coast canals (588 km).
• The Inland Waterways Authority has also identified 10 other inland waterways that could be upgraded. The backwaters (Kayal) of Kerala have special significance; the famous Nehru Trophy Boat Race (Vallamkali) is held in the backwaters (NCERT p. 82).
• Oceanic Routes — India has a vast coastline of approximately 7,517 km, including islands; 12 major and about 200 minor ports provide infrastructural support. Oceanic routes carry approximately 95% of India's foreign trade by volume and 70% by value; they also link the islands with the mainland (NCERT §Oceanic Routes, p. 82). Air Transportation
• Air transport is the fastest means of movement; essential for a vast country like India with diverse terrain and climate. Air transport began in India in 1911 when airmail operation commenced over a distance of 10 km between Prayagraj and Naini. Real development took place in the post-Independence period. Airport Authority of India (AAI) provides safe, efficient air-traffic and aeronautical communication services in Indian air space (NCERT §Air Transportation, p. 82).
• UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) — Regional Connectivity Scheme by the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA); first-of-its-kind scheme globally, designed to jump-start the regional aviation market and make flying affordable for the common citizen by enabling airlines to operate on regional/remote routes through policies and incentives (NCERT "Do You Know" box, p. 82).
• Pawan Hans Limited provides helicopter services in hilly and north-eastern areas and to the petroleum sector and tourism (NCERT p. 82). Oil and Gas Pipelines
• Pipelines are the most convenient and efficient mode for transporting liquids and gases over long distances; even solids can be transported as slurry. Oil India Limited (OIL), under the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, is engaged in exploration, production and transportation of crude oil and natural gas; incorporated in 1959. Asia's first cross-country pipeline covering 1,157 km was constructed by OIL from the Naharkatiya oilfield in Assam to the Barauni refinery in Bihar; extended to Kanpur in 1966 (NCERT §Oil and Gas Pipelines, pp. 82–83).
• GAIL (India) Ltd. was set up in 1984; constructed the first 1,700-km Hazira–Vijaipur–Jagdishpur (HVJ) cross-country gas pipeline, linking Mumbai High and Bassein gas fields with fertiliser/power/industrial complexes in western and northern India. India's gas infrastructure has expanded ten times from 1,700 km to 18,500 km and is expected to reach over 34,000 km as Gas Grid, linking sources and consuming markets including the North-East (NCERT p. 83). Communication Networks
• Modes of communication divided into Personal (letters, telephone, telegram, fax, e-mail, internet) and Mass (radio, television, cinema, satellite, newspaper, magazine & books, public meetings, seminars and conferences) (NCERT §Communication Networks, p. 83).
• Personal communication — internet is the most effective and advanced personal-communication system; widely used in urban areas; enables e-mail, e-commerce, money transactions and access to a huge central warehouse of data (NCERT p. 83).
• Mass communication — Radio: broadcasting started in India in 1923 by the Radio Club of Bombay. Government brought it under control in 1930 under the Indian Broadcasting System; changed to All India Radio in 1936 and to Akashwani in 1957. AIR broadcasts a variety of programmes related to information, education and entertainment, with special news bulletins at occasions like sessions of parliament and state legislatures (NCERT §Radio, p. 83).
• Television (TV) — most effective audio-visual medium. T.V. services started in the National Capital in 1959; several other centres became operational after 1972. In 1976 TV was delinked from AIR and got a separate identity as Doordarshan (DD). After INSAT-1A (National Television-DD1) became operational, Common National Programmes (CNP) were started for the entire network and services were extended to backward and remote rural areas (NCERT pp. 83–84).
• Satellite Communication — satellites are both a mode of communication and a regulator of other modes. Used for weather forecasts, monitoring of natural calamities, surveillance of border areas. Satellite system in India is grouped into two:
• INSAT (Indian National Satellite System) — established in 1983; multi-purpose satellite system for telecommunication, meteorological observation and various other data programmes.
• IRS (Indian Remote Sensing Satellite System) — operational from March 1988 with the launching of IRS-1A from Vaikanour in Russia. India has developed her own launching vehicle, PSLV (Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle). IRS satellites collect data in several spectral bands and transmit them to ground stations. NRSC (National Remote Sensing Centre) at Hyderabad provides facilities for acquisition and processing of data — useful in management of natural resources (NCERT §Satellite Communication, p. 84).

2.2 Definitions to memorise

2.3 Diagrams / processes to remember

• Means of transport flowchart (p. 75) — Land (Road, Railway, Pipeline) / Water (Inland, Seaways & Oceanic) / Air (National, International).
• Fig. 7.1 (p. 76) — Rain-soaked nomads on Srinagar-Jammu/Srinagar-Leh NH during snowfall vs Delhi traffic flow.
• Table 7.1 India Road Network 2020 (p. 77) — NH 1,36,440 km; SH 1,76,818 km; Other Roads 59,02,539 km; Total 62,15,797 km.
• Fig. 7.2 (p. 77) — Road constructed under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojna (PMGSY).
• Fig. 7.3 (p. 78) — Khardung La Pass in Ladakh (BRO-built high-altitude road).
• Figs. 7.4 & 7.5 (p. 78) — Delhi–Lahore Bus at Wagah; Aman Setu between Baramula and Muzaffarabad.
• Table 7.2 (p. 79) — Indian Railways: 17 Railway Zones and HQs.
• Fig. 7.6 (p. 80) — River navigation in the north-east.
• Fig. 7.7 (p. 81) — National Waterway No. 3 (Kottapuram–Kollam) showing West Coast Canal, Champakara Canal (14 km), Udyogmandal Canal (23 km); total 205 km.
• Table 7.3 (p. 81) — National Waterways of India NW-1 to NW-5 with stretches and specifications.
• Means of Communication flowchart (p. 83) — Personal (letters, telephone, telegram, fax, e-mail, internet) vs Mass (radio, TV, cinema, satellite, newspaper, magazine & books, public meetings, seminars and conferences).
• Process — Pipeline evolution: OIL (1959) → Naharkatiya–Barauni (1,157 km) → extended to Kanpur (1966) → GAIL (1984) → HVJ pipeline (1,700 km) → 18,500 km network → 34,000-km Gas Grid target.
• Process — Mass media evolution: Radio Club of Bombay (1923) → Indian Broadcasting System (1930) → All India Radio (1936) → Akashwani (1957) → TV in National Capital (1959) → expansion (1972) → Doordarshan delinked (1976) → INSAT-1A enables CNP.

2.5 Key data table (NCERT figures from this chapter)

2.4 Common confusions / NTA trap points

• "First passenger railway in India" — 1853, Bombay to Thane (34 km), NOT 1851 or Calcutta–Howrah.
• "First radio broadcast" — 1923 by the Radio Club of Bombay; renamed All India Radio in 1936 and Akashwani in 1957. Students confuse these dates with each other.
• NW-1 = Ganga (Prayagraj–Haldia); NW-2 = Brahmaputra (Sadiya–Dhubri); NW-3 = West Coast Canal (Kottapuram–Kollam) — sequence frequently swapped in distractors.
• NHs are only ~2% of road length but carry ~40% of road traffic (not 80% or 70% — those refer to road share of freight/passenger).
• Atal Tunnel is in the Pir Panjal range at 3,000 m MSL (not Greater Himalaya, Karakoram, or Zanskar); it is the world's longest highway tunnel (9.02 km).
• Indian Railways is divided into 17 zones (Metro Railway-Kolkata is the 17th). Older books say 16.
• Konkan Railway partner states: Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka — NOT Kerala (a frequent distractor).
• The first airmail (1911) was between Prayagraj and Naini, 10 km — not Mumbai or Calcutta.
• HVJ pipeline (1,700 km) is built by GAIL (1984), not OIL. OIL's first pipeline is Naharkatiya–Barauni (1,157 km, 1959).
• INSAT is established in 1983; IRS-1A was launched in March 1988 from Vaikanour (Russia) — not Sriharikota.
• The Nagpur Plan was drawn in 1943, not 1944; the Twenty-Year Road Plan was launched in 1961.
• "Asia's first cross-country pipeline" is Naharkatiya–Barauni, not HVJ.
• Bharatmala focuses on ~26,000 km of Economic Corridors — not 36,000 km, not just NHs.
• Pawan Hans is a helicopter service for hilly/NE areas and petroleum/tourism — not a fixed-wing operator.