Question

What are the salient features of India's pre-independence occupational structure.

पर्याय

• Agriculture - The Prime Occupation

• Industry - The Bleak Occupation

• Industry - The Bleak Occupation

• All of the above

Answer 1

All of the above

Explanation:

The following are the key characteristics of India's occupational structure before independence:

1. Agriculture- The Prime Occupation:
   India was essentially an agrarian economy during colonial control, with approximately 85 percent of the people employed in agriculture. Because India was impoverished during colonial rule, a huge majority of the populace worked in the agricultural sector to support themselves. However, due to the prevalence of the Zmnindari system, the agricultural sector lacked investment, limiting its growth. In other words, although employing a large percentage of the population, the agricultural sector has had slow growth.
2. Industry- The Bleak Occupation:
   Apart from agriculture, just a small percentage of the population worked in the manufacturing sector. The manufacturing and industrial sector employed over 10% of the entire workforce. This was due to the fierce rivalry that Indian manufacturers faced with British machine-made low-cost items. Furthermore, the industrial sector was hampered by a lack of investment, initiatives, and an unfavorable tariff framework. As a result, India's industrial sector did not contribute much to the country's GDP.
3. Unbalanced Growth:
   The agricultural, industrial, and tertiary sectors of the Indian economy were all unevenly developed. The agricultural sector was well-developed, but the other two sectors were yet in their infancy. Furthermore, there was regional heterogeneity in India's occupational structure. While some states, such as Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Bombay, saw a decrease in agricultural workers, others, such as Orissa, Rajasthan, and Punjab, saw an increase.