 There is a perception still

 There is a perception still going around that in many ways the British administration in India was quite beneficial. This perception needs an informed debate. How would you look at this perception? Argue this out in your class — ‘Was the British Raj good for India’? inadequate. You will learn more about the present status of various infrastructure in Chapter . . C ONCLUSION By the time India won its independence, the impact of the two-century long British colonial rule was already showing on all aspects of the Indian economy. The agricultural sector was already saddled with surplus labour and extremely low productivity. The industrial sector was crying for modernisation, diversification, capacity building and increased public investment. Foreign trade was oriented to feed the Industrial Revolution in Britain. Infrastructure facilities, including the famed railway network, needed upgradation, expansion and public orientation. Prevalence of rampant poverty and unemployment required welfare orientation of public economic policy. In a nutshell, the social and economic challenges before the country were enormous. Recap