What objectives did the British intend to achieve through their policies of infrastructure development in India?
The primary objective of British infrastructure development was to subserve various colonial interests rather than providing basic amenities to the Indian people. The policies were designed to strengthen the colonial administration and facilitate economic exploitation for the benefit of Britain.
Roads were constructed primarily for mobilising the army within India to maintain control and for drawing out raw materials from the countryside to ports for export to England. Similarly, the introduction of the electric telegraph served the specific purpose of maintaining law and order.
The development of railways fostered the commercialisation of Indian agriculture, adversely affecting village self-sufficiency. While railways enabled long-distance travel and expanded the volume of exports, the economic benefits rarely accrued to the Indian people.
Explanation
The answer is derived directly from the section '1.8 INFRASTRUCTURE'. It highlights that the motive was not public welfare but colonial interests. It lists specific objectives: roads were for army mobilization and raw material transport; the telegraph was for law and order; and railways facilitated the commercialization of agriculture and export of goods, benefiting British interests.