Answer the following questions in not more than 150 words.

Which are the chief means of transportation in India? Discuss the factors affecting their development.

Road, Rail and Air transport makes up the chief means of transportation in India. By all means, India has adequate network of connectivity but it is not sufficient. With the second largest population in the World, and rough terrains over the Himalayas in the north and northeast, and varied terrain of central India, transport links have not been able to reach every corner of the country. A significant section of the population, especially in rural areas, relying on walking as there is no all-weather roads or rail-lines. Roads in high altitudes require frequent maintenance to keep it functioning, in the face of land/mud slides, avalanches and other vagaries of the climate. Rail transport stills looses out lakhs of potential revenues due to ticket-less travel and lack of effective implementation of policies for strict vigil. Developing air strips and maintaining airports have always remained far too expensive for less developed states, hence private companies are operating these airports. Moreover, the cost of air transport is expensive for lower middle-class families, and therefore is catering only to the urban regions. The Government has taken significant steps to address these obstacles and further their development. Example, UDAN scheme for air pricing.