Certain regions of India, particularly in the Himalayas, remain cut off from the rest of the country for several months each year due to extreme weather and difficult terrain. How has the development of border road infrastructure addressed such challenges, and what does this reveal about the strategic and developmental significance of roads in India's mountainous and frontier regions? Support your answer with a suitable example.
Generated by claude-sonnet-4-6 · 2026-06-26 13:38 · grounding rag
Model Answer
The Border Roads Organisation (BRO), established in 1960, constructs and maintains roads in northern and north-eastern border areas of strategic importance. These roads have improved accessibility in regions of difficult terrain and aided economic development of frontier areas.
Example: The Atal Tunnel (9.02 km), built by BRO in the Pir Panjal range at 3,000 m altitude, connects Manali to Lahaul-Spiti valley throughout the year. Earlier, the valley remained cut off for nearly 6 months due to heavy snowfall. This reveals that border roads serve both strategic (defence access) and developmental (year-round connectivity, economic growth) purposes in India's mountainous regions.
Source: Roadways, Chapter 7
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Explanation
- The question is 3 marks, so 3 clear points are expected: (1) what BRO does, (2) a specific example, (3) strategic + developmental significance.
- Examiners look for the Atal Tunnel as the example — it is explicitly mentioned in the textbook passage. Always name the BRO, its year of establishment (1960), and both dimensions (strategic + developmental).
- Avoid vague statements; link the example directly to the challenge mentioned (region cut off for months).