Question:

State and explain any two changes which were observed in India’s occupational structure during the British Rule.

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Two changes: workers shifted to industry and services in parts of Madras, Bombay and Bengal, while farm dependence rose in Orissa, Rajasthan and Punjab.
Updated On: Oct 26, 2026
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Solution and Explanation

Step 1: Understand the question:
Occupational structure means how the workforce is spread across agriculture, industry and services.
Under British rule this structure showed regional variation. We must state and explain any two changes.

Step 2: Change 1: shift towards the industrial and service sectors:
In some regions such as parts of the Madras Presidency, Bombay and Bengal, fewer workers depended on agriculture.
At the same time the share of workers in manufacturing and services went up in these regions.

Step 3: Change 2: rising dependence on agriculture:
In other regions such as Orissa, Rajasthan and Punjab, the share of the workforce in agriculture increased.
So these regions became more dependent on farming than before.

Step 4: Why the structure changed unevenly:
The change was not the same everywhere, so the picture was one of regional variation.
Overall, a large share of the workforce still depended on agriculture.

Final Answer:
Two changes: (1) in parts of Madras, Bombay and Bengal, workers moved from agriculture to manufacturing and services; (2) in Orissa, Rajasthan and Punjab, the share of workers in agriculture rose.
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