Q.(i) State the meaning of 'Commune system'.
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Start your 14-day free trial to unlock the full solution →The Commune system was a collective farming structure in China, and Pakistan’s slow growth stemmed from political instability and a heavy reliance on the agricultural sector.
(i) Meaning of the Commune System
To understand the Commune system, you have to place yourself in China in the late 1950s. After the Communist Revolution, the Chinese leadership under Mao Zedong wanted to rapidly transform a deeply agrarian, poor country into a modern socialist state. The Great Leap Forward (1958-1961) was the vehicle for this transformation, and the Commune system was its engine.
A commune was a massive, collective farming and administrative unit. Think of it as a self-contained village-state. The NCERT textbook explains that under this system, land was taken away from individual farmers and pooled together. Private ownership of land was abolished. Instead, people were organised into large teams that worked the land collectively. The produce was not owned by the farmer who grew it; it was handed over to the commune authorities, who then distributed it among the members based on need or work points, not on individual output.
The commune was not just an economic unit. It also controlled local government, education, and even small-scale industry. It was a complete restructuring of rural Chinese society.
The idea was that by pooling resources and labour on a massive scale, China could achieve huge efficiencies, build irrigation projects, and mechanise farming. In reality, it led to a disaster. Because there was no personal incentive to work hard (your share of grain was the same whether you worked hard or not), agricultural productivity collapsed. The textbook notes that this system, combined with bad weather and poor planning, led to one of the deadliest famines in human history. The commune system was eventually dismantled in the late 1970s and early 1980s, replaced by the Household Responsibility System, which gave land back to individual families to farm.
The key takeaway is that the Commune system was a radical experiment in collectivised agriculture where private land ownership was replaced by state-controlled, communal farming, with the goal of rapid industrialisation but the tragic result of agricultural collapse.
(ii) Reasons for Slow Economic Growth in Pakistan
When we look at Pakistan’s economic story since its independence in 1947, the NCERT textbook points to a frustrating pattern of slow and uneven growth. While the country had potential, several structural problems held it back. Two of the most significant reasons are:
1. Political Instability and Lack of Consistent Policy
This is arguably the single biggest factor. Pakistan’s political history has been a turbulent one, marked by frequent military coups, short-lived civilian governments, and the tragic separation of Bangladesh in 1971. The textbook clearly states that this political instability created an environment of uncertainty. No government lasted long enough to implement a long-term economic plan. One regime would start a policy, the next would scrap it. For example, a democratic government might focus on social welfare and nationalisation, while a military government would prioritise privatisation and defence spending.
This constant flip-flopping had a direct impact on investment. Both domestic and foreign investors need a stable, predictable environment to put their money into factories, infrastructure, and businesses. When they see political chaos, they hold back. The result was a low rate of investment, which is the fuel for economic growth. The textbook emphasises that without consistent, pro-growth policies, Pakistan struggled to build a strong industrial base. …
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