Assertion: The introduction of railways in India during the colonial period had both positive and negative impacts on the Indian economy.

Reasoning: Railways facilitated long-distance travel and broke geographical barriers, but they also led to the commercialization of Indian agriculture, which negatively affected the self-sufficiency of village economies.

Both Assertion (A) and reasoning (R) are correct and R is the correct explanation of A.

The correct answer is Option 1: Both Assertion (A) and reasoning (R) are correct and R is the correct explanation of A.

Assertion: The introduction of railways in India during the colonial period had both positive and negative impacts on the Indian economy. This is correct. 

Reasoning: Railways facilitated long-distance travel and broke geographical barriers, but they also led to the commercialization of Indian agriculture, which negatively affected the self-sufficiency of village economies. This is also correct. Railways facilitated long-distance travel, improved connectivity, and broke geographical and cultural barriers. This allowed for easier movement of people and goods across different regions (Positive impact). The commercialization of Indian agriculture was one of the negative impacts of railways. With improved transportation, agricultural produce could be transported to distant markets, leading to increased commercialization. This affected the self-sufficiency of village economies, which relied on subsistence farming Negative impact).

Thus, the reasoning provides an explanation for this assertion, stating that while railways facilitated long-distance travel and broke geographical barriers (positive impact), they also led to the commercialization of Indian agriculture, negatively affecting the self-sufficiency of village economies (negative impact). Thus, the reasoning supports the assertion.