Q1. Which of the following best defines a footloose industry in the context of industrial location factors?
Major Industrial Regions of India: RAS Prelims MCQs
65 RAS Prelims MCQs on the major industrial regions of India cover Mumbai-Pune, Bangalore-Chennai, Delhi-Meerut and the North-East, and the policies that shaped industry. Industrial policies from 1948 to 1991, Make in India, SEZs, the Freight Equalisation Policy and the status of public sector enterprises are asked as facts, matches and sequences.
Practice questions based on the RPSC RAS Prelims syllabus. They follow the exam pattern but are not past-paper questions.
Showing 1–10 of 65 questions
Q2. Consider the following statements regarding the factors of industrial location in India:
Statement I: The iron and steel industry in India is predominantly raw material-oriented.
Statement II: The cotton textile industry is highly market-oriented and independent of the source of raw cotton due to the non-weight-losing nature of the material.
Which of the following is correct?
Statement I: The iron and steel industry in India is predominantly raw material-oriented.
Statement II: The cotton textile industry is highly market-oriented and independent of the source of raw cotton due to the non-weight-losing nature of the material.
Which of the following is correct?
Explanation
India’s iron and steel industry is heavily dependent on bulky, weight-losing raw materials like iron ore and coal, necessitating locations near mines. Conversely, the cotton textile industry uses pure raw materials that do not lose weight during manufacturing. This characteristic allows textile units to be established near consumer markets, facilitating better distribution and reducing final delivery costs to consumers.
Q3. What is the primary cause for the emergence of agglomeration economies in an industrial region?
Explanation
Agglomeration economies arise when multiple industrial units and related services cluster in a specific geographical area. This proximity allows firms to share essential infrastructure, specialized labor pools, and auxiliary services, leading to significant cost reductions. Such environments foster innovation and efficiency by facilitating better communication and resource optimization among different companies operating within the established and concentrated industrial region.
Q4. Identify the odd one out among the geographical factors affecting industrial location in India.
Explanation
Geographical factors strictly encompass natural physical attributes that influence industrial location, such as local topography, prevailing climate conditions, and the availability of water resources for processing. While government policies are crucial for industrial development, they represent socio-economic or political factors rather than natural geographical ones. Distinguishing between these categories is essential for understanding regional industrial and spatial distribution patterns.
Q5. Match the industrial centres with their respective major industries in the Mumbai-Pune industrial region:
| Industrial Centre | Major Industry |
|---|---|
| A. Trombay | i. Antibiotics |
| B. Pimpri | ii. Nuclear Power |
| C. Tarapur | iii. Cotton Textiles |
| D. Mumbai | iv. Petrochemicals |
Explanation
The Mumbai-Pune industrial region comprises several specialized centers. Trombay is prominently known for its petrochemical and fertilizer plants. Pimpri, located near Pune, is a major hub for the production of antibiotics and pharmaceuticals. Tarapur hosts one of India’s earliest nuclear power stations, while Mumbai remains a historical and significant center for the extensive and established cotton textile manufacturing industry.
Q6. The rapid industrial expansion of the Mumbai- Pune region in the post-independence era was significantly driven by the development of which specific industry at Bombay High?
Explanation
The discovery of oil and natural gas at Bombay High in the 1970s revolutionized the industrial landscape of the Mumbai-Pune region. This offshore field provided a steady supply of crude oil and gas, leading to the rapid expansion of petroleum refineries and petrochemical complexes. These developments significantly diversified the region’s industrial base beyond traditional textiles and engineering sectors.
Q7. Consider the following statements regarding the Mumbai-Pune industrial region:
I. It extends from Mumbai to Pune, encompassing districts like Thane and Nashik.
II. Hydroelectricity from the Western Ghats played a vital role in its early development.
III. It is completely devoid of the engineering and automobile industries.
Which of the given combinations of statements is correct?
I. It extends from Mumbai to Pune, encompassing districts like Thane and Nashik.
II. Hydroelectricity from the Western Ghats played a vital role in its early development.
III. It is completely devoid of the engineering and automobile industries.
Which of the given combinations of statements is correct?
Explanation
The Mumbai-Pune industrial region spans across Mumbai, Thane, and Nashik districts, utilizing hydroelectric power from the Western Ghats for its development. While the region is a major hub for automobiles and engineering, stating it is devoid of these industries is incorrect. It remains one of the most technologically advanced industrial clusters in India, hosting numerous global automotive giants.
Q8. Which of the following is NOT a primary geographical advantage that facilitated the growth of the Hugli industrial region in West Bengal?
Explanation
The Hugli industrial region flourished due to its proximity to Damodar Valley coalfields and the availability of soft water from the Hugli river for jute processing. The extensive riverine transport network further facilitated cheap movement of goods. However, the region lacks significant local reserves of copper and bauxite, which are more common in the Chota Nagpur plateau region.
Q9. Given below are two statements, one labelled as
Assertion (A) and the other labelled as Reason (R):
Assertion (A): The Hugli industrial region has experienced a relative decline in its industrial dominance in recent decades.
Reason (R): The partition of India in 1947 separated the major jute-producing areas from the jute mills located along the Hugli river.
Assertion (A) and the other labelled as Reason (R):
Assertion (A): The Hugli industrial region has experienced a relative decline in its industrial dominance in recent decades.
Reason (R): The partition of India in 1947 separated the major jute-producing areas from the jute mills located along the Hugli river.
Explanation
The Hugli industrial region faced a severe setback after the 1947 partition because major jute-growing tracts were ceded to East Pakistan, while the processing mills remained in India. This geographical separation disrupted raw material supplies, leading to the decline of its dominant jute industry. Over time, this contributed to the region’s overall reduced significance compared to newer industrial hubs.
Q10. Consider the following statements about the Hugli industrial region:
Statement I: Kolkata-Haora forms the core of the Hugli industrial region.
Statement II: The region predominantly specializes in the automobile and aircraft manufacturing sectors.
Which of the following is correct?
Statement I: Kolkata-Haora forms the core of the Hugli industrial region.
Statement II: The region predominantly specializes in the automobile and aircraft manufacturing sectors.
Which of the following is correct?
Explanation
Kolkata and Haora serve as the central core of the Hugli industrial region, which is historically significant for its concentration of jute mills. While it has diversified into chemicals and engineering, the region is not primarily characterized by automobile or aircraft manufacturing. Instead, it remains more focused on traditional resource-based industries and light engineering products compared to newer regions.Answer key for these questions
| Q | Correct answer |
|---|---|
| 1 | (b) An industry that can be located in diverse locations without transportation cost penalties |
| 2 | (c) Both Statement I and Statement II are correct |
| 3 | (c) The clustering of interconnected firms sharing infrastructure and labor pools |
| 4 | (d) Government policies |
| 5 | (c) A-iv, B-i, C-ii, D-iii |
| 6 | (d) Petroleum and Petrochemicals |
| 7 | (a) I and II only |
| 8 | (c) Massive local reserves of copper and bauxite |
| 9 | (a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A. |
| 10 | (a) Statement I is correct but Statement II is incorrect |
Key facts from Major Industrial Regions of India
- The Pykara hydroelectric plant spurred the early industrial growth of the Bangalore-Chennai region; the Delhi-Meerut region is dominated by market-oriented, footloose industries.
- Gurugram is known for automobiles, Noida for IT and electronics, Meerut for sports goods and Faridabad for engineering and tractors.
- The North-East is industrially backward because of hilly terrain and poor transport; the Numaligarh refinery is in Assam.
- The Industrial Policy Resolution of 1956 is the Economic Constitution of India; it classified industries into three schedules and followed the Mahalanobis Model.
- The Navratna and Miniratna status began in 1997; a Maharatna must have average net profit above Rs 5,000 crore.
- The SEZ Act came in 2005, Make in India in 2014, Startup India in 2016 and the broad PLI scheme in 2020-21; the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor is being built with Japan.
Frequently asked questions
How many RAS Prelims practice MCQs are there on Major Industrial Regions of India?
This page has 65 practice MCQs on Major Industrial Regions of India (Indian Geography). Each has the correct answer, and most have an explanation.
In which year was Make in India launched?
In 2014. It aims to make India a manufacturing hub and raise the share of manufacturing in GDP, and it opened many sectors to higher foreign investment, with 25 focus sectors such as automobiles, aviation and biotechnology.
What did the Freight Equalisation Policy do?
It made the transport cost of key materials like steel the same across India. This nullified the locational advantage of mineral-rich regions such as Bihar and Odisha and helped industry grow in other parts of the country.
What are the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor partners?
India is developing the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor in collaboration with Japan. It is a large infrastructure project along a freight corridor linking Delhi and Mumbai, with industrial nodes and smart cities.