Q31. The backbone of the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC) is aligned with which major infrastructure project?
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 31–40 of 65 questions
Q32. Consider the following statements regarding industrial corridors in India:
Statement I: The Chennai-Bengaluru Industrial Corridor (CBIC) aims to achieve accelerated development and regional industry agglomeration.
Statement II: Industrial corridors are solely focused on agricultural development and completely restrict manufacturing activities.
Which of the following is correct?
Statement I: The Chennai-Bengaluru Industrial Corridor (CBIC) aims to achieve accelerated development and regional industry agglomeration.
Statement II: Industrial corridors are solely focused on agricultural development and completely restrict manufacturing activities.
Which of the following is correct?
Explanation
The Chennai-Bengaluru Industrial Corridor is designed to accelerate regional industrial growth and encourage the clustering of related businesses. However, industrial corridors are not restricted to agricultural development. Their primary focus is on boosting manufacturing, infrastructure, and urban growth. They aim to create high-tech industrial zones that can integrate with global supply chains rather than limiting activities to the agricultural sector.
Q33. Match the Special Economic Zones (SEZ) with their respective states:
| Major SEZ | State |
|---|---|
| A. SEEPZ (Santacruz) | i. Gujarat |
| B. Kandla | ii. West Bengal |
| C. MEPZ (Tambaram) | iii. Maharashtra |
| D. Falta | iv. Tamil Nadu |
Explanation
Major Special Economic Zones in India are distributed across various states to promote regional exports. SEEPZ is located in Santacruz, Maharashtra, focusing on electronics and jewelry. Kandla, in Gujarat, was India’s first export processing zone. MEPZ is situated in Tambaram, Tamil Nadu, while Falta serves as an important export hub in West Bengal, facilitating trade through the Hugli river system.
Q34. Which of the following is the most accurate definition of a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in India?
Explanation
A Special Economic Zone is a specifically delineated, duty-free enclave designed to promote exports and economic growth. For the purposes of trade operations, duties, and tariffs, these zones are legally treated as foreign territory. This status allows businesses operating within the SEZ to import raw materials and capital goods without paying customs duties, provided the final products are exported.
Q35. Identify the incorrect statement regarding the Special Economic Zones (SEZ) Act, 2005.
Explanation
The Special Economic Zone Act of 2005 actually encourages Foreign Direct Investment by offering a conducive environment and various fiscal incentives. Claiming that it prohibits FDI is incorrect, as attracting foreign capital is a primary objective of the policy. The Act also provides single-window clearance and tax exemptions to simplify the process for both domestic and international investors within these zones.
Q36. Consider the following statements regarding the objectives of setting up Special Economic Zones (SEZs):
I. Generation of additional economic activity.
II. Promotion of exports of goods and services.
III. Restriction of domestic and foreign investment.
Which of the given combinations of statements is incorrect?
I. Generation of additional economic activity.
II. Promotion of exports of goods and services.
III. Restriction of domestic and foreign investment.
Which of the given combinations of statements is incorrect?
Explanation
Special Economic Zones are established to generate additional economic activity and promote the export of goods and services. They are designed to attract, rather than restrict, both domestic and foreign investment through various incentives and simplified regulatory frameworks. Therefore, any statement suggesting that these zones aim to limit investment is fundamentally incorrect and contradicts the core purpose of the SEZ policy.
Q37. Given below are two statements, one labelled as
Assertion (A) and the other labelled as Reason (R):
Assertion (A): The MSME sector plays a highly crucial role in generating employment opportunities in India.
Reason (R): MSMEs are generally capital-intensive rather than labor-intensive industries.
Assertion (A) and the other labelled as Reason (R):
Assertion (A): The MSME sector plays a highly crucial role in generating employment opportunities in India.
Reason (R): MSMEs are generally capital-intensive rather than labor-intensive industries.
Explanation
MSMEs are vital for employment generation in India because they are generally labor-intensive, meaning they employ more people per unit of capital compared to large industries. While they play a crucial role in the economy, claiming they are capital-intensive is incorrect. Their ability to provide jobs with relatively lower investment makes them essential for inclusive growth and regional development across the country.
Q38. Which of the following is the best description of the significance of industrial estates for MSMEs?
Explanation
Industrial estates significantly benefit MSMEs by providing ready-to-use plots with essential shared infrastructure like roads, electricity, and water. This arrangement reduces the initial capital burden on small entrepreneurs, allowing them to focus their resources on production. By offering a centralized location with collective facilities, industrial estates help smaller units achieve economies of scale and improve their overall operational efficiency and competitiveness.
Q39. Consider the following statements about industrial clusters in India:
I. They facilitate collective bargaining for raw materials among small producers.
II. They enable a better flow of information and technological spillover.
III. The government supports them through schemes like MSE-CDP (Micro and Small Enterprises - Cluster Development Programme).
IV. They are exclusively established in metropolitan cities only.
Which of the given combinations of statements is correct?
I. They facilitate collective bargaining for raw materials among small producers.
II. They enable a better flow of information and technological spillover.
III. The government supports them through schemes like MSE-CDP (Micro and Small Enterprises - Cluster Development Programme).
IV. They are exclusively established in metropolitan cities only.
Which of the given combinations of statements is correct?
Explanation
Industrial clusters facilitate better information flow, technological spillovers, and collective bargaining for raw materials among small producers. The government supports these clusters through specialized schemes like the MSE-CDP. However, they are not exclusively established in metropolitan cities.
Q40. What is the primary cause-and-effect relationship explaining the relative industrial backwardness of the North-Eastern states of India?
Explanation
The industrial backwardness of the North-East comes mainly from the hilly terrain and poor transport, which raise production costs.Answer key for these questions
| Q | Correct answer |
|---|---|
| 31 | (d) Dedicated Freight Corridor (Western DFC) |
| 32 | (a) Statement I is correct but Statement II is incorrect |
| 33 | (c) A-iii, B-i, C-iv, D-ii |
| 34 | (d) A duty-free enclave treated as foreign territory for trade operations |
| 35 | (a) It explicitly prohibits any Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) within the SEZ enclaves |
| 36 | (b) III only |
| 37 | (c) A is true but R is false. |
| 38 | (c) They lower capital burdens by providing shared infrastructure and power |
| 39 | (d) I, II, and III only |
| 40 | (c) Cause: Hilly topography and poor transport; Effect: High production costs |
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.