Industries (QUESTIONS FOR HOMEWORK AND SAMPLE ANSWERS)
1. Explain the terms manufacturing and industries.
Manufacturing literally means ‘to make by man/hand. Production of
goods in large quantities after processing raw material to more useful
and valuable products is called "Manufacturing".
Industry refers to an economic activity that is concerned with the
production of goods (eg. iron and steel industry), extraction of minerals
(coal mining) or the provision of services (tourism industry).
2. How are industries classified on the basis of their size?
Size here refers to the amount of capital invested, number of people
employed and the volume of production.Based on size, industries can be
classified into cottage, small scale and large scale industries.
3. Why was Sakchi (Jamshedpur) an ideal location for the
establishment of iron and steel industry?
Sakchi was chosen to set up the steel plant for several reasons:
I. This place was only 32 km away from Kalimati station on the
Bengal-Nagpur railway line. It is well connected by road and port.
II. It was close to the iron ore, coal and manganese deposits (coal
from Jharia coalfields, iron ore, limestone, dolomite and
manganese from Orissa and Chhattisgarh.
III. It was close to Kolkata, which provided a large market.
IV. The Kharkai and Subarnarekha rivers ensured sufficient water
supply.
V. Government initiatives provided adequate capital for its later
development.
4. Discuss the factors that helped Ahmedabad to develop as Manchester
of India.(any five)
(i) It is located in Gujarat on the banks of the Sabarmati river, which
provided water.
(ii) Ahmedabad is situated in the heart of a cotton growing area. This
ensures easy availability of raw material.
(iii) The humid climate is ideal for spinning and weaving.
(iv) The flat terrain and easy availability of land is suitable for the
establishmentof the mills.
(v) The densely populated states of Gujarat and Maharashtra provide
both skilled and semi-skilledlabour.
(vi)Well developed road and railway network permits easy transportation
of textiles to different parts of the country, thus providing easy access to
the market.
(vii) Mumbai port nearby facilitates import of machinery and export of
cotton textiles.
5. List down the industrial regions of the world.
Industrial Regions of the World are: -
1. Great Lakes Industrial Region of North America.
2. Rhur-Saar Industrial Region of Europe.
3. London Industrial Region.
4. Ural-Ukraine Industrial Region of Russia.
5. Sydney Industrial Region of Australia.
6. The Gujarat-Mumbai region is a major textile industry region of
India. Justify the statement with four reasons.
The Mumbai-Gujarat industrial belt has become India’s most significant
textile manufacturing zone:
This is because of the availability of raw cotton in the vicinity,large
labour force(skilled and unskilled),uninterrupted power supply,large
seaports for handling international trade,closeness to the markets –
national and international ,well connected with road,railways and
ports. Rich black soil produces best cotton. The humid climate is suitable
for the spinning of yarn.
7. Explain how the following factors affect the location of industries in
an area-
Availability of raw material , cheap labour, transport facility,
availability of market and sufficient power supply.
i) All industries that require heavy and bulky raw material are
generally set up near the sources of raw materials in order to save
heavy transportation cost eg. Iron and steel plants have been set
up near iron ore mines and coalfields.
ii) It is advantageous to have assured labour supply (skilled and
unskilled) locally for setting up an industry though it may be
taken from different regions. Skilled labour, qualified and trained
people are generally hired from large cities.
iii) Availability of efficient means of transportation is important for
movement of raw material to the factory and finished goods to the
market eg. The Ganga plain has several industrial towns due to
good network of roads and railways.
iv) The ultimate aim of an industry is to sell its product easily.To find
a market without much difficulty where goods are saleable eg.
Ahemdabad(cotton textile),Himalayas(woollen textile)
v) For any industry power is a very critical factor. Cheap,abundant,
uninterrupted power supply is essential need for modern industry
using large machines.
8. Differentiate between the following-
A) Public sector and private sector industry.
B) Basic industry and consumer goods industry.
A) Private sector industries are owned and operated by individuals or a
group ofindividuals. For example: Reliance industries, BATA etc
Public sector industries are owned and operated by the government
(central or state). For example: Hindustan Aeronautics Limited and
Steel Authority of India Limited.
B) Basic industries don’t depend on other industries for their raw
material,it comes from nature. They form the basis of other industries.
Consumer goods industries are industries using raw material that comes
from another industry. They manufacture goods that are ready for direct
consumption.
9 Elucidate the reasons for Bengaluru to become a centre (hub) of
information technology industry.4pts
I. The city is known for its mild climate throughout the year.
Pleasant weather, low cost of living, makes it an ideal place for
living.
II. Good transport facility –well connected by rail, roadways and air.
III. Availability of skilled and experienced professionals.The city has
the largest and widest availability of skilled managers with work
experience.
IV. More than 1400 multinational and software companies have
established their business-Infosys, Wipro, Tata consultancy
services.
V. Bangalore has the largest number of educational institutions and
IT colleges in India. The educational environment attracted a large
number of young people to obtain technical and professional
degrees.
VI. The state government of Karnataka was the first to announce an IT
Policy in 1992.
VII. Close to some of the most advanced scientificand technological
centres in the world.
10. Illustrate in four points why the Iron and steel industry in India is
localized in the Chota Nagpur region?
Iron ore, limestone, manganese, coal is available in plenty in this
region. Availability of cheap labour (skilled and unskilled) and power
and water supply from rivers is also abundant. Well connected to
roads, railways and ports.
Iron ore: This is a very large deposit of low grade iron ore. Long
distance transportation of the ore would be uneconomic. The coalfield
contains rich deposits of high grade coal. Transportation of coal is by
railway, which is relatively cheap. Limestone is widely available.
• Water: The Rivers carry sufficient water to supply alarge iron and steel
plant in all seasons.
• Market: It is expected that the chief market for the Plant’s products will
be nearby. Transport costs for the products- mainlysmall steel bars and
light steel plates would be relatively low.
• Labour supply: This will have to be recruited mainly from the unskilled
workers. It is expected that most workerswill commute daily from their
present homes.
11. Which category of industry is processing of fish and other aquatic
animals classified on the basis of raw material?
Marine -based industry.
12. Explain the following- Forest based industries, co- operative sector
industries, skilled and unskilled labour, flux.
Forest based industries: These industries use forest products as their
raw material.
Co- operative sector industries: These industries are owned and
operated by the producers or suppliers of raw materials, workers or
both.They are owned by a group of individuals who form their own
society.The members share the profit earned. For example: Anand Milk
Union Limited and Sudha Dairy.
Skilled and unskilled labour: Unskilled workers are workers who are
not suitably educated and lack special skills,whereas skilled workers
are people who are qualified and have special skills for the work.
Flux: The material added to a smelting furnace to remove the
impurities from the ore like silica, limestone, coal or borax which
lower the temperature.
