UPSC Prelims 2024 Q45: Indian Economy – Indian Economy
With reference to the sectors of the Indian economy, consider the following pairs:
Economic activity - Sector
1. Storage of agricultural produce - Secondary
2. Dairy farm - Primary
3. Mineral exploration - Tertiary
4. Weaving cloth - Secondary
How many of the pairs given above are correctly matched?
- (a) Only one
- (b) Only two
- (c) Only three
- (d) All four
Answer: (b) Only two
Explanation
Sectors of the economy
| Sector | Covers |
|---|---|
| Primary | Using natural resources directly — farming, dairy, fishing, forestry, mining and mineral exploration |
| Secondary | Manufacturing — turning raw materials into goods |
| Tertiary (services) | Support services — transport, storage, trade, banking, communication |
Checking the pairs:
| Pair | Correct? | Right sector |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Storage of agricultural produce – Secondary | No | Tertiary (a service) |
| 2. Dairy farm – Primary | Yes | Primary |
| 3. Mineral exploration – Tertiary | No | Primary (natural resource) |
| 4. Weaving cloth – Secondary | Yes | Secondary (manufacturing) |
Answer: (b) Only two.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Incorrect. Both dairy–primary and weaving–secondary are correct.
- (b) CORRECT. Only dairy (primary) and weaving (secondary) are right; storage is tertiary and mineral exploration is primary.
- (c) Incorrect. Storage and mineral exploration are both mismatched.
- (d) Incorrect. Two of the four pairs are wrongly classified.
Key point
Primary = nature-based (incl. mining, dairy); Secondary = manufacturing (weaving); Tertiary = services (storage, transport).
Remember
Storage is tertiary, mineral exploration is primary.
Common mistakes
- Putting storage in the secondary sector; storing goods is a service.
- Treating mineral exploration as a service; mining and quarrying are primary.
- Thinking dairy is manufacturing; milking cows is primary, while making packaged cheese is secondary.
Exam tip
Ask: does it extract, make, or serve? Extract = primary, make = secondary, serve = tertiary.
Sources
- NCERT Class X — Understanding Economic Development, Ch 2 (Sectors of the Indian Economy)
- MoSPI — National Industrial Classification (NIC) 2008