About This Section
This section collects previous-year Board examination questions (CBSE and State Boards) from Chapter 6, with model answers, to show the pattern and depth expected in the exam.
Board PYQ — Very Short Answer (1 mark)
Q1. Name the industry that is called the backbone of modern industry. Ans. The iron and steel industry.
Q2. Which is the largest producer of raw jute? Ans. India (Bangladesh is the largest exporter of jute goods).
Q3. Name one public-sector iron and steel plant. Ans. Bhilai / Bokaro / Durgapur / Rourkela (any one). (TISCO is private.)
Board PYQ — Short Answer (3 marks)
Q4. Distinguish between agro-based and mineral-based industries with examples. Ans. Agro-based industries use agricultural raw materials — e.g. cotton textiles, jute, sugar, vegetable oil. Mineral-based industries use minerals as raw material — e.g. iron and steel, cement, aluminium, machine tools. Agro-based industries link farmers and factories; mineral-based industries provide machinery and metals to other industries.
Q5. Why has the sugar industry shifted towards the southern and western states? Ans. The cane grown in the south and west has a higher sucrose content; the cooler climate gives a longer crushing season; and the cooperative sugar mills are better managed there. Hence the industry is steadily shifting to Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.
Board PYQ — Short Answer (3 marks)
Q6. How do industries cause air and water pollution? State any two harms. Ans. Industries release smoke and toxic gases (sulphur dioxide, carbon monoxide) causing air pollution, and dump organic and inorganic effluents, dyes and chemicals into rivers causing water pollution. Harms: air pollution causes respiratory diseases; polluted water harms aquatic life and makes water unfit for drinking and irrigation.
Q7. Why are integrated steel plants located close to raw materials? Ans. Steel-making needs large quantities of bulky, weight-losing raw materials — iron ore, coking coal and limestone. Transporting them over long distances is very costly, so integrated steel plants are located near the coalfields and iron-ore belts (e.g. the Chhota Nagpur plateau) to minimise transport cost.
Board PYQ — Long Answer (5 marks)
Q8. "Industrial pollution is a serious threat to the environment." Explain with control measures. Ans. Industries pollute the environment in four ways — air (smoke, gases), water (effluents), thermal (hot water, radioactive waste) and noise (machinery). This harms health, aquatic life and soil. Control measures: minimise water use by recycling and reusing; harvest rainwater; treat hot effluents before release; fit scrubbers and electrostatic precipitators to reduce smoke; use silencers; and undertake afforestation — following the example of NTPC.
Q9. Describe the importance of the cotton textile industry in the Indian economy. Ans. The cotton textile industry is one of India's oldest and largest industries. It is agro-based, giving a market to cotton growers and employment to millions in ginning, spinning, weaving, dyeing and tailoring. It supports chemical, engineering and packaging trades, earns foreign exchange through exports, and meets the country's clothing needs — thus contributing greatly to the economy.