Previous Year Question
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?
Only one
Only two
Only three
All four
Correct Answer: B
Detailed Solution
Economic activities are classified into primary, secondary and tertiary sectors according to the nature of the activity performed.
Pair 1 is incorrectly matched. Production of agricultural produce is a primary-sector activity, but the storage of that produce is a service. Storage does not transform the physical form of the product; it preserves the product and bridges the time gap between production and consumption. Therefore, storage of agricultural produce belongs to the tertiary sector, not the secondary sector.
Pair 2 is correctly matched. Dairy farming is an animal-husbandry and agriculture-allied activity. It involves obtaining a natural product such as milk from cattle. Because it depends directly upon biological processes and natural resources, dairy farming forms part of the primary sector.
A distinction should be made between producing milk on a dairy farm, which is a primary activity, and processing milk into cheese, ghee, butter or milk powder, which would be a secondary-sector manufacturing activity.
Pair 3 is incorrectly matched. Mineral exploration concerns the search for and identification of naturally occurring mineral resources. Owing to its direct connection with mining and the utilisation of natural resources, it is associated with the primary sector, not the tertiary sector.
Pair 4 is correctly matched. Weaving converts yarn or thread into cloth. It transforms a raw or intermediate material into a product with a different form and utility. It is, therefore, a manufacturing activity belonging to the secondary sector.