Mining and Quarrying
The industrial sector that showed a clear decline in average annual growth during the period of 1991–92 to 1998–99 was Mining and Quarrying.
While the Indian economy underwent significant liberalization during this decade, the performance across the three broad sectors of the Index of Industrial Production (IIP) was uneven.
Analysis of Sectoral Performance
| Sector | Growth Trend (1991–99) |
|---|---|
| Mining and Quarrying | Showed a consistent decline in growth rates. After an initial post-reform bump, the growth rate fell significantly, reaching a low of approximately -0.8% to 0.7% toward the end of the period (1998–99). |
| Manufacturing | Experienced a "mini-boom" in the mid-90s (peaking around 1995–96) before entering a cyclical slowdown. However, its average growth remained higher than Mining. |
| Electricity | Maintained a relatively steady, albeit moderate, growth rate compared to the volatility seen in the other two sectors. |
Why Mining Declined
The decline in the Mining and Quarrying sector was attributed to several structural and regulatory factors:
Lack of Private Investment: Unlike the manufacturing sector, mining remained heavily regulated and dominated by the public sector for a longer duration.
Environmental and Regulatory Hurdles: Increasing scrutiny over land acquisition and environmental clearances began to slow down new projects.
Infrastructure Bottlenecks: Poor linkages (like railway transport for coal) hampered the ability to move extracted minerals efficiently.
Important Questions from Industrial Sector
With reference to casual workers employed in India, consider the following statements :
1. All casual workers are entitled to Employees Provident Fund coverage.
2. All casual workers are entitled to regular working hours and overtime payment.
3. The government can by a Notification specify that an establishment or industry shall pay wages only through its bank account.
Which of the above statements are correct?
With reference to ‘WaterCredit’, consider the following statements :
1. It puts microfinance tools to work in the water and Sanitation sector.
2. It is a global initiative launched under the aegis of the World Health Organization and the World Bank.
3. It aims to enable the poor people to meet their water needs without depending on subsidies.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
Recently, India's first 'National Investment and Manufacturing Zone' was proposed to be set up in
Which one among the following industries is the maximum consumer of water in India?
With reference to the usefulness of the byproducts of sugar industry, which of the following statements is/are correct?
1. Bagasse can be used as biomass fuel for the generation of energy.
2. Molasses can be used as one of the feedstocks for the production of synthetic chemical fertilizers.
3. Molasses can be used for the production of ethanol.
Select the correct answer using the codes given below:
