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UPSC Prelims 1991 · Indian Geography · Industries, Ports and Transport
Which of the following country is relatively industrially developed?
- (a) India
- (b) Pakistan
- (c) Bangladesh
- (d) Thailand
Show the answer and explanation
Answer: (a) India
India had a broad industrial base — steel, machinery, chemicals — far larger than its neighbours.
The idea
Industrial development includes the range of goods made, the scale of factories and the strength of supporting services. A broad industrial base includes basic metals, machinery and chemicals as well as consumer goods. This 1991 comparison needs its historical context; total output and industry’s share of the economy are different measures.
Why the others are wrong
(b) Pakistan’s industry was narrower (mainly textiles).
(c) Bangladesh was mostly agrarian then.
(d) Thailand industrialised rapidly only in the 1990s.
Also know
India’s Second Five-Year Plan emphasised heavy industry and capital goods, which are machines used to make other goods. The 1991 reforms changed licensing and trade rules. Pakistan’s cotton-textile base and Bangladesh’s jute and garment industries illustrate specialisation; a strong export sector alone does not measure an entire industrial system.
🔒 India’s 1991 reforms (LPG) followed decades of heavy-industry planning (Second Plan, Mahalanobis).
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