What are non-farm primary activities? How are these activities related to physiographic features in India? Discuss with suitable examples.

Theme

T39 Location of industries: steel, refineries, sugar, textiles, tea, rubber, corridors

What UPSC asks in this theme

UPSC asks location factors for specific industries: iron and steel away from raw material, refineries, sugar shifting south, decentralised cotton textiles, tea gardens limited to Darjeeling, rubber, industrial corridors, and non-farm primary activities.

What to cover

• Weber-type factors: raw material, market, transport, labour, power, policy
• Iron and steel: shift to coastal and market locations
• Sugar: southern advantage (yield, crushing season, cooperatives)
• Cotton textiles: decentralised due to market and power
• Industrial corridors: DMIC etc.
• Non-farm primary activities and physiography

Writing the answer

• Always give specific locations; a rough map sketch helps

These notes are for the whole theme, built from all 7 of its PYQs. UPSC does not publish model answers.