In the 'Index of Eight Core Industries', which one of the following is given the highest weight?
Answer & explanation
Answer: (b) Electricity generation
In 2015 the Index of Eight Core Industries used the base year 2004-05. Under that base, electricity generation carried the largest weight, 10.32% of the IIP. Steel was next at 6.68%.
- ✗ (a) Coal production had a weight of only 4.38% in the 2004-05 series.
- ✓ (b) Electricity generation had a weight of 10.32%, the highest of the eight core industries. The next highest, steel, had 6.68%.
- ✗ (c) Fertilizer production had a weight of 1.25%, the lowest in the index.
- ✗ (d) Steel (6.68%) was the second-highest. It still trailed electricity.
- • Since then The index was later rebased to 2011-12. In that series, Refinery Products has the highest weight (28.04%), and electricity (19.85%) is second. The answer for the 2015 exam is unaffected.
Remember · Under the 2004-05 base, Electricity (10.32%) had the largest weight among the eight core industries, then Steel (6.68%). The eight together made up about 38% of the IIP.
Sources
- PIB: Index of Eight Core Industries (Base: 2004-05=100), June 2016 ↗ “Electricity generation (weight: 10.32%) increased by 8.1 % in June , 2016 over June , 2015.”
- PIB: Index of Eight Core Industries (Base: 2011-12), December 2018 ↗ “Petroleum Refinery production (weight: 28.04per cent) declined by 4.8 per cent in December, 2018 over December, 2017.”
Question: UPSC Civil Services (Preliminary) 2015, General Studies Paper I. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 25 Oct 2026 (how we verify). ·
