Recently, there was a growing awareness in our country about the importance of Himalayan nettle (Girardinia diversifolia) because it is found to be a sustainable source of
Answer & explanation
Answer: (d) textile fibre
Himalayan nettle (Girardinia diversifolia) is prized for the strong bast fibre in its stems, which is spun and woven into cloth, so it is a sustainable source of textile fibre.
- ✓ (d) The bast fibre of its bark is used for clothing, ropes, mats and sacks, and the Ministry of Textiles has supported research on products from Himalayan nettle among natural fibres.
- ✗ (a) Anti-malarial drugs come from plants like cinchona (quinine) and Artemisia (artemisinin), not from Himalayan nettle.
- ✗ (b) Biodiesel comes from oil-bearing seeds such as jatropha and pongamia; nettle is valued for its fibre, not for oil.
Remember · Himalayan nettle (Girardinia diversifolia, 'bichhu buti') yields bast fibre for textiles; Uttarakhand and the Ministry of Textiles have promoted it.
Sources
- PIB, Ministry of Textiles: Steps to Promote Natural Fibres (16 Mar 2017) ↗ “Research and Development in natural fibres such as Banana, Himalayan nettle, Bamboo and hemp is supported under”
- Himalayan Nettle Girardinia diversifolia, Molecules (2020), open-access copy on PubMed Central (NIH) ↗ “It is also famous for the uses of the bast fiber of its bark, for making varieties of clothing, ropes, mats, sacks and other domestic implements.”
Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2019, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). ·