Economy & Agriculture — Set 11

Correct Answer: C. Chandigarh

Chandigarh (Union Territory) is the joint capital of Haryana and Punjab and houses the Haryana government secretariat and legislative assembly. Chandigarh was designed by Swiss-French architect Le Corbusier and is known for its planned layout and Rock Garden. The Haryana Vidhan Sabha (Legislative Assembly) is located in Chandigarh. Since Chandigarh is a UT shared between two states, both Haryana and Punjab aspire to have their own separate capitals.

Correct Answer: A. Build Panchkula as Alternative Capital Complex for Haryana

Haryana has long planned to develop Panchkula (adjacent to Chandigarh) as its alternative or new state capital when/if Chandigarh is eventually allotted to Punjab. The Capital Complex project in Panchkula aims to construct a new Haryana Vidhan Sabha, Raj Bhawan, and secretariat complex. Land has been acquired and some construction has begun for this purpose. The issue of Chandigarh's status remains politically sensitive and unresolved between Haryana and Punjab.

Correct Answer: B. Billions of rupees circulate in the rural economy through MSP payments, commission agents, and labor

Annual wheat procurement in Haryana during March-June involves billions of rupees being injected into the rural economy through MSP payments directly to farmers, commission (arthiya) charges, labor for loading/transport, and storage costs. This massive cash infusion boosts rural consumption and supports the agricultural credit cycle. The Rabi marketing season procurement in Haryana is one of the largest annual rural economic events in India. Arthiyas (commission agents) play a controversial but central role in the procurement system.

Correct Answer: B. A public sector chemical company with a unit in Haryana

HOCL (Hindustan Organic Chemicals Ltd) is a Government of India enterprise that had a plant at Kundli (Sonipat) in Haryana producing organic chemicals used in industrial and agricultural applications. The Kundli plant of HOCL produced chemicals like aniline, nitrobenzene, and nitrotoluene. Several central public sector units (CPSUs) have units in Haryana's industrial belt. HOCL represents Haryana's role in India's chemical manufacturing sector.

Correct Answer: B. About 35%

According to the 2011 Census, approximately 34-35% of Haryana's population was classified as urban, compared to the national average of about 31%. Haryana's urbanization rate has been accelerating due to rapid industrial growth in Gurugram, Faridabad, and Manesar. Gurugram district has an urbanization rate of over 70%. By 2021, Haryana's urban population percentage has likely crossed 40%. Rapid urbanization has created challenges in housing, water supply, and waste management.

Correct Answer: B. Haryana Industrial Policy's Regional Dispersal Incentive

Haryana Industrial Policy includes Regional Dispersal Incentives (RDI) that provide additional concessions—land at subsidized rates, electricity tariff rebates, stamp duty exemptions—to industries setting up units in backward districts like Mahendragarh, Charkhi Dadri, and Bhiwani. The objective is to reduce regional economic imbalances between the prosperous NCR belt and the less-developed interior districts. HSIIDC develops industrial model townships even in backward districts to attract investments.

Correct Answer: B. Manufactured goods (automobiles, textiles, scientific instruments) and IT services

Haryana's largest export earner is manufactured goods, particularly automobile components, textiles (from Panipat), scientific instruments (from Ambala), and increasingly IT/BPO services from Gurugram. Maruti Suzuki exports a portion of its India production, while Panipat's recycled textile products are exported globally. Software and IT-enabled services exports from Gurugram are growing rapidly. Rice (basmati) is also a significant agricultural export from Haryana.

Correct Answer: A. Livestock insurance scheme for farmers

Pashudhan Bima Yojana is Haryana's livestock insurance scheme that provides compensation to farmers for the death of cattle, buffalo, sheep, goat, or pigs due to disease, accident, or natural calamity. The scheme is especially important for small and marginal farmers who depend heavily on livestock for income. Premium subsidy is provided to BPL and SC/ST farmers. Livestock insurance supports animal husbandry sector risk management in Haryana.

Correct Answer: B. Sonipat and Karnal

Sonipat and Karnal districts produce significant quantities of vegetables including tomatoes, cucumbers, cauliflower, and leafy vegetables for the Delhi-NCR market and processing industries. Protected cultivation (polyhouse farming) has expanded in Karnal and Sonipat for off-season vegetable production. Haryana Agriculture Department has been promoting vegetable cultivation as a profitable alternative to wheat-rice cycle. Contract farming for vegetables has also grown in these districts.

Correct Answer: B. Scheme to give property rights (Lal Dora/ownership) to rural residents living on their ancestral homes

Hamara Ghar Hamare Naam is Haryana's scheme to provide property ownership rights (like SVAMITVA scheme) to residents living in their ancestral homes in Lal Dora areas (abadi) of villages. Previously, residents of Lal Dora areas did not have formal property title documents, preventing them from accessing bank loans or selling property legally. Under this scheme, property cards are issued after drone survey of village abadi. This is similar to PM SVAMITVA scheme but implemented at the state level.