NCERT Solutions for Class 10 Social Science (Contemporary India II) Chapter 6: Manufacturing Industries (NCERT 2026–27)

These Class 10 Geography Chapter 6 solutions cover Manufacturing Industries from Contemporary India II, the Class 10 Social Science (Geography) textbook for the 2026–27 session. The chapter explains why manufacturing is called the backbone of development, how industries are classified, the location and importance of key agro-based and mineral-based industries (textile, sugar, iron and steel, aluminium, chemical, fertiliser, cement, automobile and IT), and how industries cause environmental pollution along with the steps to control it. Below you get step-by-step answers to every exercise question reproduced verbatim from the NCERT textbook, plus key terms, extra practice, MCQs, Assertion–Reason questions and FAQs.

Class: 10 Subject: Social Science (Geography) Book: Contemporary India II Chapter: 6 Topic: Manufacturing Industries Session: 2026–27
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Class 10 Geography Chapter 6 – Overview

Chapter 6, Manufacturing Industries, defines manufacturing as the production of goods in large quantities by processing raw materials into more valuable finished products, an activity of the secondary sector. It explains why manufacturing is regarded as the backbone of economic development — it modernises agriculture, reduces dependence on farm income, removes unemployment and poverty, brings foreign exchange through exports and increases national prosperity. Industries are classified by source of raw material (agro-based and mineral-based), by role (basic and consumer), by capital investment (small and large scale), by ownership (public, private, joint and cooperative) and by the bulk of materials (heavy and light). The chapter studies major industries — cotton and jute textiles, sugar, iron and steel, aluminium smelting, chemical, fertiliser, cement, automobile and IT — their location factors and importance, and closes with industrial pollution (air, water, land, noise and thermal) and concrete measures for the control of environmental degradation.

Key Concepts & Terms

Manufacturing: the production of goods in large quantities after processing raw materials into more valuable finished products — for example paper from wood, sugar from sugarcane, and steel from iron ore. It belongs to the secondary sector.

Basic (key) industries: industries that supply their products as raw materials to manufacture other goods, such as iron and steel, copper smelting and aluminium smelting.

Consumer industries: industries that produce goods for direct use by consumers, such as sugar, toothpaste, paper, sewing machines and fans.

Agro-based industries: industries that use agricultural raw materials — cotton, jute, silk and woollen textiles, sugar and edible oil.

Mineral-based industries: industries that use minerals and metals as raw materials — iron and steel, cement, aluminium, machine tools and petrochemicals.

Public / Private / Joint / Cooperative sector: public sector is owned by government agencies (BHEL, SAIL); private by individuals or groups (TISCO, Bajaj Auto); joint sector is run jointly by the state and private parties (Oil India Ltd.); cooperative sector is owned by producers or suppliers of raw materials and workers, who share profits or losses (sugar industry in Maharashtra, coir in Kerala).

Textile industry: the only Indian industry self-reliant and complete in the value chain, from raw material to the highest value-added product; a major source of industrial production, employment and foreign exchange.

Iron and steel industry: the basic and heavy industry on which all other industries depend for machinery; iron ore, coking coal and limestone are needed in the ratio of about 4 : 2 : 1. The Chhotanagpur plateau has the maximum concentration of these plants.

Industrial pollution: the four types of pollution caused by industries — air, water, land and noise — together with thermal pollution of water; thermal power plants are among the polluters.

Sustainable development: integrating economic development with environmental concerns so that growth does not degrade the environment for future generations.

NCERT “Exercises” — Full Solutions

All questions below are reproduced verbatim from the NCERT textbook’s end-of-chapter Exercises. Answers are original, written in exam-ready style.

1. Multiple choice questions.

(i) Which one of the following industries uses bauxite as a raw material? (a) Aluminium Smelting    (b) Cement    (c) Paper    (d) Steel

ANSWER (a) Aluminium Smelting. Bauxite is the bulky, dark reddish ore from which aluminium is extracted, so aluminium smelting uses bauxite as its raw material.

(ii) Which one of the following industries manufactures telephones, computer, etc. (a) Steel    (b) Electronic    (c) Aluminium Smelting    (d) Information Technology

ANSWER (b) Electronic. The electronics industry covers a wide range of products from transistor sets to televisions, telephones, cellular telecom, telephone exchanges, radars and computers.

2. Answer the following briefly in not more than 30 words.

(i) What is manufacturing?

ANSWER Manufacturing is the production of goods in large quantities by processing raw materials into more valuable finished products — for example paper from wood and steel from iron ore. It is a secondary-sector activity.

(ii) What are basic industries? Give an example.

ANSWER Basic or key industries are those whose products are used as raw materials by other industries to manufacture further goods. For example, the iron and steel industry supplies steel to engineering and machine-making industries.

3. Write the answers of the following questions in 120 words.

(i) How do industries pollute the environment?

ANSWER Industries cause four main types of pollution — air, water, land and noise — besides thermal pollution of water. Air pollution: chemical and paper factories, brick kilns, refineries and smelting plants release undesirable gases like sulphur dioxide and carbon monoxide, along with dust, smoke and particulate matter, harming human health, animals, plants and buildings. Water pollution: paper, pulp, chemical, textile, dyeing, petroleum, tannery and electroplating units discharge dyes, detergents, acids, salts and heavy metals like lead and mercury into rivers. Fly ash, phospho-gypsum and iron-and-steel slag form solid wastes. Thermal pollution: hot water drained untreated from factories and thermal plants harms aquatic life; nuclear plants release radioactive waste causing cancers and birth defects. Land and noise pollution: dumping of glass, chemicals, effluents and garbage renders soil useless and contaminates groundwater, while machinery, generators and drills create harmful noise.

(ii) Discuss the steps to be taken to minimise environmental degradation by industry?

ANSWER Industrial pollution can be controlled through the following measures: Reducing water pollution: minimise the use of water by reusing and recycling it in successive stages; harvest rainwater to meet water needs; and treat hot water and effluents before releasing them into rivers and ponds. Treating effluents: industrial effluents should be treated in three phases — primary treatment by mechanical means (screening, grinding, flocculation and sedimentation), secondary treatment by biological process, and tertiary treatment by biological, chemical and physical processes that recycle the wastewater. Regulating groundwater: overdrawing of groundwater reserves by industry should be regulated legally. Reducing air and noise pollution: fit smoke stacks with electrostatic precipitators, fabric filters, scrubbers and inertial separators; use oil or gas instead of coal; fit generators with silencers; redesign machinery for energy efficiency; and use noise-absorbing material, earplugs and earphones. Integrating economic development with environmental concerns ensures sustainable development.

Extra Practice Questions

Short Answer Type Questions

Q1. Why is manufacturing considered the backbone of economic development?

ANSWERManufacturing modernises agriculture and reduces people’s dependence on farm income by giving them jobs in the secondary and tertiary sectors. It helps eradicate unemployment and poverty, brings foreign exchange through exports of manufactured goods, and increases national prosperity, so it is called the backbone of development.

Q2. Why is the textile industry said to be self-reliant and complete in the value chain?

ANSWERThe textile industry is the only industry in India that is self-reliant and complete in the value chain — from raw cotton or fibre right up to the highest value-added finished product. It contributes significantly to industrial production, employment generation and foreign exchange earnings.

Q3. Why are most jute mills located along the banks of the Hugli river in West Bengal?

ANSWERThe Hugli basin offers proximity to jute-producing areas, inexpensive water transport supported by railways and roadways, abundant water for processing raw jute, cheap labour from West Bengal, Bihar, Odisha and Uttar Pradesh, and Kolkata’s banking, insurance and port facilities for exporting jute goods.

Q4. In what ratio are iron ore, coking coal and limestone required in the iron and steel industry?

ANSWERIron ore, coking coal and limestone are required in the ratio of approximately 4 : 2 : 1. Some quantity of manganese is also required to harden the steel. Because raw materials and finished goods are heavy, it is a heavy industry with high transport costs.

Q5. Why is the sugar industry shifting to the southern and western states?

ANSWERThe sugar industry is shifting to southern and western states, especially Maharashtra, because the cane grown there has a higher sucrose content, the cooler climate ensures a longer crushing season, and the cooperatives running the mills are more successful in these states.

Long Answer Type Questions

Q1. On what bases are industries classified? Explain any three.

ANSWERIndustries are classified on several bases. By source of raw material they are agro-based (cotton, jute, silk, woollen, sugar, tea, coffee, edible oil) and mineral-based (iron and steel, cement, aluminium, machine tools, petrochemicals). By their main role they are basic or key industries, whose products are raw materials for other industries (iron and steel, copper and aluminium smelting), and consumer industries, which make goods for direct use (sugar, paper, sewing machines, fans). By ownership they are public sector (owned by government, e.g. BHEL, SAIL), private sector (owned by individuals or groups, e.g. TISCO, Bajaj Auto), joint sector (run jointly by state and private parties, e.g. Oil India Ltd.) and cooperative sector (owned by producers or workers who share profits and losses, e.g. the Maharashtra sugar industry). They are also classified by capital investment (small and large scale) and by the bulk and weight of materials (heavy and light).

Q2. Why is the Chhotanagpur plateau region the most important region for the iron and steel industry?

ANSWERThe Chhotanagpur plateau region has the maximum concentration of iron and steel industries because of the relative advantages it offers. It has a low cost of iron ore and high-grade raw materials — iron ore, coking coal and limestone — available in close proximity, which reduces the heavy transport cost of bulky materials. Cheap labour is available locally, and there is vast growth potential in the home market for steel. Since iron and steel is a heavy industry where both raw materials and finished products are bulky, locating plants near the raw-material source in this mineral-rich region is most economical. This is why plants are clustered here, making it the heartland of India’s iron and steel production.

Q3. Describe the importance and location of the chemical, fertiliser and automobile industries in India.

ANSWERThe chemical industry is fast growing and diversifying, with large and small units in both inorganic and organic sectors. Inorganic chemicals such as sulphuric acid, nitric acid, alkalies, soda ash and caustic soda are widely spread over the country, while organic chemicals (petrochemicals) are located near oil refineries; the industry is its own largest consumer. The fertiliser industry centres on nitrogenous fertilisers (mainly urea), phosphatic fertilisers, ammonium phosphate and complex fertilisers; potash is entirely imported as India has no usable reserves. Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Kerala together produce about half the fertilisers. The automobile industry manufactures trucks, buses, cars, motorcycles, scooters, three-wheelers and multi-utility vehicles; after liberalisation, new models boosted demand, and the industry is located around Delhi, Gurugram, Mumbai, Pune, Chennai, Kolkata, Lucknow, Indore, Hyderabad, Jamshedpur and Bengaluru.

MCQs & Assertion–Reason

1. Manufacturing activities fall under which sector of the economy?

(a) Primary    (b) Secondary    (c) Tertiary    (d) Quaternary

2. Which of the following is an agro-based industry?

(a) Cement    (b) Iron and steel    (c) Sugar    (d) Aluminium

3. The first successful cotton textile mill was established in 1854 at:

(a) Kolkata    (b) Chennai    (c) Ahmedabad    (d) Mumbai

4. India ranks first in the world in the production of:

(a) raw jute    (b) sugar    (c) gur and khandsari    (d) steel

5. Iron ore, coking coal and limestone are required by the iron and steel industry approximately in the ratio:

(a) 1 : 2 : 4    (b) 4 : 2 : 1    (c) 2 : 4 : 1    (d) 4 : 1 : 2

6. Which industry is the second most important metallurgical industry in India?

(a) Copper smelting    (b) Aluminium smelting    (c) Zinc smelting    (d) Cement

7. Oil India Ltd. (OIL) is an example of which type of industry on the basis of ownership?

(a) Public sector    (b) Private sector    (c) Joint sector    (d) Cooperative sector

8. Which city has emerged as the electronic capital of India?

(a) Hyderabad    (b) Mumbai    (c) Bengaluru    (d) Chennai

9. Which fertiliser nutrient is entirely imported because India has no commercially usable reserves?

(a) Nitrogen    (b) Phosphate    (c) Potash    (d) Urea

10. The first cement plant in India was set up in 1904 at:

(a) Mumbai    (b) Chennai    (c) Gujarat    (d) Kolkata

Answer key: 1-(b), 2-(c), 3-(d), 4-(c), 5-(b), 6-(b), 7-(c), 8-(c), 9-(c), 10-(b).

For each Assertion–Reason question, choose: (A) Both true and the Reason correctly explains the Assertion; (B) Both true but the Reason is not the correct explanation; (C) Assertion true, Reason false; (D) Assertion false, Reason true.

A-R 1. Assertion: Iron and steel is called a heavy industry.

Reason: Both its raw materials and its finished goods are heavy and bulky, entailing heavy transportation costs.

A-R 2. Assertion: The sugar industry is ideally suited to the cooperative sector.

Reason: The sugar industry is seasonal in nature.

A-R 3. Assertion: Manufacturing industries reduce people’s dependence on agricultural income.

Reason: They provide jobs in the secondary and tertiary sectors.

A-R 4. Assertion: Potash fertiliser production in India meets the entire domestic demand.

Reason: India has large commercially usable reserves of potash.

A-R 5. Assertion: Industries cause thermal pollution of water.

Reason: Hot water from factories and thermal plants is drained into rivers and ponds before cooling.

Answer key: 1-(A), 2-(A), 3-(A), 4-(D), 5-(A).

Exam Tips & Common Mistakes

How to score full marks in this chapter

Memorise the full classification of industries with one example for each base, and the four (plus thermal) types of industrial pollution with their control measures — these are repeat board favourites. Remember exact facts: the textile mill at Mumbai (1854), jute mill near Kolkata (1855, Rishra), cement plant at Chennai (1904), and the iron-ore : coking-coal : limestone ratio of 4 : 2 : 1. For 120-word answers, give a clear point-wise structure with sub-headings, and always link location of an industry to its specific location factors (raw material, transport, labour, market, port).

Common mistakes to avoid

  • Confusing basic/key industries (supply raw materials to others) with consumer industries (goods for direct use).
  • Mixing up the ownership types — public (SAIL, BHEL), private (TISCO, Bajaj), joint (Oil India Ltd.) and cooperative (Maharashtra sugar).
  • Writing the iron and steel raw-material ratio wrongly — it is 4 : 2 : 1, not 1 : 2 : 4.
  • Saying India is first in sugar — India is second in sugar but first in gur and khandsari.
  • Forgetting that potash is entirely imported among fertiliser nutrients.
  • Listing pollution types without including thermal pollution and the role of thermal power plants.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Chapter 6 of Class 10 Geography (Contemporary India II) about?

Chapter 6, Manufacturing Industries, explains the meaning and importance of manufacturing, the classification of industries, the location and importance of major agro-based and mineral-based industries (textile, sugar, iron and steel, aluminium, chemical, fertiliser, cement, automobile and IT), and how industries cause pollution along with measures to control environmental degradation.

What is manufacturing in Class 10 Geography?

Manufacturing is the production of goods in large quantities by processing raw materials into more valuable finished products — such as paper from wood, sugar from sugarcane and steel from iron ore. It is a secondary-sector activity and the economic strength of a country is measured by the development of its manufacturing industries.

How many questions are in the Chapter 6 NCERT exercise?

The end-of-chapter Exercises contain 2 multiple-choice questions, 2 short-answer questions (30 words) and 2 long-answer questions (120 words), all answered step by step on this page, besides the activity and project work.

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