Study the following information and answer the questions:
A crop requires a hot and humid climate with well-distributed rainfall throughout the year. It grows best on well-drained, loamy soils and is sensitive to frost and drought. Once tapped, it yields a milky white liquid that is processed into an important industrial raw material used in tyre manufacturing and other industries.
(i) Identify the crop described above. (1 mark)
(ii) Name any two states of mainland India where this crop is grown. (1 mark)
(iii) Which island territory of India also produces this crop? (1 mark)
(iv) Why has demand for this crop increased significantly in recent decades? Give one reason. (1 mark)
Generated by claude-sonnet-4-6 · 2026-06-26 13:32 · grounding rag
Model Answer
(i) The crop described is Rubber.
(ii) Two mainland states where rubber is grown: Kerala and Tamil Nadu (also Karnataka).
(iii) Andaman and Nicobar Islands also produce rubber.
(iv) Demand for rubber has increased significantly because of the rapid growth of the automobile industry, which requires large quantities of rubber for tyre manufacturing and other industrial purposes.
Source: Major Crops (Non-Food Crops – Rubber), Chapter 4
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Explanation
- The passage clearly describes rubber: "milky white liquid" = latex; "important industrial raw material used in tyre manufacturing."
- For sub-(ii), name any two from: Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka — all are in mainland India.
- For sub-(iii), the passage explicitly names "Andaman and Nicobar Islands" as an island territory. Do not write Garo hills of Meghalaya (that is not an island territory).
- For sub-(iv), the passage does not give a detailed reason, so link it logically to automobile/tyre industry growth — which is what examiners expect based on the context given. Keep the answer to one crisp reason only.