Read the following information and answer the questions that follow:
India is the largest producer of raw jute and jute goods in the world and stands second as an exporter after Bangladesh. Most jute mills are located in West Bengal, mainly in a narrow belt along the banks of the Hugli river. The first jute mill was set up near Kolkata in 1855. After the Partition in 1947, the jute mills remained in India but three-fourths of the jute-producing area went to Bangladesh. The industry faces stiff competition from synthetic substitutes and the slow adoption of diversified jute products.
(i) Why did Partition in 1947 create a major problem for the jute industry in India? (1)
(ii) State any two geographical factors that led to the concentration of jute mills along the Hugli river. (1)
(iii) Identify one major challenge facing the jute industry today and suggest one way to address it. (2)
Generated by claude-sonnet-4-6 · 2026-06-26 13:33 · grounding rag
Model Answer
(i) After Partition in 1947, the jute mills remained in India, but three-fourths of the jute-producing area went to Bangladesh (East Pakistan). This created a major problem as India had the processing units but lost most of its raw material supply area.
(ii) Two geographical factors:
- Proximity to jute-producing areas ensured easy availability of raw material.
- Abundant water from the Hugli river was available for processing raw jute.
(iii) Challenge: The jute industry faces stiff competition from synthetic substitutes.
Solution: The industry should focus on diversification of jute products (eco-friendly packaging, geotextiles, composites) to create new markets and reduce dependence on traditional uses.
Source: Jute Textiles, Chapter 6
---
Explanation
- (i) is 1 mark — one clear sentence linking mills in India to loss of raw material base is enough.
- (ii) is 1 mark — name two factors from the passage (water transport, proximity, cheap labour, etc.); pick any two but keep them brief.
- (iii) is 2 marks — one mark for identifying the challenge (synthetic competition) and one mark for a valid solution (diversification/eco-friendly products). The passage directly mentions both the problem and the hint about diversified jute products.
- Always anchor answers in the passage; examiners look for passage-based evidence, not generic knowledge.