Ans: D

Exp:

Index of Eight Core Industries: This measures the performance of eight core industries.

• These eight core industries comprise 40.27 percent of the weight.
• It is considered the barometer of the monthly industrial performance.

The eight core industries and their assigned weights in this index:

1. Refinery products (28%)
2. Electricity (19.9%) 
3. Steel (17.9%)
4. Coal (10.3%) 
5. Crude oil (9%)
6. Natural gas (6.9%)
7. Cement (5.4%)

8.Fertilisers (2.6%)

From the above, we find that refinery products carry the highest weight in this index.

Ans: B

Exp:

A Special Economic Zone is a duty-free enclave and is deemed to be foreign territory for the purposes of trade operations. SEZ is a geographical region that has economic laws different from a

country’s typical economic laws. The first SEZ policy in India was announced in 2000. It was intended to enhance foreign investment and provide an internationally competitive environment for exports. The SEZ Act was passed in 2005. Its objective was to generate additional economic activity, promote investment from domestic and foreign sources, develop infrastructure facilities, etc.

In 2018, the GOI constituted a committee (headed by Baba Kalyani) to frame the SEZ Policy of India. The key recommendations of the SEZ Policy Review Committee are:

• To shift the framework from export growth to broad-based employment and economic growth.
• To formulate separate rules and procedures for manufacturing and service SEZs.
• To shift from a supply-driven to a demand-driven approach to improve the efficiency of investment based on certain industries and the current level of existing inventory in the region.
• To enable framework for ease of doing business.
• To enhance competitiveness by enabling ecosystem development by funding highspeed multi-modal connectivity, business services and utility infrastructure.

Ans: B

Exp:

Statement 1 is incorrect:  The National Productivity Council of India (NPC), established in 1958, is an autonomous organisation under the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India.

Statement 2 is correct:  NPC has been providing consultancy and training services in areas of industrial engineering, Agri-Business, economic services, quality management, human resources management, information technology, technology management, energy management, environmental management, etc., to government and public and private sector organisations and is responsible for promoting productivity culture in India. It is an autonomous, multipartite, non-profit organisation and has been registered as a society under the Societies Registration Act XXI of 1860. NPC is a constituent of the Tokyo-based Asian Productivity Organisation (APO), an intergovernmental body of which the GOI is a founder member.

Ans: C

Exp:

Statement 1 is correct: NIMZs are different from SEZs in terms of size, level of infrastructure planning, governance structures related to regulatory procedures, and exit policies. The main objective of Special Economic Zones is the promotion of exports, while NIMZs are based on the principle of industrial growth in partnership with states and focus on manufacturing growth and employment generation. 

Statement 2 is correct: NIMZs are one of the most important instruments of the National Manufacturing Policy of 2011. NIMZs are envisaged as large areas of developed land with the requisite eco-system for promoting world-class manufacturing activity. It is to be developed as an integrated industrial town with state-of-the-art infrastructure and land use on the basis of zoning, lean and energy-efficient technology, necessary social infrastructure and skill development facilities to provide a protective environment to persons transiting from the primary sector to the secondary and tertiary sectors.

Features of the proposed NIMZs are as follows:

• The state government is to provide suitable land of 5,000 ha.
• At least 30 percent of the total area is to be utilised for the location of manufacturing units.
• Special-purpose vehicle to be constituted to discharge the affairs of the NIMZ.
• The central government is to provide financial support not exceeding 20 percent of the project cost.  Hence, Statement 3 is correct.
• The central government should improve/provide external physical infrastructure linkages to NIMZ, including railroads, airports and telecommunications, in a time-bound manner.

Ans: A

Exp:

Statement 1 is correct: The National Company Law Tribunal, or NCLT, is a quasi-judicial body in India adjudicating issues concerning companies in the country. It was formed on June 1, 2016, as per the provisions of the Companies Act 2013 (Section 408), by the Indian government. 

Statement 2 is incorrect:  NCLT was formed based on the recommendations of the Justice Eradi Committee that were related to the insolvency and winding up of companies in India.

Decisions taken by the NCLT can be appealed to the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT). The decisions of the NCLAT can be appealed to the Supreme Court on a point of law.