Growth in production (in percent) of which one of the following core i

Growth in production (in percent) of which one of the following core industries in India during the period 2015-2016 was negative?

Natural gas
Refinery products
Fertilizer
Coal
This question was previously asked in
UPSC CDS-1 – 2018
To answer this question, we need to check the growth rates of the production of the specified core industries during the financial year 2015-2016. Data from the Ministry of Commerce & Industry shows that the growth rates for the Eight Core Industries during 2015-16 were as follows: Coal (+4.8%), Crude Oil (-1.4%), Natural Gas (-0.7%), Refinery Products (+7.9%), Fertilizers (+8.4%), Steel (+0.5%), Cement (+4.6%), Electricity (+5.7%).
Among the options provided, only Natural Gas showed negative growth in production during 2015-2016. Crude Oil also had negative growth, but it is not among the options.
– The question requires recalling or accessing specific economic data for a particular period.
– Core industries’ growth is a key economic indicator.
– Production growth can be positive, negative, or zero depending on various factors.
The Eight Core Industries comprise about 40.27% of the weight of items included in the Index of Industrial Production (IIP). Understanding the performance of these industries provides insights into the overall health of the industrial sector and the economy. The data for core industries is regularly released by the Office of the Economic Adviser, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT).