IAS 2012 — Economic Geography

Government of India encourages the cultivation of 'sea buckthorn'. What is the importance of this plant? 1. It helps in controlling soil erosion and in preventing desertification. 2. It is a rich source of biodiesel. 3. It has nutritional value and is well-adapted to live in cold areas of high altitudes. 4. Its timber is of great commercial value. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Despite having large reserves of coal, why does India import millions of tonnes of coal? 1. It is the policy of India to save its own coal reserves for future, and import it from other countries for the present use. 2. Most of the power plants in India are coal-based and they are not able to get sufficient supplies of coal from within the country. 3. Steel companies need large quantity of coking coal which has to be imported. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?