The correct option is 1 and 4 only
Explanation
The location of industries is influenced by factors such as raw material availability, market proximity, and transport costs (Weber’s Theory of Industrial Location).
- Weight-losing industries (e.g., Sugar, Primary Rubber processing) tend to locate near raw material sources.
- Weight-gaining or non-weight-losing industries (e.g., Cotton textiles, Automobile) are often market-oriented or footloose.
- Perishability also dictates proximity to either source (e.g., Latex) or market (e.g., Fluid Milk).
Statement-wise Analysis
- Statement 1 is Correct: Oilseeds (groundnut, mustard, soybean, sesame) are cultivated across diverse climatic zones in India, making their availability widespread. Consequently, oilseed processing units (mills and ghanis) are ubiquitous and decentralized. In contrast, the cotton textile industry, though dispersed today, historically developed in specific clusters (Mumbai-Ahmedabad, Coimbatore-Madurai) and remains less evenly distributed geographically compared to the pervasive nature of oil processing units.
- Statement 2 is Incorrect: Jute mills in India are heavily concentrated in the Hooghly basin (West Bengal). While they utilize inland waterways for transporting raw jute from fields to mills, the mills themselves are located in the immediate hinterland of the Kolkata/Haldia ports. Therefore, they do not rely on complex "multi-modal" connectivity for export markets; rather, they are port-oriented industries with direct access to shipping lanes.
- Statement 3 is Incorrect: Dairy processing units are not always located far away from consumer markets. While primary collection and chilling centers are located near milk-producing rural areas to prevent spoilage, fluid milk processing and packaging plants are often located near urban consumer centers (market-oriented) to ensure the supply of fresh milk. The use of the word "always" makes this statement factually wrong.
- Statement 4 is Correct: In the context of agricultural-industrial linkages, "rubber-based industries" refers to the primary processing of natural rubber latex. Latex is highly perishable and coagulates quickly; therefore, it must be processed into sheets, crepe, or block rubber within hours of tapping. This necessitates that processing units be located on or very near the plantations (Raw Material Oriented). While the downstream tire manufacturing industry is market-oriented, the primary agro-linkage is raw-material oriented.
Key Takeaway
Agro-based industries dealing with perishable or weight-losing raw materials (Sugar, Tea, Latex processing) are
raw-material oriented. Industries with non-perishable or pure raw materials (Cotton) are generally
footloose or market-oriented.