Q1. How many industries were reserved only for the public sector before the deregulation of the industrial sector in 1991? Choose the most appropriate option.
A 20
B 14
C 24
D 17 Correct
Explanation
Before the 1991 industrial policy reforms, 17 industries were reserved exclusively for the public sector under the earlier licensing and public-sector-dominant framework. The reform package reduced this reserved list sharply and opened many activities to private participation. The figure 20 overstates the pre-reform reserved list, while 14 understates it. The number 24 is also too high and does not match the standard account of industrial policy before liberalisation. Therefore, 17 is the figure tied to the pre-1991 public-sector reservation regime.