RAS question
Rajasthan's economy is primarily based on:
Correct answer: (B) Agriculture and allied sectors.
Rajasthan's economy is primarily based on agriculture and allied sectors.
Explanation
Agriculture and allied sectors are the best answer because the Government of Rajasthan, Economic Review 2024-25 describes agriculture and allied activities as the backbone of Rajasthan's economy. The sector includes crops, livestock, fishing and forestry, and the review estimates its 2024-25 contribution at 26.92 per cent of the State's Gross State Value Added at current prices. Agriculture contributes significantly, and more than 60 per cent of the population depends on agriculture and allied activities. The question asks for the primary base of the economy, so the answer is not a single modern activity or one extractive sector, but the broad rural production base that supports livelihoods and state output.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) The IT sector is not identified by the Government of Rajasthan, Economic Review 2024-25 as the primary base of Rajasthan's economy.
- (C) Industry is an important part of the economy, but the question's primary livelihood-and-output focus is agriculture and allied activities.
- (D) Mining alone is too narrow because the official sectoral framing treats mining within industry, while the correct base is the wider agriculture and allied sector.
Concept
This tests the sectoral structure of Rajasthan's economy, especially the role of agriculture and allied activities in output and livelihoods. It recurs in RAS because Rajasthan economy questions often ask candidates to distinguish broad primary-sector dependence from narrower industry, mining or service-led claims.