UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — INDEX OF EIGHT CORE INDUSTRIES (BASE YEAR: 2011-12=100) FOR MAY 2026

Q1. In the Index of Eight Core Industries (base year 2011-12=100), how many of the eight constituent industries individually carry a weight greater than 10 per cent in the index?

  • A. Three
  • B. Four
  • C. Five
  • D. Six

Q2. With reference to the relative weights of constituents in the Index of Eight Core Industries (base year 2011-12=100), consider the following statements: 1. Petroleum Refinery Products carries a larger weight than the combined weight of Coal, Crude Oil and Natural Gas. 2. Electricity carries a larger weight than Steel. 3. Fertilizers carries the smallest weight among the eight constituents, smaller than Cement. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. Petroleum Refinery Products carries a larger weight than the combined weight of Coal, Crude Oil and Natural Gas.
  2. Electricity carries a larger weight than Steel.
  3. Fertilizers carries the smallest weight among the eight constituents, smaller than Cement.
  • A. 2 and 3 only
  • B. 1 and 2 only
  • C. 1 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q3. In the context of the Index of Eight Core Industries (ICI), the figure '40.27 per cent' refers to which one of the following?

  • A. The combined weight of the eight core industries within the Index of Industrial Production (IIP)
  • B. The weight of the eight core industries within India's Gross Value Added (GVA) at basic prices
  • C. The share of the eight core industries in the Wholesale Price Index (WPI) basket
  • D. The combined weight of the eight core industries within the Index of Eight Core Industries itself

Q4. With reference to the Index of Eight Core Industries (ICI) and the Index of Industrial Production (IIP), consider the following statements: 1. Both the ICI and the current IIP series use the same base year, namely 2011-12 = 100. 2. The ICI is released by the Office of the Economic Adviser under DPIIT, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, and not by the agency that compiles the IIP. 3. The ICI is published after the IIP for the same reference month, serving as a lagging confirmation of the IIP. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. Both the ICI and the current IIP series use the same base year, namely 2011-12 = 100.
  2. The ICI is released by the Office of the Economic Adviser under DPIIT, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, and not by the agency that compiles the IIP.
  3. The ICI is published after the IIP for the same reference month, serving as a lagging confirmation of the IIP.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 2 and 3 only
  • C. 1 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q5. In the standard release cycle of the Index of Eight Core Industries, the provisional index published for a reference month is declared 'final' in the regular release how many months later?

  • A. 1
  • B. 2
  • C. 3
  • D. 6

Q6. The monthly Index of Eight Core Industries (ICI), which registered 0.5% provisional growth for May 2026, is compiled and released by which one of the following?

  • A. Office of the Economic Adviser, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT)
  • B. National Statistical Office, Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation
  • C. Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance
  • D. Industrial Statistics Wing, Reserve Bank of India

Q7. With reference to the base-year revision history of the Index of Core Industries, consider the following statements about which sectors belonged to which series. Which of the above is/are correctly identified?

  1. Natural Gas was added to the basket only when the index was rebased to 2004-05.
  2. Fertilizers was one of the original six core industries in the 1993-94 base-year series.
  3. Steel was one of the six core industries in the 1993-94 base-year series.
  4. The shift to the 2011-12 base year raised the number of core industries from eight to nine.
  • A. 1 and 3
  • B. 2 and 4
  • C. 1, 2 and 4
  • D. 3 only

Q8. The base year of the Index of Core Industries was revised to 2011-12 in order to align it with the Index of Industrial Production (IIP). The revision of the IIP base year from 2004-05 to 2011-12 was carried out by which one of the following?

  • A. Central Statistics Office, Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation
  • B. Office of the Economic Adviser, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade
  • C. Monetary Policy Department, Reserve Bank of India
  • D. Economic Advisory Council, NITI Aayog

Q9. The Index of Eight Core Industries (ICI) is compiled and released by which one of the following bodies?

  • A. Office of the Economic Adviser, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce & Industry
  • B. National Statistical Office (NSO), Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation
  • C. Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance
  • D. Monetary Policy Department, Reserve Bank of India

Q10. With reference to the Index of Eight Core Industries (ICI), what precisely does the index measure?

  • A. The physical volume of production (output) of eight core industries relative to a base year (2011-12=100)
  • B. The gross value added (GVA) generated by eight core infrastructure industries in the economy
  • C. The weighted average wholesale price level of eight core industrial commodities
  • D. Forward-looking business sentiment among purchasing managers in eight core industries