UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — The gap in manufacturing sector GVA

Q1. The new series of annual and quarterly National Accounts estimates released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation on 27 February 2026, which supplies the official sectoral GVA figures including those for manufacturing, adopted which one of the following as its base year?

  • A. 2020-21
  • B. 2021-22
  • C. 2022-23
  • D. 2023-24

Q2. With reference to the official National Accounts estimate of India's manufacturing Gross Value Added for 2023-24 at current prices, which one of the following statements is correct?

  • A. Manufacturing was the single largest contributor to India's GVA, exceeding the entire services group taken together.
  • B. Manufacturing accounted for about 14.7% of GDP, well short of the one-fourth share set as a national policy goal.
  • C. Manufacturing's share of GDP has remained permanently fixed at 25% ever since the National Manufacturing Policy was adopted.
  • D. Manufacturing GVA is derived exclusively from the Annual Survey of Industries, with no other data source used.

Q3. Returns are collected from the selected factories for the Annual Survey of Industries under the provisions of which one of the following?

  • A. The Factories Act, 1948, together with the rules notified by State Governments under it
  • B. The Collection of Statistics Act, 2008 as amended in 2017, and the Rules framed thereunder in 2011
  • C. The Industries (Development and Regulation) Act, 1951, and the licensing rules made under it
  • D. The Census Act, 1948, read with the Economic Census instructions issued to field staff

Q4. For the purposes of the Annual Survey of Industries frame, a unit registered under Sections 2m(i) and 2m(ii) of the Factories Act, 1948 is, as a general all-India rule, one which:

  • A. employs 10 or more workers with the aid of power, or 20 or more workers without the aid of power, on any day of the preceding twelve months
  • B. employs 20 or more workers with the aid of power, or 40 or more workers without the aid of power, on any day of the preceding twelve months
  • C. employs 10 or more workers without the aid of power, or 20 or more workers with the aid of power, on any day of the preceding twelve months
  • D. employs 10 or more workers on any day of the preceding twelve months, whether or not any manufacturing process is carried on in the premises

Q5. Consider the following categories of enterprises: 1. Unincorporated non-agricultural establishments engaged in manufacturing 2. Unincorporated non-agricultural establishments engaged in trade 3. Unincorporated establishments engaged in construction 4. Unincorporated non-agricultural establishments engaged in other services Which of the above is/are correctly identified as falling within the survey coverage of the Annual Survey of Unincorporated Sector Enterprises (ASUSE)?

  1. Unincorporated non-agricultural establishments engaged in manufacturing
  2. Unincorporated non-agricultural establishments engaged in trade
  3. Unincorporated establishments engaged in construction
  4. Unincorporated non-agricultural establishments engaged in other services
  • A. 1 and 3
  • B. 2 and 4 only
  • C. 1, 2 and 4
  • D. 1, 3 and 4

Q6. Consider the following statements comparing the Annual Survey of Unincorporated Sector Enterprises (ASUSE) with the surveys it succeeded and with its own earlier rounds: 1. ASUSE, first taken up from 2021, yields annual estimates for the unincorporated sector, whereas the NSS enterprise surveys it succeeded covered this sector only periodically, at quinquennial intervals. 2. The 2025 round of ASUSE used a January–December 2025 reference period, whereas the 2023-24 round had used an October–September reference period. 3. Unlike the earlier NSS enterprise rounds, ASUSE restricts its frame to units registered under the Factories Act, 1948. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. ASUSE, first taken up from 2021, yields annual estimates for the unincorporated sector, whereas the NSS enterprise surveys it succeeded covered this sector only periodically, at quinquennial intervals.
  2. The 2025 round of ASUSE used a January–December 2025 reference period, whereas the 2023-24 round had used an October–September reference period.
  3. Unlike the earlier NSS enterprise rounds, ASUSE restricts its frame to units registered under the Factories Act, 1948.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 1 and 3 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q7. Which one of the following is the principal reason why the survey-based 'Alternative Estimate' of manufacturing GVA differs from the official National Accounts figure?

  • A. The two rest on different approaches — top-down aggregation in the national accounts against a bottom-up total built from enterprise surveys
  • B. The official figure is compiled entirely at constant prices, whereas the survey-based total is compiled entirely at current prices
  • C. The two enterprise surveys together cover every producing unit in the economy, so their total must necessarily exceed any national accounts figure
  • D. The survey-based total excludes all registered factories, since it is assembled purely from informal-sector returns

Q8. Consider the following statements about the survey-based 'Alternative Estimate' of India's manufacturing Gross Value Added: 1. It adds Annual Survey of Industries data for the organised factory sector to ASUSE data for the unincorporated sector. 2. It produced a figure lower than the official National Accounts estimate of manufacturing GVA for 2023-24. 3. Both of its component surveys are conducted by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation. 4. Its unincorporated-sector component covers construction enterprises in addition to manufacturing ones. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. It adds Annual Survey of Industries data for the organised factory sector to ASUSE data for the unincorporated sector.
  2. It produced a figure lower than the official National Accounts estimate of manufacturing GVA for 2023-24.
  3. Both of its component surveys are conducted by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation.
  4. Its unincorporated-sector component covers construction enterprises in addition to manufacturing ones.
  • A. 1, 2 and 4
  • B. 1, 2 and 3
  • C. 2, 3 and 4
  • D. 1 and 4 only

Q9. Consider the following statements about India's manufacturing-sector target and its realised share of output: 1. The National Manufacturing Policy of 2011 sought to raise manufacturing's share in GDP to 25% within a decade, alongside creation of 100 million jobs. 2. Official national accounts place manufacturing at about 14.7% of GDP in 2023-24, still well below that policy benchmark. 3. Make in India, launched subsequently, abandoned the share-of-GDP benchmark of the 2011 policy in favour of a purely export-value target. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. The National Manufacturing Policy of 2011 sought to raise manufacturing's share in GDP to 25% within a decade, alongside creation of 100 million jobs.
  2. Official national accounts place manufacturing at about 14.7% of GDP in 2023-24, still well below that policy benchmark.
  3. Make in India, launched subsequently, abandoned the share-of-GDP benchmark of the 2011 policy in favour of a purely export-value target.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 1 and 3 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q10. The National Manufacturing Policy of 2011, which set the goal of a 25% share for manufacturing in GDP, was put in place on the proposal of which one of the following?

  • A. The Department of Economic Affairs, under the Ministry of Finance
  • B. The Department of Heavy Industry, under the Ministry of Heavy Industries
  • C. The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry
  • D. The Department of Promotion of MSMEs, under the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises

Q11. Consider the following statements about the institutions that produce India's industrial and enterprise statistics: 1. The Annual Survey of Industries is conducted and its results released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation. 2. ASUSE was conceptualised by the National Sample Survey Office and is conducted under the same Ministry. 3. The National Statistical Office was formed in 2019 by merging the Central Statistical Office and the National Sample Survey Office. 4. India's National Accounts Statistics, including sectoral GVA estimates, are compiled and released by the Reserve Bank of India. Which of the above is/are NOT correct?

  1. The Annual Survey of Industries is conducted and its results released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation.
  2. ASUSE was conceptualised by the National Sample Survey Office and is conducted under the same Ministry.
  3. The National Statistical Office was formed in 2019 by merging the Central Statistical Office and the National Sample Survey Office.
  4. India's National Accounts Statistics, including sectoral GVA estimates, are compiled and released by the Reserve Bank of India.
  • A. 1 and 3
  • B. 2 only
  • C. 3 and 4
  • D. 4 only

Q12. Which one of the following statements about the institutional arrangements for India's industrial and enterprise statistics is correct?

  • A. The National Statistical Office, headed by the Chief Statistician of India, releases the results of both ASI and ASUSE.
  • B. The National Statistical Commission, constituted within NITI Aayog, carries out the field work of the Annual Survey of Industries.
  • C. The Annual Survey of Industries is conducted by the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, while ASUSE is conducted by MoSPI.
  • D. ASUSE results are compiled and released by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, which replaced the erstwhile NSSO.