Answer the following questions in about 150 words each: 10×5=50 (a) Identify the jute-producing areas and discuss the major…

Jute. Jute is produced mainly in the humid, low-lying Bengal delta and the Ganga-Brahmaputra basin, especially West Bengal’s Nadia and Murshidabad, Bihar’s Purnia and Assam’s Goalpara. As a monsoon-dependent, rain-fed crop, jute is sensitive to floods, drought, soil salinity and fibre quality, which makes raw supply unstable. The decline of India’s jute mill industry is structural. Bangladesh has gained a cost advantage through cheaper labour, better raw jute quality and export incentives, while synthetic fibres such as polypropylene and polyester have substituted for many jute products. Indian mills face obsolescent machinery, high power and processing costs, irregular raw-material supply, labour disputes and weak marketing. Water pollution in the Hooghly basin further raises treatment costs and affects quality. Without modernisation, credit and product diversification, the industry remains vulnerable. The industry also needs stronger branding, eco-friendly packaging demand, stable export markets, institutional credit support, and integration with renewable energy to reduce costs.

Urban built environment. The built environment of big Indian cities changes the biophysical landscape by replacing soil and vegetation with impervious surfaces such as concrete, asphalt, glass and metal. These materials absorb and re-radiate heat, intensifying urban heat islands, especially in Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru. Reduced infiltration and permeability lower groundwater recharge, increase surface runoff and alter drainage patterns, making cities more prone to waterlogging and flash flooding. Loss of green cover reduces evapotranspiration, shade and carbon sequestration, while dense building canyons trap particulate matter and modify wind flow. The result is a modified microclimate: higher night temperatures, poorer air quality, altered humidity and stress on water resources. Vehicle and industrial waste heat, low albedo roofs and compact urban form further amplify warming, health and water stress, while stormwater systems designed for lower flows struggle with peak runoff and flooding. Sustainable planning must restore permeability, green cover and heat-sensitive design.

Eastern Ghats. The Eastern Ghats are a discontinuous mountain system running along India’s eastern coast, composed largely of Archaean gneisses and schists. Unlike the Western Ghats, which form a more continuous faulted escarpment with varied geology and higher relief, the Eastern Ghats are lower and more broken, with general elevations of 600–1,200 m but peaks such as Arma Konda/Jindhagada exceeding 1,600 m. The range is rich in bauxite and iron ore, reflecting its ancient crystalline basement. Ecologically, it supports dry deciduous forests, wildlife and the Eastern Ghats elephant corridor, linking fragmented habitats. It also locally marks watershed divides among the Cauvery, Krishna and Godavari basins, though it is cut through by eastward-flowing rivers and is not the principal water divide of peninsular India. Its hills regulate local rainfall, recharge springs and sustain riverine ecosystems, making conservation important for biodiversity, rural livelihoods, water security, climate resilience and long-term ecosystem service flows.

Cultural regions. India’s cultural regions can be understood through language, religion, kinship, settlement and material culture. The Indo-Gangetic Aryan-Hindu core is marked by Indo-Aryan languages, Sanskrit and Hindi traditions, temple and pilgrimage culture, agrarian settlement and caste-based social organisation. The Dravidian south, including Tamil Nadu and Kerala, is defined by Dravidian languages, temple architecture, classical arts, paddy cultivation and, in Kerala, matrilineal kinship. The tribal belt of central India is characterised by Adivasi communities, forest-based livelihoods, clan identity, oral traditions and shifting cultivation. The Himalayan-Tibetan Buddhist region has Tibetan languages, monasteries, highland pastoralism and Buddhist ritual life. The Northeastern mosaic combines Tibeto-Burman languages, clan-based societies, rice cultivation and distinctive settlement patterns, with matrilineal practices among some Khasi and Jaintia communities. These regions are not rigid; they overlap through trade, migration, film, media, shared national symbols, constitutional citizenship, regional languages, local festivals, arts and crafts now, while retaining local identities.

Critical minerals. Critical minerals are essential because they underpin technologies that drive economic growth and national security. Lithium is needed for battery storage, rare earth elements for electronics and magnets, cobalt for EV batteries, and graphite for anodes. India’s renewable energy transition, electric mobility, solar and wind power, data centres, 5G networks, defence electronics, missiles, satellites and communication systems all depend on these inputs. Shortages or supply disruptions can raise costs, delay projects and weaken strategic autonomy. India imports a large share of these minerals, especially from China, creating vulnerability in global markets and geopolitical tensions. The National Critical Mineral Mission, domestic exploration, recycling, strategic reserves and diversified sourcing are therefore needed to secure supply, support manufacturing, reduce import dependence, ensure resilience and protect national security. Their concentration in a few countries makes supply chains strategic, requiring long-term planning, investment and international partnerships for strategic sectors, growth and stability now.