Consider the following statements:
Assertion (A): Iron and steel is classified as a heavy industry.
Reason (R): It uses lightweight raw materials such as cotton and rubber.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: C
Explanation
The correct answer is option 3 i.e. A is true, but R is false.
Iron and steel is rightly classified as a heavy industry because it involves large-scale production, massive machinery, high capital investment, and the use of bulky raw materials such as iron ore, coal, limestone, and manganese. These materials require heavy transportation and complex processing, making the industry energy-intensive and infrastructure-dependent.
The reason (R) given is incorrect because iron and steel plants do not use lightweight raw materials like cotton or rubber; those are associated with light industries such as textiles and rubber goods manufacturing.
Therefore, Assertion (A) is correct, but Reason (R) is incorrect. The correct explanation for its heavy-industry status lies in its dependence on heavy raw materials and large-scale operations.