Question

Which among the following sector was least affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, as per Economic Survey 2021-2022?

• A. Mining
• B. Services
• C. Agriculture
• D. Construction

Hint:

Primary sectors like agriculture are less sensitive to industrial and service-related supply chain shocks during pandemics because food production is an uninterrupted, essential human requirement.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
The COVID-19 pandemic caused significant structural disruptions across various economic sectors due to lockdowns, supply chain blockages, and labor displacement.
However, sectors associated with primary production and essential services showed varying degrees of resilience.

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
As per the Economic Survey of India 2021-2022, the agriculture and allied sector was the least affected by the pandemic and showed high resilience.
While industrial and service activities faced severe contractions due to mobility restrictions, agricultural activities were classified as essential services and exempted from strict lockdown measures.
Additionally, favorable monsoon seasons in 2020 and 2021 helped maintain high crop production levels.
Let us examine the impacts on the other options:
- Option (A) Mining: Suffered from industrial slowdowns, transport bottlenecks, and labor shortages.
- Option (B) Services: This was the hardest-hit sector, especially contact-intensive services like tourism, hospitality, and retail trade.
- Option (C) Agriculture: Registered positive growth of 3.6% in 2020-21 and 3.9% in 2021-22, acting as a buffer for the domestic economy.
- Option (D) Construction: Experienced a deep decline due to migrating construction labor and temporary halts on infrastructure projects.

Step 3: Final Answer:
The correct option is (C).