Interpretation of Data Questions and Answers

Answer: C

Tanks show the largest percentage decline between 1997-98 and 2005-06. Government canals fell from 17117 to 15268, a drop of about 10.8 percent. Private canals fell from 211 to 207, about 1.9 percent. Tanks fell from 2593 to 2034.

\[ \frac{2593 - 2034}{2593} \times 100 \approx 21.6\% \]

Other sources rose from 3102 to 7314, so they did not decline at all. Tanks therefore show the largest fall. Percentages, not absolute drops, are asked for, which is why the small private canals are not the answer.

Answer: D

Other sources registered the greatest improvement between 2002-03 and 2003-04. Government canals rose from 13863 to 14444, about 4.2 percent. Tanks rose from 1802 to 1908, about 5.9 percent. Tube wells rose from 34250 to 35779, about 4.5 percent.

\[ \frac{4281 - 3657}{3657} \times 100 \approx 17.1\% \]

Other sources gained about 17.1 percent, the highest of the four listed sources. The table shows that the others grew by far smaller percentages, so no other option can compete.

Answer: D

Net irrigation by tanks rose at the highest rate in 2005-06. The rate in 1998-99 was (2792 - 2593) / 2593, about 7.7 percent. In 2000-01 the area fell from 2535 to 2449, and in 2003-04 it rose by about 5.9 percent (1802 to 1908).

\[ \frac{2034 - 1727}{1727} \times 100 \approx 17.8\% \]

The 2005-06 increase of about 17.8 percent is the highest of the options. The two other options, 1998-99 and 2003-04, grew by only about 7.7 and 5.9 percent, so they are lower than 2005-06.

Answer: A

Government canals recorded the maximum incidence of negative growth among the listed sources. Counting the years in which the area fell from the previous year, canals fell in five of the eight year-to-year changes (1998-99, 1999-00, 2000-01, 2001-02 and 2002-03).

Private canals fell in only two years, tube wells and other wells in three, and other sources in four. Tanks also fell in five years, but tanks are not among the options, so Government canals is the right choice.

Answer: C

The share of tube wells and other wells was highest in 2002-03. Dividing tube well area by the total for each option year gives about 59.2 percent for 1998-99, 61.4 percent for 2000-01 and 59.1 percent for 2004-05.

\[ \frac{34250}{53778} \times 100 \approx 63.7\% \]

The 2002-03 share of about 63.7 percent is the largest of the four years offered. Checking the other three shares first shows that none exceeds 62 percent, so 2002-03 stands alone as the highest.

Answer: C

The lowest growth in total production of energy was in 2009-10.

Find the year-on-year increase in the total column.

\[ 2007\text{-}08: 15547 - 14868 = 679 \]

\[ 2008\text{-}09: 16277 - 15547 = 730 \]

\[ 2009\text{-}10: 16889 - 16277 = 612 \]

\[ 2010\text{-}11: 17857 - 16889 = 968 \]

The smallest rise, 612, is in 2009-10. In percentage terms it is also the smallest, about 3.8 per cent.

Answer: A

Of the sources listed, coal and lignite shows the highest growth in production from 2006-07 to 2010-11.

\[ \text{Coal: } \frac{9207 - 7459}{7459} \approx 23.4\% \]

\[ \text{Crude: } \frac{1579 - 1423}{1423} \approx 11\% \]

\[ \text{Hydro: } \frac{5059 - 4763}{4763} \approx 6.2\% \]

\[ \text{All: } \frac{17857 - 14868}{14868} \approx 20.1\% \]

Coal is highest among the four choices. Natural gas grew faster still, but it is not one of the options.

Answer: A

In 2008-09 the highest growth was recorded by coal and lignite.

Compare each source with 2007-08.

\[ \text{Coal: } 8476 - 7926 = 550 \quad (6.9\%) \]

\[ \text{Hydro: } 5133 - 4944 = 189 \quad (3.8\%) \]

\[ \text{Natural gas: } 1265 - 1248 = 17 \quad (1.4\%) \]

Crude petroleum fell from 1429 to 1403, so it recorded negative growth. Coal leads on both the absolute and the percentage measure.

Answer: C

Hydro and nuclear electricity was almost double crude petroleum and natural gas together in 2008-09.

\[ 1403 + 1265 = 2668 \]

\[ 2 \times 2668 = 5336 \]

Hydro and nuclear output was 5133, which is close to 5336 and the ratio is about 1.92.

The ratio is lower in the other years, about 1.80 in 2006-07, 1.85 in 2007-08 and 1.39 in 2009-10, so none of them is as close to double.

Because the question uses the word almost, the nearest ratio to two is the right one, and 1.92 is closer to 2 than any other year's ratio.

Answer: D

The highest rate of increase in total horticulture area was between 2006-07 and 2007-08.

Rate of increase means the percentage rise over the previous year.

\[ \text{2005-06 to 2006-07}: \frac{7}{187} \approx 3.7\% \]

\[ \text{2006-07 to 2007-08}: \frac{8}{194} \approx 4.1\% \]

\[ \text{2007-08 to 2008-09}: \frac{5}{202} \approx 2.5\% \]

The next year gives 2 over 207, about 1%. The highest figure, 4.1%, is for 2007-08 over 2006-07.