SSC
India's first jute mill was established in 1855 at:
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Answer: Option C — Rishra (near Kolkata)
Detailed Solution
India's first jute mill was set up in 1855 at Rishra, on the bank of the Hooghly river, near Serampore in Hooghly district, West Bengal. It was established by George Acland (Auckland), a Scottish (British) entrepreneur, with the help of a Bengali financier, Shyam Sundar Sen. The first power-driven weaving factory followed at Barahanagar in 1859, which is why some books give the date 1859; the first spinning mill at Rishra is dated 1855.
Why the jute industry grew in the Hooghly basin:
- Raw jute was grown in large quantities in the fertile, wet Ganga-Brahmaputra delta of Bengal (now mostly in Bangladesh).
- The Hooghly river provided water for processing and cheap water transport.
- Kolkata (Calcutta) offered a port for exports, banking facilities and cheap labour.
- Coal was available nearby from the Raniganj coalfields.
Before this, raw jute was exported to Dundee in Scotland, which was the world's centre of jute manufacturing. When Indian mills began, Dundee lost its importance, and the Hooghly belt became the world's leading producer of jute goods by the early 20th century. The Partition of India in 1947 hit the industry hard, because most jute-growing areas went to East Pakistan (now Bangladesh), while most mills remained in India.
Jute facts:
Jute is called the "golden fibre" because of its colour and value.
India is the largest producer of raw jute and jute goods in the world, followed by Bangladesh. Bangladesh is the largest exporter of raw jute.
West Bengal produces the largest share of India's jute.
The National Jute Board (Kolkata) promotes the industry, and the Jute Packaging Materials Act, 1987, requires that foodgrains and sugar be packed in jute bags.
India's first cotton mill was set up in Bombay in 1854 by Cowasji Nanabhai Davar.
Why not the other options?
- ✗Kanpur is known for leather and woollen industries.
- ✗Ahmedabad is called the "Manchester of India" for its cotton textile mills.
- ✗Dundee in Scotland was the world's jute centre before India.
Quick tip
Remember: First jute mill = Rishra (Hooghly), 1855, George Acland and Shyam Sundar Sen; first cotton mill = Bombay, 1854 (Cowasji Davar); jute = "golden fibre".
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Firsts in India & World — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Firsts in India & World, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers the first persons and events in India and the world: the first Indian to win a Nobel Prize, the first woman to hold major offices, the first to climb Everest or reach space, and India's first institutions, newspapers, railways and satellites. It also covers the largest, longest, highest and smallest records in India and the world. These are pure memory questions, so revise them as short lists by theme: first women, first in sports, first in science and space, and first in governance. Be careful with the exact wording, such as 'first Indian' versus 'first person of Indian origin', or 'first woman President' versus 'first woman Prime Minister', since options are often designed to exploit this. Practise the firsts in India and the world questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.