Which of the following are included in tertiary activities?
A. Trade and commerce
B. Information based
C. Transport
D. Communication
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → A, C and D only
Tertiary activities are services. They do not make any goods. They include the provision of services (a doctor, a teacher, a barber) and exchange, which means trade, transport and communication that help people and goods overcome distance. Work that collects, produces and spreads information is placed one step higher, in quaternary activities.
(A) Trade and commerce — Correct. Trade is the buying and selling of goods made elsewhere. A shopkeeper or a wholesaler does not make anything; he provides a service for profit, so trade is a tertiary activity.
(B) Information based — Incorrect. The collection, production and spread of information is a quaternary activity. It is a knowledge-based, advanced form of service, as with software developers, tax consultants and fund managers.
(C) Transport — Correct. A bus or a train only carries people and goods from one place to another. It overcomes distance and makes nothing new, so it is a tertiary activity.
(D) Communication — Correct. Sending letters and talking on the telephone carry messages across distance. Like transport, communication is a part of exchange, so it is a tertiary activity.
NCERT (2026-27): “Tertiary activities include both production and exchange. The production involves the ‘provision’ of services that are ‘consumed’. The output is indirectly measured in terms of wages and salaries. Exchange, involves trade, transport and communication facilities that are used to overcome distance.” “TYPES OF TERTIARY ACTIVITIES … By now you know that you purchase your books, stationery from traders shop, travel by bus or rail, send letters, talk on telephone and obtain services of teachers for studies and doctors at the time of illness. Thus, trade, transport, communication and services are some of the tertiary activities discussed in this section.” “QUATERNARY ACTIVITIES … Quaternary activities involve some of the following: the collection, production and dissemination of information or even the production of information. Quaternary activities centre around research, development and may be seen as an advanced form of services involving specialised knowledge and technical skills.” |