Read the passage and answer 5 questions that follow:
High technology, or simply high-tech, is the latest generation of manufacturing activities. It is best understood as the application of intensive research and development (R and D) efforts leading to the manufacture of products of an advanced scientific and engineering character. Professional (white collar) workers make up a large share of the total workforce. These highly skilled specialists greatly outnumber the actual production (blue collar) workers. Robotics on the assembly line, computer-aided design (CAD) and manufacturing, electronic controls of smelting and refining processes, and the constant development of new chemical and pharmaceutical products are notable examples of a high-tech industry.
Neatly spaced, low, modern, dispersed, office-plant-lab buildings rather than massive assembly structures, factories and storage areas mark the high-tech industrial landscape. Planned business parks for high-tech start-ups have become part of regional and local development schemes.
High-tech industries which are regionally concentrated, self-sustained and highly specialised are called technopolies. The Silicon Valley near San Francisco and Silicon Forest near Seattle are examples of technopolies. Manufacturing contributes significantly to the world economy. Iron and steel, textiles, automobiles, petrochemicals and electronics are some of the world's most important manufacturing industries.
Which of the following workers are greatly affected by High-Tech Industry?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → Blue collar workers
The passage states: “Professional (white collar) workers make up a large share of the total workforce. These highly skilled specialists greatly outnumber the actual production (blue collar) workers.”
In high-tech industry, most of the workforce is made up of white collar specialists. The blue collar production workers are far fewer, so their share of the jobs is the one that shrinks.
Note 1: This passage is taken from the section ‘Concept of High Technology Industry’ in the chapter ‘Secondary Activities’ (Fundamentals of Human Geography), almost word for word.
Note 2: The given answer is as per the official NTA Answer Key. The passage does not say in clear words which workers are “greatly affected”. It only says that white collar specialists greatly outnumber the blue collar production workers, which shows that blue collar workers lose their share of jobs.