The following bar graph shows the production of maize (in million tonnes) over different years. In which year the highest growth in production of maize was recorded?

Appeared in: DSSSB - 29 August 2019 (Shift-2)

Explanation

The question asks for the year with the 'highest growth', which means finding the largest year-over-year increase in production.
Growth is calculated by subtracting the previous year's production from the current year's production.
The calculation for 2016 is: 210 (2016 production) - 120 (2015 production) = 90 million tonnes.
This increase of 90 million tonnes is the largest among all the years, making 2016 the correct answer.

Option A: 2015 is the first year shown on the graph. It's impossible to calculate growth for 2015 as there is no data for the preceding year (2014).
Option B: The growth in 2018 was 170 - 150 = 20 million tonnes. This is significantly lower than the growth of 90 million tonnes in 2016.
Option C: In 2017, the production actually decreased from 210 to 150 million tonnes, resulting in a negative growth (or decline) of -60 million tonnes.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Data Interpretation from a Bar Graph as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
Data interpretation is a critical skill for nurses to monitor patient health trends, such as tracking weight changes in a pediatric patient, monitoring fluid intake/output on a chart, or observing trends in vital signs over time.
Nurses also use data analysis skills to understand epidemiological trends, such as the rise and fall of infection rates, which is essential for community health nursing and public health initiatives.
What if the question asked for the highest percentage growth? The calculation would be (Growth / Previous Year's Production) * 100. For 2016, it would be (90/120)*100 = 75%. For 2019, it would be (80/170)*100 ≈ 47%. In this case, 2016 would still be the answer.

How to Approach the Question

First, carefully read the question to understand what is being asked. Here, the key phrase is 'highest growth', not 'highest production'.
Examine the bar graph to identify the production value for each year.
Understand that 'growth' refers to the change from the previous year. Set up a calculation for each year (except the first one) by subtracting the previous year's value from the current year's value.
Calculate the growth for each year: 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019.
Compare the calculated growth values. Identify the largest positive number.
Match the year corresponding to the highest growth with the given options to find the correct answer.

Concept Tested & Keywords

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Practise the full DSSSB - 29 August 2019 (Shift-2)

Attempt every question from this paper in a timed mock, then review the full solution for each one.