Note: This chapter was removed from the NCERT curriculum in the 2022 rationalization. Retained here as sericulture, silk production, wool types, and India's fibre industry are relevant to UPSC GS3 (Agriculture and allied activities).

PART 1 — Quick Reference Tables

Animal Fibres

Fibre Animal Region Notes
Wool Sheep (mainly Merino) J&K, HP, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan India is large importer; domestic production insufficient
Pashmina/Cashmere Changthangi goat (Pashmina goat) Ladakh (Changthang plateau) Most expensive wool; goats live at 5,000+ m altitude; extreme cold produces fine undercoat
Angora wool Angora rabbit J&K, HP Very soft, silky
Silk Bombyx mori silkworm Karnataka, Bengal, AP, Assam, J&K India = 2nd largest silk producer globally after China
Mulberry silk Bombyx mori (mulberry leaf-fed) Karnataka (~70% of India's total), Bengal, AP Finest silk; lustrous; most commercial
Tussar silk Antheraea mylitta (wild silkworm) Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, WB Coarser; earthy tone; tribal cottage industry
Eri silk Samia ricini (castor leaf-fed) Assam, NE India Can be spun without killing the pupa; "peace silk/ahimsa silk"
Muga silk Antheraea assamensis Assam ONLY Golden colour; unique to Assam; extremely durable; GI tagged

PART 2 — Detailed Notes

Silk and Sericulture

UPSC Connect

UPSC GS3 — Sericulture (silk farming):

Life cycle of Bombyx mori (silkworm): Egg → Larva (caterpillar/silkworm) → Pupa (cocoon) → Adult moth

How silk thread is obtained:

  1. Silkworm larva spins a cocoon around itself using liquid protein (fibroin + sericin) secreted from silk glands → hardens into silk thread
  2. One cocoon = ~300–900 metres of continuous silk thread
  3. Reeling: Cocoons soaked in hot water (kills pupa; loosens sericin binding the thread) → thread unwound from cocoon
  4. Multiple threads twisted together → silk yarn
  5. Silk yarn woven into silk fabric

India's silk industry:

  • India = 2nd largest silk producer and largest consumer of silk in world
  • Karnataka dominates mulberry silk production (~70%)
  • Central Silk Board: Government body; promotes sericulture; R&D; under Ministry of Textiles
  • GI Tags for silk: Kanchipuram silk, Banarasi silk, Mysore silk, Pochampally ikat, Muga silk

Muga silk — unique to Assam:

  • Golden-yellow natural colour; gets more lustrous with washing (unique)
  • Silkworm (Antheraea assamensis) feeds on som and soalu leaves
  • Found ONLY in Brahmaputra valley; GI tagged; most expensive Indian silk
  • Status: Vulnerable due to deforestation (loss of host trees) and use of pesticides

Environmental concern:

  • Commercial sericulture kills the pupa (boiling cocoons kills it) — Eri silk is the exception (pupa exits naturally; thread spun from open cocoon; "ahimsa/peace silk")

Wool and Rearing of Sheep

Explainer

Wool production:

Types of wool (by animal):

  • Merino wool (from Merino sheep): Finest quality; originated in Spain; used for high-end clothing
  • Pashmina: From Changthangi goat's undercoat; hand-spun in Kashmir; a genuine Pashmina shawl takes 180+ hours to weave; can pass through a finger ring ("ring shawl")

Wool processing: Shearing (cutting fleece) → Scouring (washing to remove grease/dirt) → Sorting/Grading (by fineness) → Carding (combing fibres) → Spinning → Weaving/Knitting

India's wool production:

  • India produces mainly coarse wool (not fine Merino) — used for carpets, blankets, rough textiles
  • Carpet wool: Bhadohi-Mirzapur (UP) and Kashmir carpet industry uses imported fine wool + domestic coarse wool
  • J&K: Traditional Pashmina, carpet weaving, shahtoosh (banned — obtained from Tibetan antelope/chiru, a protected species)

Shahtoosh controversy:

  • Shahtoosh shawls are made from the neck hair of the Tibetan antelope (Chiru) — critically endangered
  • Hunting chiru for shahtoosh is illegal (CITES Appendix I); India has banned its trade
  • Despite ban, illegal trade continues; significant enforcement challenge

Exam Strategy

Prelims traps:

  • Muga silk = ONLY from Assam (not Bengal, not Karnataka) — golden colour
  • Eri silk = "peace silk/ahimsa silk" (pupa not killed); from Assam; castor leaf-fed silkworm
  • Pashmina = Changthangi GOAT (NOT angora rabbit; NOT regular sheep) — Ladakh, Changthang plateau
  • Shahtoosh = Tibetan antelope (Chiru) — BANNED (CITES Appendix I); shahtoosh is different from Pashmina
  • India = 2nd largest silk producer (after China); also largest consumer
  • Karnataka = ~70% of India's mulberry silk production (NOT Bengal; NOT AP)

Previous Year Questions

Prelims:

  1. "Muga silk," known for its natural golden colour and durability, is produced exclusively in which state?
    (a) West Bengal
    (b) Assam
    (c) Karnataka
    (d) Jharkhand

  2. "Pashmina" fibre, used to make the famous Kashmiri shawls, is obtained from:
    (a) Angora rabbit
    (b) Merino sheep
    (c) Changthangi goat (Pashmina goat) in Ladakh
    (d) Tibetan antelope (Chiru)