Growth rate of eight core sector industries has declined to 1.8 per cent in November this year, from 7.8 per cent in the same month last year. The decline is on account of negative growth in production of coal, natural gas and cement. According to an official release, core sector industries crude oil, natural gas, cement, coal, electricity, steel, petroleum refinery products and fertilisers had registered eight-month high growth of 6.5 per cent in October this year. The cumulative expansion of these industries was down at 3.5 per cent in April-November 2012 against 4.8 per cent in the same period last year.