The correct answer is option 4: A is false but R is true.

Here`s a breakdown of each option:

Option 1): This would be correct if both statements were true and if the reason (R) correctly explained the assertion (A). However, this is not the case as the assertion about a negative growth in exports in 2001-02 is not correct.

Option 2): This is incorrect because while it is true that both A and R are not related, statement A is false, not true.

Option 3): This option would be correct if the assertion (A) were true and the reason (R) were false. However, it is the opposite in this case. The assertion is false while the reason is true.

Option 4): This is the correct option. The assertion (A) is false because India did not register a negative growth in total exports in 2001 - 02. The reason (R) provided is actually true as there was indeed a negative growth in exports in certain sectors like iron and steel, coffee, textiles, and marine products.