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What was the percentage of population dependent directly or indirectly on agriculture

  • a)
    85

  • b)
    60

  • c)
    58

  • d)
    65

Correct answer is option 'A'. Can you explain this answer?
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What was the percentage of population dependent directly or indirectly...
India's economy under British rule remained primarily agrarian - around 85% country's population lived in villages and derived livelihood directly or indirectly through agriculture.
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What was the percentage of population dependent directly or indirectly...
Percentage of Population Dependent on Agriculture

Agriculture has been the backbone of the Indian economy for centuries. Even today, a significant portion of the population is dependent directly or indirectly on agriculture. The percentage of the population dependent on agriculture has been a topic of much debate and discussion. Let's take a look at the data to understand the answer to this question.

Data on Agriculture in India

According to the latest data released by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, as of 2016-17, the agricultural sector contributed around 17% to the country's GDP. The sector employed around 50% of the country's total workforce.

The data also shows that around 58% of the rural households in India are engaged in agriculture. The rest of the households are engaged in non-farm activities such as manufacturing, construction, and services.

However, it's important to note that not all households engaged in agriculture are entirely dependent on it. Many of them have diversified their income sources by engaging in non-farm activities as well.

Percentage of Population Dependent on Agriculture

Based on the above data, we can conclude that:

- Around 50% of the country's total workforce is engaged in agriculture.
- Around 58% of the rural households in India are engaged in agriculture.

Therefore, it's safe to say that a significant portion of the population is dependent directly or indirectly on agriculture. However, the percentage of the population dependent on agriculture cannot be accurately determined as it's subject to various factors such as the definition of "dependent", the level of mechanization in agriculture, the size of land holdings, and the availability of non-farm job opportunities in rural areas.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the percentage of the population dependent on agriculture in India is a complex issue that cannot be accurately determined. However, based on the available data, we can say that a significant portion of the population is dependent directly or indirectly on agriculture.
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Passage - 4A number of empirical studies find that farmers are risk-averse, though only moderately in many cases. There is also evidence to show that farmers risk aversion results in cropping patterns and input use designed to reduce risk rather than to maximize income. Farmers adopt a number of strategies to manage and cope with agricultural risks. These include practices like crop and field diversification, non-farm employment, storage of stocks and strategic migration of family members. There are also institutions ranging from share tenancy to kinship, extended family and informal credit agencies. One major obstacle to risk sharing by farmers is that the same type of risks can affect a large number of farmers in the region. Empirical studies show that the traditional methods are not adequate. Hence there is a need for policy interventions, especially measures that cut across geographical regions.Policies may aim at tackling agricultural risks directly or indirectly. Examples of risk-specific policies arc crop insurance, price stabilization and the development of varieties resistant to pests and diseases. Policies which affect risk indirectly are irrigation, subsidized credit and access to information. No single risk-specific policy is sufficient to reduce risk and is without side-effects, whereas policies not specific to risk influence the general situation and affect risks only indirectly. Crop insurance, as a policy measure to tackle agricultural risk directly, deserves careful consideration in the Indian context and in many other developing countries because the majority of farmers depend on rain-fed agriculture and in many areas yield variability is the predominant cause of their income instability.Q.Which of the following observations emerges from the above passage?

Passage - 4A number of empirical studies find that farmers are risk-averse, though only moderately in many cases. There is also evidence to show that farmers risk aversion results in cropping patterns and input use designed to reduce risk rather than to maximize income. Farmers adopt a number of strategies to manage and cope with agricultural risks. These include practices like crop and field diversification, non-farm employment, storage of stocks and strategic migration of family members. There are also institutions ranging from share tenancy to kinship, extended family and informal credit agencies. One major obstacle to risk sharing by farmers is that the same type of risks can affect a large number of farmers in the region. Empirical studies show that the traditional methods are not adequate. Hence there is a need for policy interventions, especially measures that cut across geographical regions.Policies may aim at tackling agricultural risks directly or indirectly. Examples of risk-specific policies arc crop insurance, price stabilization and the development of varieties resistant to pests and diseases. Policies which affect risk indirectly are irrigation, subsidized credit and access to information. No single risk-specific policy is sufficient to reduce risk and is without side-effects, whereas policies not specific to risk influence the general situation and affect risks only indirectly. Crop insurance, as a policy measure to tackle agricultural risk directly, deserves careful consideration in the Indian context and in many other developing countries because the majority of farmers depend on rain-fed agriculture and in many areas yield variability is the predominant cause of their income instability.Q.The need for policy intervention to mitigate risks in agriculture is because

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