Agriculture in the National Economy - Solved Questions (1995-2024) | UPSC Topic Wise Previous Year Questions PDF Download

Correct Answer is Option (d)

Art. 269 says taxes on income other than agricultural income shall be levied and collected by the Government of India and distributed between the Union and States. Entry 46 in the state list of Seventh Schedule. This gives power to the state governments to impose agricultural income tax.

Correct Answer is Option (a)

Rice production is highest in India among cereals but its quality of rice cannot compete with other rice producing countries. Most of rice produced in India is meant for internal consumption. India is a major producer and exporter of Basmati rice.

Correct Answer is Option (d)

Prevailing illiteracy in rural areas does not lower productivity. The farmer has adequate knowledge of farming techniques. Low prices of primary products compared to the manufactured products and investment in the agriculture sector compared to the industry are major factors which accounts for low incomes in rural economy than in Urban economy.

Correct Answer is Option (b)

Iron ore is exported to Japan. Leather goods are exported to Russia. Tea is exported to U.K. Cotton fabric is exported to U.S.A.

Correct Answer is Option (a)

The most appropriate answer is (a). Investment, weather conditions and agricultural transformation are the best indicators of agricultural development. Political stability plays a very small role in agricultural development.

Correct Answer is Option (c)

The terminator gene is a specific genetic sequence inserted into a seed’s DNA. Once activated by a synthetic chemical catalyst of the manufacturer’s choosing, the sequence renders the seed and crop it produces sterile. This means that the farmer cannot retain seeds for future crops as is the practice in India. The farmer has to repurchase the seeds at a heavy cost.

Correct Answer is Option (b)

The decreasing order of the sugarcane producing States in India is: Uttar Pradesh- 132427.6842, Maharashtra-69648.0768, Karnataka-35732, Tamil Nadu-33919.17, Andhra Pradesh- 15567 (2012-13 Data).

Correct Answer is Option (c)

Maharashtra has the highest acreage under Jawar in India. Now, Gujarat is the largest producer of Groundnut in India with a share of more than 50%. Rajasthan has the largest area of cultivable wastelands in India of around 84,929 sq. km. Andhra Pradesh has the highest per hectare yield of maize in India followed by Tamil Nadu due to majority of the area being covered under Single Cross Hybrids (SCH.)

Correct Answer is Option (d)

In the given bar diagram the annual production of “Rice” for the period 1991–92 to 1998–99 is shown.

Correct Answer is Option (b)

Largest agricultural exports were of marine products followed by tea and spices.

Correct Answer is Option (c)

Regarding the procurement of food-grains, Government of India follows a procurement target rather than an open-ended procurement policy. In case, there is no procurement target. The government allows the procurement agencies like the FCI to buy whatever is offered by the farmers for sale at MSP. Minimum Support Price is announced for around 22 crops. Wheat and Rice are issued by the central Government at Uniform central issue Prices (CIPs) to states and Union Territories for distribution under TPDS. The difference between the economic cost and issue price of food grains is reimbursed to the FCI by the central Government in the form of subsidy.

Correct Answer is Option (b)

The reduction of rainfall and leak of seed preservation technology are the main cause.

Correct Answer is Option (d)

The National Development Council (NDC) in its 53rd meeting held on 29th May, 2007 adopted a resolution to launch a Food Security Mission consisting of rice, wheat and pulses and to increase the production of rice by 10 million tons, wheat by 8 million tons and pulses by 2 million tons by the end of the Eleventh Plan (2011–12). The project is under Ministry of Agriculture. The project identifies districts and varieties which would be concentrated on.

Correct Answer is Option (c)

Statutory minimum price of sugarcane for every season is a policy provision while sugar and sugarcane falls within essential commodities act.

Correct Answer is Option (c)

The first statement is correct because with Micro irrigation, Fertigation can be used to check the loss of the nutrients. The second statement is incorrect. The third statement is correct, because Micro irrigation has evolved from the sub-irrigation where irrigation water is supplied to the plant by “raising the water table” up to the root zone.

Correct Answer is Option (c)

Sea buckthorn is a medicinal plant which has health promoting properties. It can play a crucial role in preventing soil erosion and help nitrogen fix option in cold and desert areas.

Correct Answer is Option (b)

We have a National Seed policy made in 2002. So 1 is not a constraint. The private sector produces high-priced seeds but in lower volume. It supplies nearly the entire hybrid seeds required for vegetables. So 2 is not a constraint. In the case of low value and high volume crops such as wheat and rice, farmers tend to use their own preserved seeds as there is demand and supply gap. So 3 is a constraint.

Correct Answer is Option (c)

As per Tamilnadu Agriculture University: Advantages of drip irrigation system: Water saving and higher yield, High quality and increased fruit size, Suitable for all types of soil, Easy method of fertigation and chemigation, saving in labour, reduces weed formation and soil erosion. Whereas Disadvantage of drip irrigation system: High initial investment, Clogging of emitters, Possible damage of system components due to animals, etc. After the exam, experts were divided between A and C since both soil salinity and soil erosion are reduced depending on various books. But in its official Answer key, UPSC has kept "C" as the answer.

Correct Answer is Option (b)

1. Spraying urea with Neem oil slows the release of nitrogen, by about 10 to 15 per cent, concomitantly reducing consumption of the fertiliser. Many research studies in India have conclusively established that Neem oil acts as an effective nitrification inhibitor if coated onto urea.
2. Spraying urea with neem oil slows the release of nitrogen, by about 10 to 15 per cent, concomitantly reducing consumption of the fertiliser. Hence B is the closest answer.

Correct Answer is Option (b)

1. Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana will also seek to address a long standing demand of farmers and provide farm level assessment for localised calamities including hailstorms, unseasonal rains, landslides and inundation.
2. Post-harvest loss is included so #2 is right. But Under the new scheme, farmers will have to pay a uniform premium of two per cent for all kharif crops and 1.5 per cent for all rabi crops. For annual commercial and horticultural crops, farmers will have to pay a premium of 5 per cent. So, #1 is wrong. Therefore, answer (b) only 2.

Correct Answer is Option (b)

From the statistical appendix given in the economic survey 2015-16 the answer is "B". While it's possible that in some years, FDI and world share in exports would have declined than previous years because of global financial crisis, but by and large compared to Pre-LPG and Post-LPG, there is definitely an increase.

Correct Answer is Option (a)

First is correct as per BIS website and AGMARK is issued under Indian Act. Besides, it's an 'extreme statement', FAO would not bother with small things.

Correct Answer is Option (a)

 Tobacco, cocoas, and rubber came to India through Europeans in the late medieval or early modern era and so these are the groups of plants that were domesticated in the 'New World' and introduced into the 'Old World.

Correct Answer is Option (c)

• National IPR Policy 2016 shifted the Copyright Office and its statutory body Intellectual Property Appellate Board (IPAB) from HRD ministry to commerce ministry.
• India Patent Act: Chapter 2: Inventions not patentable: Bullet (j): plants and animals in whole or any part thereof, including seeds, varieties and species. So, #1 is wrong, #3 is right, answer is (c).

Correct Answer is Option (d)

• Majority of the external debt is by the private sector’s external commercial borrowing (ECB). So #1 is wrong.
• Second statement is extreme worded hyperbole so it’s wrong. But just to crosscheck: Page 154 of 154 Economic Survey 2016-17: US dollar denominated debt accounted for 55.6 per cent of India’s total external debt at end- September 2016, followed by Indian rupee (30.1 per cent), SDR (5.8 per cent), Japanese Yen (4.8 per cent) Pound Sterling (0.7 per cent), Euro (2.4 per cent) and others (0.6 per cent).

Correct Answer is Option (c)

Page 117, Economic Survey 2017-18 Volume 2

• Economic Cost of foodgrains consists of three components: Pooled cost of grains, which is the weighted MSP of the stock of foodgrains available with FCI, procurement incidentals, cost of distribution
• Thus answer is (c).

Correct Answer is Option (b)

• #2 is right as per NCERT Class12 Chemistry.
• 2019: Government replied in Rajya Sabha, “As far as market-linking of urea prices is concerned, the MRP of urea is statutorily fixed by the Government. Whereas, MRP of Phosphatic and Potassic (P&K) Fertilizers the manufacturers/marketers are allowed to fix the MRP at reasonable rates as per market dynamics.” Therefore first statement is not fully correct. (REF: PIB) So #1 is wrong.
• Indian Bureau of mines booklet: The sulphur is obtained as a by-product from oil refineries. Most of the sulphur is converted to sulphuric acid (H₂SO₄) which is used in the manufacture of phosphatic fertilizer. So #3 should be correct. Hence the answer is “b”.

Correct Answer is Option (a)

• India produces a variety of pulses so it is difficult to believe that green gram alone accounts for nearly 50% of production. #2 should be wrong, And by elimination the answer should be “A”. But just to be sure let’s cross check with the data
• Looking at the PIB production data of 2016, 2017 and 2018: Gram (Chanaa) and Tur production seem to be higher than Green gram (Moong), so, #2 is wrong. So, b, c and d were eliminated.
• Further in the same data set we can also see that There is no clear cut increase or decrease as described in the statement 3. So #3 is wrong. And, Black gram (urad) Production detail for both Rabi and kharif seasons are given so #1 is right.

Correct Answer is Option (c)

• Investment is a term associated with the capital part of the budget. So “subsidy” - a revenue part is not an example of ‘public investment’. Economic Survey 2019-20 page 84 also confirms this.
• Free electricity to farmers involves the government paying subsidy to the electricity company. Therefore #4 is wrong. Setting up of cold storage facilities can help in preservation of the perishable agricultural commodities so #6 is valid. So, answer should be “c”.

Correct Answer is Option (d)

• Successive Economic surveys have highlighted that Government’s open ended procurement is limited to wheat and rice.
• And even after PM-AASHA reforms, procurement is not done for all the cereals for which MSP is announced (e.g. Jowar, Bajra, Ragi etc). So, #1 is wrong.
• Market factors of Supply and demand may create a scenario where market price of cereal/pulses may rise higher than MSP. Market players are not legally bound to keep their prices lower or higher than MSP. So, #2 is wrong.

Correct Answer is Option (b)

• Compared to DCCB, scheduled commercial banks command larger quantities of deposits, more number of Bank branches, have an obligation to give 18% of their loans to agriculture under the priority sector lending (PSL). Therefore statement#1 is unpalatable (हजम करना मुश्किल है ) and wrong.
• Statement#2 is correct. DCCBs give funds downwards to PACS.

Ans: (b)

• India's Bhadla Solar Park is the largest solar power park in the world. Bhadla Solar Park is located in Bhadla, a dry and sandy region in Rajasthan, and spans 14,000 acres. There are over 10 million solar panels at the park, which contribute to an operational capacity of 2245MW. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.
• Kerala's Cochin International Airport Ltd (CIAL) is the first airport in the world that would be running fully on solar power. The airport officially commissioned a 12 MW solar project in 2015. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
• India’s biggest floating solar power plant by generation capacity (100MW) is being developed by the National Thermal Power Corporation Limited (NTPC) at Ramagundam in Peddapalli district of Telangana. Hence, statement 3 is not correct.

Ans: (c)

• The government provides MSP for Niger Seeds. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
• Niger Seed is cultivated as Kharif crop. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
• The tribal population uses niger seed oil for cooking, the press cake post oil-extraction as livestock feed, and also consume the seeds as a condiment. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

Ans: (c)

• The assets that cannot be touched are known as intangible assets. They are non- physical in nature and can be used for a year or more and the list includes brand value, goodwill, and intellectual property like trademarks, patents, and copyrights etc.
• A tangible asset is an asset that has physical substance. Examples include inventory, a building, rolling stock, manufacturing equipment or machinery, and office furniture.

Hence, (c) is the correct answer.

Ans: (c)
Green Hydrogen:

• Hydrogen is a key industrial fuel that has a variety of applications including the production of ammonia (a key fertiliser), steel, refineries and electricity.
• However, all of the hydrogen manufactured now is the so-called ‘black or brown’ hydrogen because they are produced from coal.
• But when electric current is passed through water, it splits it into elemental oxygen and
• hydrogen through electrolysis. And if the electricity used for this process comes from a renewable source like wind or solar then the hydrogen thus produced is referred to as green hydrogen.

Need for Producing Green Hydrogen:

• Green hydrogen in particular is one of the cleanest sources of energy with close to zero emission. It can be used in fuel cells for cars or in energy-guzzling industries like fertilizers and steel manufacturing.
• Green Hydrogen can aid the desulfurisation of crude oil, without the output of CO2 into the atmosphere hence it can provide a clean, on-site green hydrogen supply which will decarbonise the refining process and reduce emissions.

Hence option (c) is correct.