Current Affairs: Passage of the Day -7 August 2024 | Current Affairs & General Knowledge - CLAT PDF Download

Directions: Read the passage carefully and answer the questions that follow.
The Nayab Singh Saini government’s announcement that 24 crops in the state would be procured on Minimum Support (MSP), coming months ahead of the state Assembly polls, has not cut much ice with farmer organisations. Out of the 24, around 10 are crops which are not extensively grown in the state, the farmer leaders and the Congress have pointed out.
Farmer anger over the unmet demand for legal guarantee of MSP was seen as a major contributor to the BJP’s poor performance in the recent Lok Sabha polls.
While Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Assembly and former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda called the Saini government’s announcement another attempt by the BJP to “mislead farmers”, president of the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee (KMSC) Sarwan Singh Pandher questioned the basis on which the announcement was made.
“The decision (to procure on MSP) is made by the Centre and the state government has no authority to make such announcements. The Centre must provide legal guarantee on MSP to farmers. The government is making such announcements keeping the polls in mind, but farmers will not fall in their trap,” Hooda told The Indian Express.
A day after Saini made the announcement regarding procurement of “all” crops on MSP in Haryana, the Cabinet said additional crops covered under it would be ragi (scientifically called Eleusine coracana), soybean, kala seed (fennel), jute, khopra (copra), moong, niger seed, surajmukhi (sunflower), jaun (barley), and jowar (sorghum).
Crops like wheat, mustard, barley, gram, paddy, maize, bajra, cotton, sunflower, moong, peanut, tur, urad and sesame are currently procured on MSP in 367 “anaj mandis (grain markets)” across the state. According to the state agriculture department, Haryana has a cultivable area of 3,694 hectares, of which 3,351 hectares is the net sown area.
“I also appeal to other state governments to come forward and procure crops on MSP,” Saini said.
Questioning the government’s intentions, Pandher asked why no provision for MSP procurement had been made in the Budget. “Why are other states and the Central government not coming out with such announcements? If the Haryana government is serious about procuring crops on MSP, they should give details of the funds and logistics required for implementing it. In the coming weeks, only paddy is up for procurement,” he pointed out.
Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Gurnam Singh Chaduni said the BJP government should bring a legislation in this regard in the Assembly. “It is only due to our demand for MSP that the government has now woken up and made this announcement,” he told The Indian Express.
Dismissing the apprehensions of farmer unions, Additional Chief Secretary (Agriculture) Dr. Raja Shekhar Vendru said the main aim of the announcement was to include maximum crops sown in the state on the MSP list. “What if a coconut tree comes up and we start getting a yield from it? The aim is to ensure that crops which may be grown here in the future are also procured on MSP. The procurement will cost the government around Rs. 123.65 crore. Also, the state is equipped with facilities needed for procurement of crops,” he told The Indian Express.
[Excerpt from Indian Express “Haryana Becomes First State to Procure All Crops at MSP” Dated 07/08/24]

Q1: What significant move did Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini announce on August 4, 2024?
(a) Reduction in fuel prices
(b) Free education for all students
(c) All-crops MSP procurement
(d) Construction of new highways

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Q2: How many additional crops will be included under the MSP procurement in Haryana?
(a) Five
(b) Nine
(c) Ten
(d) Twelve

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Q3: What amount in outstanding canal water irrigation charges did the Haryana Chief Minister announce would be waived?
(a) Rs. 100 crore
(b) Rs. 120 crore
(c) Rs. 133 crore
(d) Rs. 150 crore

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Q4: How much compensation will be paid to farmers affected by natural disasters, as announced by the Haryana Chief Minister?
(a) Rs. 100 crore
(b) Rs. 120 crore
(c) Rs. 137 crore
(d) Rs. 150 crore

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Q5: What expanded option did farmers receive regarding the purchase of tube-well motors?
(a) They can buy motors from any registered company worldwide.
(b) They can buy three-star motors from any registered company in India.
(c) They can buy five-star motors from any registered company in India.
(d) They can buy motors from government-approved vendors only.

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