UPSC Mains 2017 GS Paper 1 Q7: model answer
Mention the advantages of the cultivation of pulses, because of which the year 2016 was declared as the International Year of Pulses by the United Nations.
What the question wants
State the advantages of pulse cultivation that led the UN to declare 2016 the International Year of Pulses.
How to structure it
Mention the advantages: crisp, grouped list.
- Context
- Nutritional
- Ecological
- Economic
- India link
How to think it through
Pulses are the farm's quiet helpers: they feed people protein and feed the soil nitrogen at the same time. Two jobs for the price of one. Add the India angle: largest producer, consumer and importer.
Model answer
The UN General Assembly declared 2016 the International Year of Pulses, with the FAO leading it, to promote 'nutritious seeds for a sustainable future'.
Nutritional advantages
- Rich in protein (about 20–25%), fibre, iron and folate; vital for vegetarian diets and fighting malnutrition.
- Low glycaemic index, helpful against diabetes.
Ecological advantages
- Fix atmospheric nitrogen through root nodules, reducing fertiliser need.
- Low water footprint compared with rice or meat.
- Improve soil health and break pest cycles in crop rotations.
- Many varieties tolerate drought, suiting rainfed areas.
Economic advantages
- Low input cost and lower water bills; good income for small and rainfed farmers.
- Long shelf life eases storage and trade, reducing food waste.
- Short-duration varieties fit between main crops, raising farm income per year.
India link
- India is the largest producer, consumer and importer of pulses.
- Self-sufficiency cuts imports and price spikes, which hurt poor households in 2015–16.
- Higher MSPs and the National Food Security Mission helped production rise to a record, about 25 million tonnes, in 2017–18.
Draw: A pulse plant with root nodules and arrows to 'protein' and 'soil nitrogen'.
Keywords, cases and data to drop in
IYP 2016, FAO, nitrogen fixation, Rhizobium, water footprint, NFSMPulses, crop rotation.
Where most answers lose marks
- Writing only on India's pulse policy. The question asks for advantages.
Related Mains PYQs
- Discuss the natural resource potentials of ‘Deccan Trap’. UPSC 2022 · GS-I
- Examine the potential of wind energy in India and explain the reasons for their limited spatial spread. UPSC 2022 · GS-I
- Describing the distribution of rubber-producing countries, indicate the major environmental issues faced by them. UPSC 2022 · GS-I
- Mention the significance of straits and isthmus in international trade. UPSC 2022 · GS-I
Fresh examples from current affairs
Cauvery panel tells Karnataka to release 3,000 cusecs to Tamil Nadu: Article 262 and the inter-State water dispute
The Cauvery Water Regulation Committee has told Karnataka to ensure 3,000 cusecs of water a day at Biligundlu for 15 days, and the Cauvery Water Management Authority has endorsed it. Tamil Nadu wanted almost five times more, including a claimed backlog. Karnataka says a weak monsoon has left its four Cauvery reservoirs 55% short and most of its taluks in drought. For you, this is a live case study of Article 262, water tribunals and how a dry year turns sharing into a crisis.
UPSC angle: Prelims: Cauvery source and tributaries, Article 262, ISWD Act 1956, CWMA. · Mains GS-II: inter-State water disputes; cooperative federalism.
25 Oct 2026
Haryana’s first private power distributor: what a parallel licence means for Gurugram and Nuh
The Haryana Electricity Regulatory Commission (HERC) on 19 October 2026 gave Eleven Power Pvt Ltd a 25-year parallel distribution licence for Gurugram and Nuh. It will be Haryana’s first private distributor and India’s second case of parallel licensing after Mumbai. The State government and power-sector staff oppose it and plan to appeal to the Appellate Tribunal for Electricity.
UPSC angle: Prelims: Section 14, APTEL, Concurrent List Entry 38. · Mains GS-III: discom reform, cross-subsidy, competition.
22 Oct 2026
Rubio at Jamnagar: US pitches oil and Venezuelan crude to India’s ‘refining superpower’
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited Reliance’s Jamnagar refinery complex in Gujarat on 21 October 2026, a day after calling India a ‘refining superpower’. He wants India to buy more US oil and refine more Venezuelan crude. In Mumbai on 20 October, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar also held an unannounced India–US–UAE meeting on energy and connectivity, with the Strait of Hormuz blocked.
UPSC angle: Prelims: Jamnagar, Hormuz, I2U2, IMEC, SPR sites. · Mains GS-II/III: energy security vs strategic autonomy; India–US–UAE.
21 Oct 2026
Pumped storage hydropower: India’s roadmap for 100 GW of ‘water batteries’ by 2035-36
A PIB backgrounder of 19 October 2026 explains how pumped storage projects (PSPs) will store solar and wind power for India’s grid. India runs 7.43 GW of pumped storage today, is building 15.87 GW more and has an assessed potential of 345.38 GW. A roadmap aims to add about 100 GW between 2025-26 and 2035-36.
UPSC angle: Prelims: PSP types, CEA, ISTS waiver, IRENA ranking. · Mains GS-III: storage and the clean energy transition.
19 Oct 2026Learn the concept
Question text as printed in the official UPSC Civil Services (Main) question paper. The model answer is original Battle IAS work; use it to learn structure, not to memorise.
Want every PYQ in one place? See the Battle IAS PYQ Book.