Agriculture, food security and allied sectors: previous-year questions
65 real UPSC Prelims questions (2011–2026) with the official answer and a clear explanation. 11 of them came in the last five papers.
How often UPSC asks this
Questions per year, counted from the official papers.
Attempt the questions
Newest papers first. Tap an option; the answer and the reason appear instantly.
In the context of India, which of the following is/are considered to be practice(s) of eco-friendly agriculture?
- 1. Crop diversification
- 2. Legume intensification
- 3. Tensiometer use
- 4. Vertical farming
Select the correct answer using the code given below :
Answer (a) & explanation
Items 1, 2 and 3 are eco-friendly practices (a). Item 1 is right: crop diversification breaks pest cycles, improves soil and spreads risk. Item 2 is right: legumes fix atmospheric nitrogen, cutting the need for chemical fertiliser. Item 3 is right: a tensiometer measures soil moisture, so farmers water only when needed and save water. Item 4 was not counted: in India, vertical farming is a high-energy, indoor urban technique using artificial light and controlled climate, so UPSC did not treat it as eco-friendly farm practice.
Notice other sustainable practices: zero tillage, mulching, integrated pest management, drip irrigation and natural farming. The National Mission on Natural Farming was launched in 2024.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
What are the advantages of fertigation in agriculture ?
- 1. Controlling the alkalinity of irrigation water is possible.
- 2. Efficient application of Rock Phosphate and all other phosphatic fertilizers is possible.
- 3. Increased availability of nutrients to plants is possible.
- 4. Reduction in the leaching of chemical nutrients is possible.
Select the correct answer using the code given below :
Answer (c) & explanation
Statements 1, 3 and 4 are correct (c). Fertigation feeds dissolved fertiliser through drip or sprinkler lines. Statement 1 is right: acids can be added to the water to correct its alkalinity, which also keeps drippers clean. Statement 3 is right: nutrients reach the roots in small, timely doses, so plants take up more. Statement 4 is right: because less fertiliser is applied at once, less is leached below the roots into groundwater. Statement 2 is wrong: rock phosphate does not dissolve in water, so it cannot be applied this way, and nor can all phosphatic fertilisers.
Notice that fertigation pairs naturally with micro-irrigation, promoted under Per Drop More Crop (PMKSY). Fertigation is common in Israel.
the word "all" in statement 2. Fertigation needs fully water-soluble fertilisers.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Consider the following statements :
- 1. In terms of short-term credit delivery to the agriculture sector, District Central Cooperative Banks (DCCBs) deliver more credit in comparison to Scheduled Commercial Banks and Regional Rural Banks.
- 2. One of the most important functions of DCCBs is to provide funds to the Primary Agricultural Credit Societies.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
Answer (b) & explanation
Only statement 2 is correct (b). Statement 1 is wrong because Scheduled Commercial Banks give the largest share of short-term crop loans in India, well ahead of cooperative banks and Regional Rural Banks. Statement 2 is right. India's short-term cooperative credit system has three tiers: the State Cooperative Bank at the top, the District Central Cooperative Banks in the middle, and the Primary Agricultural Credit Societies in villages. A key job of the DCCBs is to fund the PACS, which lend straight to farmers.
Notice NABARD, which refinances these banks. The Ministry of Cooperation (2021) is now computerising PACS. Since 2020, cooperative banks also come under fuller RBI regulation after amendments to the Banking Regulation Act.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
With reference to chemical fertilizers in India, consider the following statements :
- 1. At present, the retail price of chemical fertilizers is market-driven and not administered by the Government.
- 2. Ammonia, which is an input of urea, is produced from natural gas.
- 3. Sulphur, which is a raw material for phosphoric acid fertilizer, is a by-product of oil refineries.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
Answer (b) & explanation
Statements 2 and 3 are correct (b). Statement 1 is wrong: the retail price of urea is fixed by the government (about ₹242 for a 45 kg bag), and P and K fertilisers get a fixed subsidy under Nutrient Based Subsidy (2010), so prices are not purely market-driven. Statement 2 is right: ammonia, the input for urea, is made mostly from natural gas, much of it imported as LNG. Statement 3 is right: sulphur recovered from oil refining is used to make sulphuric acid, which then makes phosphoric acid for DAP.
Notice neem-coated urea (100% since 2015) and nano urea from IFFCO. Fertiliser subsidy is among the biggest items in the Union budget.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
In India, which of the following can be considered as public investment in agriculture ?
- 1. Fixing Minimum Support Price for agricultural produce of all crops
- 2. Computerization of Primary Agricultural Credit Societies
- 3. Social Capital development
- 4. Free electricity supply to farmers
- 5. Waiver of agricultural loans by the banking system
- 6. Setting up of cold storage facilities by the governments
Select the correct answer using the code given below :
Answer (c) & explanation
Items 2, 3 and 6 are public investment (c). Investment creates lasting assets that raise future output. Item 2 is right because computerising PACS builds systems that last. Item 3 is right because social capital, such as farmer groups and trained cooperatives, is a lasting asset. Item 6 is right because cold storage cuts post-harvest losses for years. Item 1 is wrong: MSP is a price policy, not an asset. Items 4 and 5 are wrong: free electricity and loan waivers are subsidies or transfers; they support current income but build nothing.
Notice the common critique that heavy farm subsidies crowd out public investment in irrigation, research and roads. Public investment is part of gross capital formation in agriculture.
loan waivers and free power cost the government a lot. Big spending is not the same as investment.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Which of the following factors/policies were affecting the price of rice in India in the recent past ?
- 1. Minimum Support Price
- 2. Government's trading
- 3. Government's stockpiling
- 4. Consumer subsidies
Select the correct answer using the code given below :
Answer (d) & explanation
All four affect rice prices (d). The government shapes the rice market at every step. Item 1 is right: the Minimum Support Price sets a floor for farmers and lifts market prices. Item 2 is right: government trading, such as open-market sales by FCI and export curbs (like the 2023 ban on non-basmati white rice exports), changes supply in the market. Item 3 is right: stockpiling by the Food Corporation of India takes grain off the market and keeps buffer stocks. Item 4 is right: consumer subsidies through the PDS lower what poor buyers pay and reduce market demand.
Notice the National Food Security Act, 2013, and PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana, which now gives free grain to about 81 crore people.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Under the Kisan Credit Card scheme, short-term credit support is given to farmers for which of the following purposes ?
- 1. Working capital for maintenance of farm assets
- 2. Purchase of combine harvesters, tractors and mini trucks
- 3. Consumption requirements of farm households
- 4. Post-harvest expenses
- 5. Construction of family house and setting up of village cold storage facility
Select the correct answer using the code given below :
Answer (b) & explanation
Items 1, 3 and 4 are covered (b). The Kisan Credit Card scheme (1998) gives farmers a revolving short-term credit limit. It covers crop cultivation, post-harvest expenses (item 4), consumption needs of the farm household (item 3), and working capital for maintaining farm assets and allied work (item 1). Item 2 is wrong because tractors, harvesters and mini trucks are long-term assets financed by term loans. Item 5 is wrong because a family house and a village cold storage are also long-term investments, not short-term credit.
Notice the interest subvention scheme: KCC loans up to ₹3 lakh carry a low rate, with an extra rebate for prompt repayment. KCC was extended to animal husbandry and fisheries in 2018–19.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
With reference to land reforms in independent India, which one of the following statements is correct?
Answer (b) & explanation
Option (b) is correct. After independence, land reforms aimed to give land to the tiller and the landless. The steps were abolishing zamindari and other intermediaries, tenancy reform, fixing ceilings on holdings and giving surplus land to the landless. Option (a) is wrong because ceilings were first fixed on individual holdings, and the 1972 national guidelines shifted them to family holdings. Option (c) is wrong because cash crops did not become the main form of farming because of land reforms. Option (d) is wrong because plantations, orchards, religious trusts and some efficient farms were exempted from ceilings, which weakened the reform.
Notice the success stories: Kerala and West Bengal's Operation Barga (1978). Land reform laws were placed in the Ninth Schedule to protect them from court challenges.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Among the following, which one is the largest exporter of rice in the world in the last five years?
Answer (b) & explanation
India is the largest rice exporter (b). India has been the world's top rice exporter since about 2012, with around 40% of world trade in recent years. It sells basmati mainly to West Asia, such as Saudi Arabia and Iran, and non-basmati rice to Africa and Asia. Thailand and Vietnam (d) come next. China (a) is the world's largest producer of rice, but also a major importer. Myanmar (c) is a smaller exporter.
Notice the policy swings: India banned non-basmati white rice exports in July 2023 to control prices, and lifted the curbs in September–October 2024. India also passed China to become the largest rice producer in 2024–25, by USDA estimates.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
The economic cost of food grains to the Food Corporation of India is Minimum Support Price and bonus (if any) paid to the farmers plus
Answer (c) & explanation
The cost includes procurement incidentals and distribution cost (c). The economic cost of food grains to the Food Corporation of India has three parts. First is the price paid to farmers, the MSP plus any state bonus. Second is procurement incidentals: mandi charges, state taxes, commission to arhtiyas, gunny bags and handling. Third is distribution cost: freight, storage, interest, handling and transit losses until the grain reaches the ration shop. Options (a) and (b) name only one cost each. Option (d) is wrong because godown charges are only one part of distribution cost.
The economic cost of wheat and rice is now over ₹3,000 and about ₹4,000 per quintal. Notice that PMGKAY gives free grain to about 81 crore people until 2028, making FCI's costs a big part of the food subsidy.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
With reference to the cultivation of Kharif crops in India in the last five years, consider the following statements :
- 1. Area under rice cultivation is the highest.
- 2. Area under the cultivation of jowar is more than that of oilseeds.
- 3. Area of cotton cultivation is more than that of sugarcane.
- 4. Area under sugarcane cultivation has steadily decreased.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
Answer (a) & explanation
Statements 1 and 3 are correct (a). Statement 1 is right because rice covers about 40 million hectares in kharif, the largest area of any crop. Statement 3 is right because cotton, at about 12–13 million hectares, covers much more land than sugarcane, at about 5 million hectares. Statement 2 is wrong because kharif oilseeds, mainly soybean and groundnut, cover about 19 million hectares, far more than jowar, which has been shrinking. Statement 4 is wrong because the sugarcane area rises and falls with prices and rain; it has not fallen steadily.
Notice the policy push: the National Mission on Edible Oils (oil palm in 2021, oilseeds in 2024) aims to cut import dependence. Millets, including jowar, got a boost from the International Year of Millets (2023).
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Among the agricultural commodities imported by India, which one of the following accounts for the highest imports in terms of value in the last five years?
Answer (d) & explanation
Vegetable oils lead India's farm imports (d). Edible oils are India's biggest agricultural import by value, often $15–20 billion a year. India imports about 55–60% of the edible oil it uses: palm oil from Indonesia and Malaysia, soybean oil from Argentina and Brazil, and sunflower oil from Russia and Ukraine. Pulses (c) come a distant second, mainly from Canada, Australia, Myanmar and Africa. Fresh fruits (b), such as apples and dates, and spices (a) are much smaller imports; India is in fact a major spice exporter.
Notice the policy response: the National Mission on Edible Oils – Oil Palm (2021) and – Oilseeds (2024), which aim to raise home output, and changing import duties on crude edible oils to balance farmers' and consumers' interests.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Consider the following :
- 1. Areca nut
- 2. Barley
- 3. Coffee
- 4. Finger millet
- 5. Groundnut
- 6. Sesamum
- 7. Turmeric
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has announced the Minimum Support Price for which of the above ?
Answer (b) & explanation
Barley, finger millet, groundnut and sesamum get an MSP (b). The CCEA announces Minimum Support Prices for 22 crops on the advice of the CACP, plus a Fair and Remunerative Price for sugarcane. These include 14 kharif crops, such as paddy, jowar, bajra, ragi (finger millet), groundnut, sesamum and cotton; 6 rabi crops, such as wheat, barley, gram and mustard; and copra and jute. Areca nut, coffee and turmeric are plantation or spice crops with no MSP, so options containing 1, 3 or 7 are wrong.
Since 2018–19, MSP is set at least 1.5 times the cost of production (A2+FL). Notice the farmer unions' demand for a legal guarantee of MSP, which is still under debate.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
With reference to organic farming in India, consider the following statements :
- 1. 'The National Programme for Organic Production' (NPOP) is operated under the guidelines and directions of the Union Ministry of Rural Development.
- 2. 'The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority' (APEDA) functions as the Secretariat for the implementation of NPOP.
- 3. Sikkim has become India's first fully organic State.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
Answer (b) & explanation
Statements 2 and 3 are correct (b). Statement 1 is wrong because the National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP), started in 2001, runs under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, not Rural Development. It sets India's organic standards and accredits certification bodies, mainly for exports. Statement 2 is right because APEDA is its secretariat. Statement 3 is right because Sikkim was declared India's first fully organic state in January 2016, after phasing out chemical fertilisers and pesticides.
Sikkim won the FAO's Future Policy Award in 2018. Notice the domestic schemes: Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY), MOVCDNER for the North-East, and the National Mission on Natural Farming (2024).
organic farming sounds like a rural or agriculture subject. NPOP is an export programme, so it sits with Commerce.
UPSC repeats traps like this year after year. The PYQ Book gathers every trap in one place, so you see them coming. Try the free sample
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Consider the following statements :
- 1. The quantity of imported edible oils is more than the domestic production of edible oils in the last five years.
- 2. The Government does not impose any customs duty on all the imported edible oils as a special case.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
Answer (a) & explanation
Only statement 1 is correct (a). India is the world's largest importer of edible oil. It imports about 55–60% of what it uses, which is more than it produces at home (1). Most imports are palm oil from Indonesia and Malaysia, and soybean and sunflower oil from Argentina, Brazil, Russia and Ukraine. Statement 2 is wrong because the government changes customs duty on crude and refined edible oils often, lowering it when prices rise and raising it to protect farmers. It has never exempted all edible oils from duty as a fixed rule.
Notice the self-reliance schemes: the National Mission on Edible Oils – Oil Palm (2021), focused on the northeast and Andaman, and NMEO–Oilseeds (2024), which aims to make India more self-reliant by 2030–31.
"all" in statement 2. Duties on some oils are cut at times, never on all as a fixed policy.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
With reference to the provisions made under the National Food Security Act, 2013, consider the following statements :
- 1. The families coming under the category of 'below poverty line (BPL)' only are eligible to receive subsidised food grains.
- 2. The eldest woman in a household, of age 18 years or above, shall be the head of the household for the purpose of issuance of a ration card.
- 3. Pregnant women and lactating mothers are entitled to a 'take-home ration' of 1600 calories per day during pregnancy and for six months thereafter.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
Answer (b) & explanation
Only statement 2 is correct (b). Statement 1 is wrong because the National Food Security Act, 2013 covers up to 75% of rural and 50% of urban people, far more than the BPL list. Priority households get 5 kg of grain per person per month, and Antyodaya families get 35 kg per household. Statement 2 is right because the eldest woman aged 18 or above is the head of the household for the ration card. Statement 3 is wrong because pregnant women and nursing mothers get a free meal or take-home ration of about 600 calories a day, not 1,600, plus a maternity benefit of at least ₹6,000.
Since January 2024, grain under PMGKAY is free for five years. Notice the One Nation One Ration Card scheme, which lets ration cards be used anywhere in India.
the 1600 figure. The real norm is 600 calories plus 18-20 g of protein.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
With reference to the 'Global Alliance for Climate-Smart Agriculture (GACSA)', which of the following statements is/are correct ?
- 1. GACSA is an outcome of the Climate Summit held in Paris in 2015.
- 2. Membership of GACSA does not create any binding obligations.
- 3. India was instrumental in the creation of GACSA.
Select the correct answer using the code given below :
Answer (b) & explanation
Only statement 2 is correct (b). Statement 1 is wrong because the Global Alliance for Climate-Smart Agriculture was launched at the UN Climate Summit in New York, September 2014, not at Paris 2015. The FAO hosts its facilitation unit. Statement 2 is right because it is a voluntary alliance of governments, farmer groups, NGOs and companies, and membership creates no binding obligations. Statement 3 is wrong because India is not a member and played no part in creating it.
Climate-smart agriculture has three goals: raising productivity, building resilience (adaptation), and cutting emissions where possible. Notice India's own effort, the National Innovations in Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA), run by ICAR since 2011.
"Paris" is the most famous climate meeting. GACSA came a year earlier, in New York.
Traps like this come back in new clothes. The PYQ Book collects all of them, topic by topic, so none catch you twice. Try the free sample
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
With reference to the circumstances in Indian agriculture, the concept of "Conservation Agriculture" assumes significance. Which of the following fall under the Conservation Agriculture?
- 1. Avoiding the monoculture practices
- 2. Adopting minimum tillage
- 3. Avoiding the cultivation of plantation crops
- 4. Using crop residues to cover soil surface
- 5. Adopting spatial and temporal crop sequencing/crop rotations
Select the correct answer using the code given below :
Answer (c) & explanation
Practices 2, 4 and 5 are correct (c). The FAO defines conservation agriculture by three principles: minimum soil disturbance, such as zero or minimum tillage (2); permanent soil cover using crop residues or cover crops (4); and crop diversification through rotation and sequencing in space and time (5). Statement 3 is wrong because nothing in it forbids plantation crops. Statement 1 is a trap: less monoculture is a result, but the actual named practice is crop rotation, so the key leaves it out.
Notice India's use: the Happy Seeder and zero-till drills in Punjab and Haryana sow wheat straight into rice stubble. This cuts stubble burning, a major cause of Delhi's winter smog.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
What is/are the advantage/advantages of implementing the 'National Agriculture Market' scheme ?
- 1. It is a pan-India electronic trading portal for agricultural commodities.
- 2. It provides the farmers access to nationwide market, with prices commensurate with the quality of their produce.
Select the correct answer using the code given below :
Answer (c) & explanation
Both statements are correct (c). e-NAM, launched in April 2016, is a pan-India online trading portal (1) that connects existing APMC mandis. Produce is assayed for quality, and farmers can get bids from traders across the country. This brings prices that match quality and wider demand (2), with online payment. The Small Farmers' Agribusiness Consortium (SFAC) runs it for the Agriculture Ministry. About 1,500 mandis across more than 20 States and UTs are now on it.
It also allows inter-mandi and inter-state trade, and FPOs can trade directly. Notice the hurdles: weak assaying labs, low inter-state trade, and States' APMC laws. The Model APLM Act, 2017 tried to fix these.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Which of the following practices can help in water conservation in agriculture ?
- 1. Reduced or zero tillage of the land
- 2. Applying gypsum before irrigating the field
- 3. Allowing crop residue to remain in the field
Select the correct answer using the code given below :
Answer (c) & explanation
Practices 1 and 3 save water (c). Reduced or zero tillage (1) leaves the soil structure intact, so less moisture is lost and more rain soaks in. Leaving crop residue on the field (3) works as a mulch that shades the soil, cuts evaporation and adds organic matter. The Happy Seeder machine sows wheat straight into rice stubble, which also cuts down stubble burning. Statement 2 is wrong because gypsum (calcium sulphate) is used to reclaim sodic (alkaline) soils and supply calcium and sulphur. It is not a water-saving practice.
Both 1 and 3 are parts of conservation agriculture, along with crop rotation. Notice the related water-saving methods: direct-seeded rice (DSR), alternate wetting and drying, and laser land levelling.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.