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.
Consider the following crops of India :
- 1. Cowpea
- 2. Green gram
- 3. Pigeon pea
Which of the above is/are used as pulse, fodder and green manure?
Answer (a) & explanation
Cowpea and green gram are correct (a). Cowpea (lobia) and green gram (moong) are short, leafy legumes that can be grown for grain (pulse), cut as fodder, or ploughed into the soil as green manure, where their root nodules add nitrogen (1, 2). Pigeon pea (arhar or tur) is a woody, long-duration crop grown mainly for grain; it is too tough for fodder or green manure (3). So (b), (c) and (d) fail.
Notice the policy angle: India is the largest producer and consumer of pulses, and a Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses (2025–26 to 2030–31) focuses on tur, urad and masoor. Summer moong after wheat helps Punjab's soils. Trap: all three are legumes, but only two have all three uses.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Consider the following crops of India :
- 1. Groundnut
- 2. Sesamum
- 3. Pearl millet
Which of the above is/are predominantly rainfed crop/crops?
Answer (d) & explanation
All three are correct (d). Groundnut, sesamum (til) and pearl millet (bajra) are hardy dryland crops grown mostly in the kharif season on monsoon rain, with little irrigation, in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Maharashtra and the Deccan. Bajra tolerates heat and poor sandy soils; groundnut and sesame are oilseeds suited to light, well-drained soils. So options (a), (b) and (c) leave out real rainfed crops.
Notice the wider pattern: about half of India's net sown area is still rainfed, growing most pulses, oilseeds and coarse cereals. Rajasthan leads in bajra, Gujarat in groundnut. Millets were promoted as 'Shree Anna' during the International Year of Millets 2023. Trap: groundnut is sometimes irrigated in rabi, but it is predominantly rainfed.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
With what purpose is the Government of India promoting the concept of “Mega Food Parks” ?
- 1. To provide good infrastructure facilities for the food processing industry.
- 2. To increase the processing of perishable items and reduce wastage.
- 3. To provide emerging and eco-friendly food processing technologies to entrepreneurs.
Select the correct answer using the codes given below :
Answer (b) & explanation
Statements 1 and 2 are correct as per UPSC's key (b). The Mega Food Park scheme (Ministry of Food Processing Industries, 2008) built shared infrastructure such as cold chains, warehouses and processing centres on a cluster model (1), so that more perishables are processed near farms and less is wasted (2). Statement 3 is not a stated aim: the scheme gives infrastructure, not technology supply to entrepreneurs. So (a), (c) and (d) fail; the line is fine, so treat the key as convention.
Notice the later history: Mega Food Parks became part of PM Kisan SAMPADA Yojana (2017), and no new parks have been sanctioned since 2020–21; focus moved to PLI for food processing and the PMFME scheme for micro units.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
With reference to micro-irrigation, which of the following statements is/are correct ?
- 1. Fertilizer/nutrient loss can be reduced.
- 2. It is the only means of irrigation in dry land farming.
- 3. In some areas of farming, receding of ground water table can be checked.
Select the correct answer using the codes given below :
Answer (c) & explanation
Statements 1 and 3 are correct (c). Micro-irrigation, through drip and sprinklers, puts water right at the roots; fertiliser dissolved in it (fertigation) is used better, so nutrient loss is reduced (1). Because far less water is used, less groundwater is pumped, which can check the falling water table (3). Statement 2 is wrong: it is not the only means of irrigating dry land; tanks, wells, check dams and watershed works are also used. So (a), (b) and (d) fail.
Notice the scheme: 'Per Drop More Crop', part of PM Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (2015), funds drip and sprinklers, and the Micro Irrigation Fund with NABARD supports states. Trap: 'only' makes statement 2 an overstatement.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
In India, which of the following have the highest share in the disbursement of credit to agriculture and allied activities ?
Answer (a) & explanation
Commercial banks is correct (a). Scheduled commercial banks give the largest share of agricultural credit, roughly three-quarters or more, far ahead of cooperative banks (b), Regional Rural Banks (c) and microfinance institutions (d). Cooperatives led in the early decades, but commercial banks overtook them after bank nationalisation (1969, 1980) and the priority-sector lending rule that 18% of credit must go to agriculture.
Notice the delivery tools: the Kisan Credit Card (1998), interest subvention for short-term crop loans, and the agricultural credit target, which crossed ₹27 lakh crore for 2024–25. RRBs were amalgamated under 'One State One RRB', down to 28 RRBs from May 2025. Trap: cooperatives sound most 'rural', but their share has shrunk.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.