Agriculture UPSC Mains Topic Wise Previous Year Questions (1979-2023)

Agriculture UPSC Mains Topic Wise Previous Year Questions (1979-2023)

UPSC Mains Agriculture section holds significant prominence within the GS 3 section of the UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE) Mains. This article aims to furnish a compilation of Agriculture-related questions that have been posed in the IAS Exam’s GS 3 paper in previous years from 1979-2023.

  1. Can the agricultural development, we have achieved so far, be considered adequate? If so, why? If not, why not? 1980
  2. Which are the States in India that produce (i) groundnut, (ii) tea, (iii) tobacco, and (iv) pepper? 1980
  3. Write short notes on the following: 1981
    1. Thai – Vaishet Project
    2. Operation flood
  4. What is shifting cultivation? Where in India has this been resorted to? Consider its consequences and examine the steps taken by the Government to prevent this practice. 1981
  5. Discuss the geographical conditions favouring the cultivation of wheat or rice in India and describe the steps taken to improve its productivity. (About 150 words). 1982
  6. Name the cotton-growing areas of India. Describe the various factors that favour its cultivation in these areas. What part does cotton play in the present-day economy of India? 1983
  7. The government of India has given high priority to Oilseeds Development Program. What strategy has been adopted to accelerate the efforts to increase their production? Name important oilseeds cultivated in India with their distribution. 1984
  8. What are the important wheat-growing regions in India and why? Are we now growing enough wheat in India to meet our own demand for it? 1985
  9. What is a white revolution? Discuss the different factors which have helped to bring about this revolution in India. 1986
  10. The Government of India has recently set up a Department of Food Processing. What are its functions? 1988
  11. Explain the concept of ‘social forestry’ in India. 1990
  12. Mention the states where shifting cultivation is still practiced in India. 1990
  13. Briefly explain the use of various chemical fertilizers in Indian agriculture. 1990
  14. What is social forestry? Describe how social forestry can help in the uplift of the rural poor. 1993
  15. What is dryland agriculture? Discuss its importance to India. 1994
  16. What is shifting cultivation? Describe its salient characteristics with reference to India. 1996
  17. What is dry farming? Discuss its relevance in augmenting the food supply in India. 1999
  18. Give an account of the tea plantations of Assam and West Bengal and state the economic significance of these plantations. 2002
  19. Write short notes on Jhum cultivation – process and consequences. 2002
  20. Write a note on the Negative impacts of shifting cultivation. 2005
  21. Agricultural Productivity in India remains low. Explain the reasons for this situation. (150 words) 2008
  22. Write about Organic Farming in 20 words. 2008
  23. Elaborate on the steps taken by the Government for a regionally differentiated approach to increase crop production and Diversification in the country. 2009
  24. Whereas the British planters had developed tea gardens all along the Shivalik and Lesser Himalayas from Assam to Himachal Pradesh, in effect they did not succeed beyond the Darjeeling area. Explain. 2014
  25. Why did the Green Revolution in India virtually bypass the eastern region despite fertile soil and good availability of water? 2014
  26. Mention the advantage of the cultivation of pulses because of which the year 2016 was declared the International Year of Pulses By the United Nations. 2017
  27. How and to what extent would micro-irrigation help in solving India’s water crisis? 2021
  28. What are the main bottlenecks in the upstream and downstream processes of marketing agricultural products in India? (Answer in 250 words) 2022
  29. What is an Integrated Farming System? How is it helpful to small and marginal farmers in India? (Answer in 250 words) 2022
  30. How does e-technology help farmers in the production and marketing of agricultural produce? Explain it. (Answer in 150 words) 2023
  31. Explain the changes in cropping patterns in India in the context of changes in consumption patterns and marketing conditions. (Answer in 250 words) 2023
  32. What are the direct and indirect subsidies provided to the farm sector in India? Discuss the issues raised by the World Trade Organization (WTO) in relation to agricultural subsidies. (Answer in 250 words) 2023