DAY – 26 : Insta 75 Days Revision Plan-2026 : AGRICULTURE

Answer:  (a)

Explanation:

• Statement 1 is correct: The Central Warehousing Corporation (CWC) was established in 1957 but was later re-enacted under the Warehousing Corporations Act, 1962. It is a premier statutory body providing reliable warehousing and logistics support to the agricultural and industrial sectors.
• Statement 2 is incorrect: Although the CWC deals heavily with agricultural produce, it functions under the administrative control of the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution (Department of Food and Public Distribution).
• Statement 3 is incorrect: CWC is not a subsidiary of the Food Corporation of India (FCI). It is a separate Miniratna Category-I Public Sector Enterprise. While they are sister organizations that work closely together (FCI is one of CWC’s biggest clients), they have independent corporate identities. In fact, CWC holds 50% equity in all the State Warehousing Corporations (SWCs) across India.

Answer: (c)

Explanation:

The use of bio-fertilizers and organic soil amendments is a key component of sustainable agriculture and the National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA) in India.

• Pair 1 is correctly matched: Azotobacter is a genus of free-living (non-symbiotic) nitrogen-fixing bacteria. Unlike Rhizobium, which requires a host legume to form nodules, Azotobacter can fix atmospheric nitrogen while living independently in the soil. It is extensively used as a bio-fertilizer for non-leguminous crops like wheat, maize, mustard, and vegetables. It also produces growth-promoting substances like vitamins and gibberellins.
• Pair 2 is correctly matched: Mycorrhiza refers to the symbiotic association between fungi and the roots of higher plants. The fungi colonize the root system, providing increased water and phosphorus absorption capabilities (acting like an extension of the root system), while the plant provides the fungi with carbohydrates. This relationship significantly improves the plant’s drought resistance and tolerance to soil salinity.
• Pair 3 is correctly matched: Green Manure involves the cultivation of quick-growing leafy crops which are then ploughed back and incorporated into the soil while still green. This improves soil structure, increases organic matter, and adds nitrogen. Common examples in India include Sunnhemp (Crotalaria juncea) and Dhaincha (Sesbania aculeata).

Answer:   (c)

Explanation:

Statement 1 is correct: The AIF is specifically designed to provide a medium-to-long term debt financing facility. It offers:

• Interest Subvention: 3% per annum on loans up to ₹2 crore for a maximum period of 7 years.
• Credit Guarantee: Coverage for loans up to ₹2 crore under the CGTMSE (Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Micro and Small Enterprises) scheme.

Statement 2 is incorrect: While NABARD is a key partner and provides refinancing, the scheme is not implemented exclusively through it. It is implemented by all Scheduled Commercial Banks, Scheduled Cooperative Banks, Regional Rural Banks (RRBs), Small Finance Banks, and Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs). The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare provides the overall management.

Statement 3 is correct: The scheme has a very broad eligibility base. It targets:

• Primary entities: Farmers, FPOs, PACS (Primary Agricultural Credit Societies), and Marketing Cooperative Societies.
• Entrepreneurs: Agri-entrepreneurs, startups, and private sector entities.
• Public entities: Central/State agencies or local bodies-sponsored Public-Private Partnership (PPP) projects.

Answer:  (a)

Explanation:

• Statement 1 is correct: The Atlas is a collaborative effort between the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC). It was developed to provide a comprehensive, data-driven overview of drought risks across the globe.
• Statement 2 is correct: The Atlas goes beyond mere rainfall data. It examines the multi-sectoral impacts of drought, specifically focusing on how it affects agriculture (crop failure), ecosystems (loss of biodiversity), and inland navigation (lowering of river levels affecting transport), among others.
• Statement 3 is incorrect: The World Drought Atlas does not exclude human-induced factors. In fact, one of its primary purposes is to highlight how climate change (human-induced) and land-use changes are exacerbating natural drought cycles. It integrates both meteorological data and anthropogenic influences to provide a realistic risk profile.

Answer:  (c)

Explanation:

• Statement 1 is correct: There is a visible structural shift in Indian agriculture. While the share of traditional crops in the Agricultural GVA has remained relatively stagnant or declined, the allied sectors—particularly livestock and fisheries—have been growing at a much faster rate (often 6-8% annually). Livestock now accounts for nearly 30% of the total GVA from the Agriculture and Allied sector.
• Statement 2 is incorrect: While domestic consumption is indeed rising, India’s agri-food exports have not shown a consistent decline. In fact, India reached record-high agricultural exports (exceeding $50 billion) in recent years (FY22 and FY23), driven by commodities like marine products, non-basmati rice, sugar, and spices. While there are occasional fluctuations due to export bans (e.g., on wheat or broken rice), the five-year trend has generally been positive.
• Statement 3 is correct: Thanks to targeted policies like the Kisan Credit Card (KCC) saturation drives, the interest subvention scheme, and the Priority Sector Lending (PSL) mandates (which include a specific sub-target for Small and Marginal Farmers), the percentage of these farmers accessing formal bank credit has seen a significant upward trend, reducing their dependence on informal moneylenders.

Answer:  (c)

Explanation:

• Statement 1 is correct: Clustered (or Nucleated) settlements are characterized by a compact or closely built-up area of houses. These are most common in the fertile alluvial plains (like the Indo-Gangetic Plain) and the Northeast. The high agricultural productivity supports a dense population, and the need for security or communal living often encourages people to live close together.
• Statement 2 is correct: Linear settlements occur when houses are built along a specific line of communication or a natural feature. You will typically see these along roads, railway lines, rivers, or canal banks. In coastal areas (like Kerala) or narrow mountain valleys, the lack of wide flat land forces people to settle in long, thin strips.
• Statement 3 is correct: Dispersed (or Isolated) settlements appear as a few isolated huts or small hamlets. These are typical of arid/semi-arid regions (Rajasthan), hilly terrains (Himalayas), or thickly forested areas. In these regions, the land is fragmented, and resources (like water or fertile patches) are spread thin, making large, concentrated villages difficult to sustain.

Answer:   (a)

Explanation:

• Statement 1 is correct: AgriStack is a collection of digital databases and services. Its core is the Farmer ID (similar to Aadhaar for farmers), which is linked to digitized land records. By integrating data on crops, soil health, and land ownership, it creates a single source of truth for the agricultural ecosystem.
• Statement 2 is correct: One of the most significant hurdles for farmers is Information Asymmetry when applying for loans. AgriStack allows banks to verify a farmer’s landholding and crop history instantly. This facilitates credit-on-tap (faster, paperless loans) and ensures that government subsidies (like PM-KISAN or crop insurance) reach the intended beneficiary without leakages.
• Statement 3 is incorrect: While AgriStack is a high-tech digital initiative, it is implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. Although it receives technical support from other departments, the policy and data ownership lie with the Agriculture Ministry.

Answer:   (d)

Explanation:

• (a) Incorrect: While there are schemes for minority welfare (like Ayushman Bharat or specific scholarship portals), the UMEED portal is specifically for property management and legal empowerment.
• (b) Incorrect: The ‘Adopt a Heritage’ scheme is under the Ministry of Tourism/Culture and does not use the UMEED portal for its operations.
• (c) Incorrect: Recruitment for Waqf boards is generally handled by State Governments or through specific state-level exams, not a centralized portal like UMEED.
• (d) Correct: The primary goal is to digitize the entire lifecycle of Waqf properties. This includes mandatory registration within 6 months, precise geotagging (mapping the physical boundaries of the land), and providing a module for vulnerable groups like widows and orphans to claim maintenance support from Waqf-alal-aulad (private family endowments).

Answer:   (b)

Explanation:

• Statement 1 is incorrect: While the Asiatic Lion was long classified as ‘Endangered’, its status on the IUCN Red List was recently updated to ‘Vulnerable’. This reclassification is a result of the steady increase in its population over the last decade, although it still remains susceptible to threats like disease and habitat fragmentation.
• Statement 2 is correct: Due to its limited population and high conservation value, it receives the highest level of legal protection in India under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. Internationally, it is listed in Appendix I of CITES, which strictly prohibits its international commercial trade.

Statement 3 is correct: The Asiatic Lion is endemic to the Gir landscape in Gujarat. It is the only place in the world where this subspecies exists in the wild. This single-population status is a major point of concern for biologists, as a single localized disaster or epidemic could wipe out the entire species.

Answer:  (a)

Explanation:

• Statement 1 is correct: In September 1873, Jyotirao Phule formed the Satyashodhak Samaj (Society of Seekers of Truth). Its primary mission was to liberate the Shudras and Ati-Shudras from exploitation by Brahmins and to promote social rights and political access for the oppressed classes.
• Statement 2 is correct: Phule’s seminal work, Gulamgiri (published in 1873), is dedicated to the American movement to free slaves. He drew a direct historical and moral parallel between the condition of the lower castes in India and the Black slaves in America, using the comparison to argue that caste was a form of slavery imposed by Aryan invaders.

Statement 3 is incorrect: Raja Ram Mohan Roy died in 1833, while Jyotirao Phule’s active public life began in the late 1840s. Furthermore, the Brahmo Samaj was a Bengali reform movement; while it influenced others, Phule’s movement was indigenous to Maharashtra and focused more on the Bahujan (masses) rather than the upper-caste intellectual reform favored by the early Brahmo Samaj.

Answer: b

Detailed Solution:

1. Let the two numbers be 3x and 5x.
2. The HCF of 3x and 5x is x (since 3 and 5 are co-prime).
3. Given HCF = 12, therefore x = 12.
4. The numbers are: 3 * 12 = 36 and 5 * 12 = 60.
5. To find the LCM of 36 and 60:
   • 36 = 2^2 * 3^2
   • 60 = 2^2 * 3 * 5
   • LCM = 2^2 * 3^2 * 5 = 4 * 9 * 5 = 180.

Answer: (a)

Detailed Solution:

1. The smallest number divisible by 8, 12, and 15 is their LCM.
2. Finding LCM of (8, 12, 15):
   • 8 = 2 * 2 * 2
   • 12 = 2 * 2 * 3
   • 15 = 3 * 5
   • LCM = 2^3 * 3 * 5 = 120.
3. Since the remainder is 3 in each case, the required number is LCM + Remainder.
4. Number = 120 + 3 = 123.

Answer: (b)

Detailed Solution:

1. The bells will toll together at a time that is a common multiple of 9, 12, and 15.
2. LCM of (9, 12, 15):
   • 9 = 3 * 3
   • 12 = 2 * 2 * 3
   • 15 = 3 * 5
   • LCM = 2^2 * 3^2 * 5 = 180 minutes.
3. Convert minutes to hours: 180 / 60 = 3 hours.
4. Next tolling time = 8:00 AM + 3 hours = 11:00 AM.

Answer: (c)

Detailed Solution:

1. Formula: HCF of Fractions = (HCF of Numerators) / (LCM of Denominators).
2. HCF of Numerators (4, 10, 20):
   • The largest number that divides 4, 10, and 20 is 2.
3. LCM of Denominators (9, 21, 63):
   • 9 = 3 * 3
   • 21 = 3 * 7
   • 63 = 3 * 3 * 7
   • LCM = 3^2 * 7 = 63.
4. Result = 2/63.

Answer: (b)

Detailed Solution:

• Option (a) is incorrect: The passage says the divide is increasingly about the quality, implying access is one factor, not necessarily the primary or only determinant.
• Option (b) is correct: This is the core message. The author argues that having the infrastructure (mobile penetration/access) isn’t enough; without quality and literacy (the ability to leverage tools), the divide remains.
• Option (c) is incorrect: The passage does not compare high-end computing to mobile technology; it critiques how the existing technology (mobiles) is being used.
• Option (d) is incorrect: This contradicts the passage. The author suggests digital literacy is crucial to help people move from consumption to productive use.