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How to Prepare ARD for NABARD Grade A? – Know Key Beneficial Tips

By BYJU'S Exam Prep

Updated on: September 11th, 2023

NABARD Grade-A Notification 2023 is going to be release soon. Many candidates are now wondering how to prepare ARD for the NABARD Grade-A Exam.

Agriculture and Rural Development is an important section as it carries 40 marks. Thus, it becomes crucial for you to create the right approach for the preparation of the ARD section. Here in this article, we are providing key beneficial tips to prepare for the ARD of the NABARD Grade A Exam.

NABARD Grade-A exam is conducted in three phases; Prelims exam, Mains exam, and the interview process.

Candidates who clear the preliminary exam are promoted to sit in the mains exam and only those who clear the mains exam are eligible to appear for the interview.

The two phases of the examination, however, do not have any difference in the syllabus, the pattern of the questions, and the type of questions. Therefore, agriculture and rural development topics (ARD) remain of equal importance in both preliminary and mains exams. Let us take you through tips on how to prepare ARD for the NABARD Grade-A exam, in this article.

How to Prepare Agriculture and Rural Development for NABARD?

\Discussed below are some of the tips to prepare for the NABARD Gr A exam with special reference to the ARD section.

Having a timetable

When creating your study schedule, keep in mind how many days you have left before taking the NABARD Gr A exam.

  • Sort issues into simple and complex categories. Depending on the complexity of the topics, allot a certain number of days to learn and practice.
  • Set goals for the week and the month to keep track of your progress and to make sure you finish the NABARD Grade A syllabus on time.
  • Save the most recent days for modification. Don’t pick up any new skills these days.

Reading newspapers and magazines

News about state initiatives or policies should be carefully read. If you’re studying for the NABARD Grade A, you should read news stories about rural and agricultural issues. The editorial page is the most crucial part of any newspaper. This offers significant coverage of significant national events. All types of students ought to attentively read it. It should take students at least 15 to 20 minutes to read and analyze this part.

Watching the national channel on agriculture

This is also very helpful, because what you watch and see you understand and learn quickly in comparison to learning from books. The aspirants must watch agriculture news to be updated on the ongoing changes and implementation of the schemes etc.

Practice

With practice, we may perform a task with progressively less active brain processes. It automates processes. When artists master one facet of their craft, their minds are free to focus on another.

Once your preparation is complete, enroll in practice exams to evaluate your knowledge. Your level of subject knowledge will be apparent. There are websites that provide practice NABARD Grade A exam.

Make Notes on Important Topics

Always keep a separate notebook on hand to jot down crucial formulas and notions. Repeat the process until you can recite the words off-hand. For any last-minute adjustments, you can also use this notepad.

  • The majority of the exam’s questions are similar to one another and must be resolved using a similar strategy.
  • Make a note of these issues and the solutions you use to solve them. You’ll have more time on the final exam if you do this.

Let’s discuss the above points on agriculture and rural development for NABARD in a little detail:

Having a timetable to keep you organized and in check with the progress. Since the exam is divided into different sections including ARD and the syllabus of this section is vast in itself the timetable helps in structuring your preparations. As you complete your required hours of study for the ARD section each day, mark them in your timetable.

Similarly, as you finish one of the topics, mark it in your NABARD Grade A syllabus list. Once every week check your study hour progress and once a month checks your progress in terms of topics you have covered.

Read newspapers and magazines and make notes on important issues and the latest development in the field of agriculture. Before making notes for the new day, make sure that you revise your notes from the previous day. This helps not only in gaining knowledge but also in retaining the information for the exam.

Sources to Prepare ARD Section for NABARD

An exam requires a thorough understanding of how to prepare for NABARD, which includes using the appropriate tactics and creating a study schedule. Additionally, you’ll need to be familiar with the NABARD Grade A exam’s Top Tips. Since there is still plenty of time before the test, candidates should be aware of these strategies right away.

Some of the newspapers and annual reports that candidates can refer to the information on agriculture and development are:

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Watching television can never be a strategy for any examination, but NABARD has the exception for this. The DD Kisan is a national channel which is dedicated to farmers and farming. It telecasts the latest news and all the information that a farmer would need for better farming.

Sometimes reading does not interest many people and hence watching the channel may make it a little easier to know about the latest news, reports, and development in the area of agriculture.

Practicing the exam before appearing for the actual exam prepares a candidate in many ways. Test series are available in both online and offline modes. Taking the test series makes the candidates aware of the exam and the type of questions that will be asked.

Additionally, practicing the test within the given time and in a classroom prepares candidates to understand the pressure that they will face in the exam hall. Similarly, the evaluation will help them to know the weak areas that they need to work on.

Best Books for NABARD Grade A Agriculture & Rural Development

The best books for preparation in agriculture and rural development exist both online and offline, but picking the proper ones can be difficult. To assist applicants in making the finest ARD exam preparation book selections, we have a guided list of books. Books on agriculture and rural development are the most useful study tools for preparation.

Those who intend to take the NABARD Grade A 2023 exam may consult the prescribed study material. The books on agriculture and rural development that come highly recommended include thorough explanations of every subject and practice test problems.

Book Name Author/Publication
Fundamentals of Agriculture Arun Katyayan Vol 1 & 2
A Competitive book of Agriculture Nem Raj Sanda
Agriculture at a Glance R K Sharma
Rural Development By IGNOU or E-Gyankosh
Rural Development GPH Books

Kurukshetra and Yojana magazines

YojanaKurukshetra

NABARD Grade A Exam Pattern

The preliminary exam is divided into seven sections as given below, and the agriculture and rural development sections are referred to as ARD.

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The total composite time allotted for the exam is 2 hours. Candidates have to attempt all the sections and must clear each section separately. However, the composite time gives the liberty to candidates to attempt the sections in any order as per their convenience and time management.

Agriculture & Rural Development Practice Questions For NABARD Grade A 2023

1.Which of the following scientists is considered as Father of agricultural chemistry?

A. Liebig
B. Francis Bacon
C. Priestly
D. Thomas Jefferson
E. None of these

2.Which of the following crops require the least amount of water during cultivation?

A. Wheat
B. Rice
C. Sorghum
D. Sugarcane
E. Mustard

3.That portion of production which the farmer is ready to sell in the market is known as –

A. Marketable production
B. Marketable surplus
C. Marketable produce
D. Marketable goods
E. None of the above

4.Which of the following commodities fall(s) within the scope of the activities of the Nation Horticulture Mission in India?

A. Tomato
B. Areca nut
C. Cashew nut
D. Coconut
E. All of the above

5.Which among the following deals with that branch of agricultural economics which is mainly about the business principles and interests of farming?

A. Farm management
B. Economy management
C. Business management
D. Agriculture management
E. None of the above

6.Which of the following elements is essential for the storage of energy in plants?

A. Phosphorus
B. Sulphur
C. Carbon
D. Oxygen
E. Nitrogen

7.Which of the following crop is the highest digestible protein fodder?

A. Lucerne
B. Legumes
C. Berseem
D. Clusterbean
E. Grass

ARD Syllabus and study plan

Coming back to ARD, then it is one of the three sections of the preliminary exam that has been given more marks value than other sections and if candidates focus better on these sections, they can improve their overall score. The syllabus highlights for the ARD section is as follows:

Topic Name  Details
Agriculture
  • Definition, meaning, and its branches
  • Agronomy: Definition, meaning, and scope of agronomy.
  • Classification of field crops.
  • Factors affecting crop production
  • Agro Climatic Zones
  • Cropping Systems: Definition and types of cropping systems.
  • Problems of dry land – Seed production, seed processing, seed village
  • Meteorology: weather parameters, crop-weather advisory
  • Precision Farming
  • System of Crop Intensification
  • Organic farming
Soil and Water Conservation
  • Major soil types
  • Soil fertility
  • Fertilizers
  • Soil erosion
  • Soil conservation
  • Watershed management
Water Resource
  • Irrigation Management
  • Types of irrigation
  • Sources of irrigation
  • Crop-water requirement
  • Command area development
  • Water conservation techniques
  • Micro-irrigation
  • Irrigation pumps
  • Major, medium, and minor irrigation.
Farm and Agri Engineering
  • Farm Machinery and Power
  • Sources of power on the farm- human, animal, mechanical, electrical, wind, solar and biomass, biofuels
  • Water harvesting structures
  • Farm Ponds
  • Agro-Processing
  • Controlled and modified storage, perishable food storage, godowns, bins, and grain silos.
Plantation & Horticulture
  • Definition, meaning, and its branches
  • Agronomic practices and production technology of various plantation and horticulture crops
  • Post-harvest management, value and supply chain management of Plantation and Horticulture crops.
Animal Husbandry
  • Farm animals and their role in the Indian economy
  • Animal husbandry methods in India
  • Common terms pertaining to different species of livestock
  • Utility classification of breeds of cattle.
  • Introduction to common feeds and fodders, their classification, and utility.
  • Introduction to the poultry industry in India (past, present, and future status)
  • Common terms pertaining to poultry production and management
  • The concept of mixed farming and its relevance to socio-economic conditions of farmers in India
  • Complimentary and obligatory nature of livestock and poultry production with that of agricultural farming.
Fisheries
  • Fisheries resources
  • Management and exploitation – freshwater, brackish water, and marine
  • Aquaculture- Inland and marine
  • Biotechnology
  • Post-harvest technology
  • Importance of fisheries in India
  • Common terms pertaining to fish production.
Forestry
  • Basic concepts of Forest and Forestry
  • Principles of silviculture, forest mensuration, forest management, and forest economics
  • Concepts of social forestry, agroforestry, joint forest management
  • Forest policy and legislation in India, India State of Forest Report 2015
  • Recent developments under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
Agriculture Extensions
  • Its importance and role, methods of evaluation of extension pprograms
  • Role of Krishi Vigyan Kendra’s (KVK) in the dissemination of Agricultural technologies.
Ecology and Climate Change
  • Ecology and its relevance to man, natural resources, sustainable management, and conservation
  • Causes of climate change, Green House Gases (GHG), major GHG emitting countries, climate analysis
  • Distinguish between adaptation and mitigation
  • Climate change impact on agriculture and rural livelihoods
  • Carbon credit
  • IPCC, UNFCCC, CoP meetings
  • Funding mechanisms for climate change projects
  • Initiatives by Govt of India, NAPCC, SAPCC, INDC.
Present Scenario of Indian Agriculture and Allied activities
  • Recent trends
  • Major challenges in agriculture measures to enhance
  • Viability of agriculture
    Factors of Production in agriculture
  • Agricultural Finance and Marketing
  • Impact of Globalization on Indian Agriculture and issues of Food Security
  • Concept and Types of Farm Management.

(b) Rural Development

This one section of the preliminary exam has a vast syllabus and candidates have to prepare this while preparing for other sections as well. Therefore, the study plan must include a couple of hours every day from this section. The current affairs related to agriculture and development can help in the current affairs section of the exam as well.

Topic Details
Rural Development
  • Concept of Rural Area
  • Structure of the Indian Rural Economy
  • Importance and role of the rural sector in India
  • Economic, Social and Demographic Characteristics of the Indian rural economy
  • Causes of Rural Backwardness.
  • Rural population in India
  • Occupational structure
  • Farmers, Agricultural Laborers, Artisans, Handicrafts, Traders, Forest dwellers/tribes, and others in rural India
  • Trends of change in rural population and rural workforce
  • Problems and conditions of rural labour
  • Issues and challenges in Hand-looms
  • Panchayati Raj Institutions – Functions and Working.
  • MGNREGA, NRLM – Aajeevika, Rural Drinking water Programs, Swachh Bharat, Rural Housing, PURA, and other rural development programs.

Similarly, reading through the latest reports and journals of agriculture, to understand and learn about government policies, will help in reading comprehension of the English language section.

Conclusion

Like any other entrance exam, the NABARD Grade-A exam builds the same pressure and anxiety among the candidates appearing for it. However, if candidates start preparing in time with a strategy in mind and a study plan to follow, it is not difficult.

The simple answer to the vast syllabus requiring wide knowledge is consistency, consistent hours of study, a consistent timetable, and consistent practice.

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