Agriculture Previous Year Questions UPSC Mains for GS 3 (2022-2013)

Agriculture UPSC Mains Questions (2022-2019)

Agriculture is an optional subject for the UPSC Mains exam. Questions are asked from this section in the GS-3 Papers 1 and 2. Thus, a candidate must learn all the topics included in the Agriculture Optional Syllabus.

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To assist the aspirants in better understanding the questions raised under this section, we have segregated the Agriculture UPSC Mains Questions Trend for the past few years.

• Agriculture Previous Year Question Paper UPSC 2022 – Only two questions from the Agriculture section were asked in the 2022 Mains exam.
• Agriculture UPSC Mains Questions 2021 – The examiner raised four good-level questions from the Agriculture section, which accounts for 40% of the total percentage of the maximum marks.
• Agriculture PYQ UPSC Mains 2020 – Four questions were asked from the Agriculture section of the UPSC Syllabus. It includes topics like the transport and marketing of agricultural produce, Food Processing in India, the rice-wheat system, and the irrigation system.
• UPSC Mains Questions on Agriculture 2019 – In 2019, there were five questions from the Agriculture Syllabus. According to the subject experts, the difficulty level of the Agriculture UPSC Mains Questions in the year was medium.

Agriculture Previous Year Questions UPSC Mains PDF

Candidates preparing for the UPSC exam must go through the last 10 years question papers. We have compiled all the Agriculture UPSC Mains Questions from 2022 to 2013 for your convenience in a PDF. Click on the mentioned link and save it for future reference.

Agriculture UPSC Mains Questions PDF

Practicing these questions will be helpful to understand the type of questions asked in this particular section. After covering the Agriculture syllabus, make sure to solve PYQ to boost your proficiency in this subject.

Agriculture UPSC Mains Questions 2022

Around three questions were put up in the 2022 Mains exam from the Agriculture subject. Below are the Agriculture PYQ UPSC Mains for 2022.

• Question 1: Elaborate the scope and significance of the food processing industry in India.
• Question 2: What is Integrated Farming System? How is it helpful to small and marginal farmers in India?
• Question 3: What are the main bottlenecks in upstream and downstream process of marketing of agricultural products in India?

Agriculture PYQ UPSC Mains 2021

According to the subject experts, four moderate-level questions were raised in the Mains exam from the Agriculture syllabus. An aspirant must have a basic knowledge of the Agriculture concept to be competent to answer the below questions.

• Question 1: What are the present challenges before crop diversification? How do emerging technologies provide an opportunity for crop diversification?
• Question 2: What are the salient features of the National Food Security Act 2013? How has the Food Security Bill helped eliminate hunger and malnutrition in India? (Answer 250 words)
• Question 3: How and to what extent would micro-irrigation help in solving India’s water crisis? (Answer in 150 words)
• Question 4: How did land reforms in some parts of the country help to improve the socio-economic conditions of marginal and small farmers?

Agriculture Previous Year Questions UPSC Mains 2020

Agriculture Previous Year Question Paper UPSC 2020 was of medium difficulty level. A total of 4 questions were asked in the GS-3 of the Mains exam, which are listed below.

• Question 1: Suggest measures to improve water storage and irrigation system to make their judicious use under the depleting scenario.
• Question 2: What are the major factors responsible for making the rice-wheat system a success? In spite of this success, how has this system become a bane in India?
• Question 3: What are the challenges and opportunities of the food processing sector in the country? How can the income of the farmers be substantially increased by encouraging food processing?
• Question 4: What are the main constraints in the transport and marketing of agricultural produce in India?

Agriculture UPSC Mains Questions 2019

In 2019, five good-level questions were asked from the Agriculture section. The topic includes Government Schemes and Policies, major contributions in the field, the effect of methods used for increasing agricultural products and the Integrated Farming System. The Agriculture UPSC Mains Questions put up in the 2019 exam are as follows:

• Question 1: Elaborate on the policy taken by the Government of India to meet the challenges of the food processing sector.
• Question 2: What are the reformative steps taken by the Government to make the food grain distribution system more effective?
• Question 3: How has India benefited from the contributions of Sir M. Visvesvaraya and Dr M. S. Swaminathan in the fields of water engineering and agricultural science, respectively?
• Question 4: Elaborate on the impact of the National Watershed Project in increasing agricultural production from water-stressed areas.
• Question 5: How far is the Integrated Farming System (IFS) helpful in sustaining agricultural production?

Agriculture PYQ UPSC Mains (2018-2013)

All candidates who successfully cleared the UPSC Prelims Cutoff and took Agriculture as an optional subject must have a clear idea of the questions asked from this section. Below is the table showing the trend of the Agriculture PYQ UPSC Mains from 2013 to 2018.

Year	Agriculture UPSC Mains Questions
Agriculture UPSC Mains Questions 2018	Q1 How has the emphasis on certain crops brought about changes in cropping patterns in the recent past? Elaborate the emphasis on millet production and consumption. Q2 Assess the role of the National Horticulture Mission (NHM) in boosting the production, productivity, and income of horticulture farms. How far has it succeeded in increasing the income of farmers? Q3 Examine the role of supermarkets in supply chain management of fruits, vegetables, and food items. How do they eliminate the number of intermediaries? Q4 What do you mean by the Minimum Support Price (MSP)? How will MSP rescue the farmers from the low-income trap?
Agriculture PYQ UPSC Mains 2017	Q1 How do subsidies affect the cropping pattern, crop diversity and economy of farmers? What is the significance of crop insurance, minimum support price and food processing for small and marginal farmers? Q2 What are the major reasons for declining rice and wheat yield in the cropping system? How crop diversification is helpful in stabilizing the yield of the crop in the system? (Answer in 250 words) Q3 What are the reasons for poor acceptance of cost-effective small processing units? How can the food processing unit be helpful in uplifting the socioeconomic status of poor farmers? Q4 Explain various types of revolutions that took place in Agriculture after Independence in India. How these revolutions have helped in poverty alleviation and food security in India?
Agriculture Mains Questions 2016	Q1 Given the vulnerability of Indian agriculture to vagaries of nature, discuss the need for crop insurance and bring out the salient features of the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY). Q2 Discuss the role of land reforms in agricultural development. Identify the factors that were responsible for the success of land reforms in India. Q3 What is water-use efficiency? Describe the role of micro-irrigation in increasing water-use efficiency.
Agriculture Mains Question Paper 2015	Q1 Livestock rearing has a big potential for providing non-farm employment and income in rural areas. Discuss suggesting suitable examples. Q2 In view of the declining average size of land holdings in India which has made Agriculture non-viable for a majority of farmers, should contract farming and land leasing be promoted in agriculture? Critically evaluate the pros and cons.
Agriculture Previous Year Questions UPSC Mains 2014	Q1 There is also a point of view that agriculture produce market committees (APMCs) set up under the state acts have not only impeded the development of agriculture but also have been the cause of food inflation in India. Critically examine. Q2 “In the villages itself, no form of credit organization will be suitable except the cooperative society.” – All Indian rural credit survey. Discuss this statement in the background of agriculture finance in India. What constraints and challenges do financial institutions supply agricultural finances? How can technology be used to better reach and serve rural clients?
Agriculture Questions in UPSC Mains 2013	Q1 Establish relationships between land reforms, agricultural productivity and elimination of poverty in the Indian economy. Discuss the difficulties in designing and implementation of agriculture – friendly land reforms in India. Q2 India needs to strengthen measures to promote the pink revolution in the food industry for ensuring better nutrition and health. Critically elucidate the statement. Q3 What are the different types of agriculture subsidies given to farmers at the national and at state levels? Critically analyse the agricultural subsidy regime with reference to the distortions created by it. Q4 Food Security Bill is expected to eliminate hunger and malnutrition in India. Critically discuss various apprehensions in its effective implementation along with the concerns it has generated in WTO.

Topic Wise Agriculture UPSC Mains Questions

The Agriculture Syllabus for UPSC is divided into two papers (1 and 2). The important topics that ought to be covered in the Agriculture syllabus are as follows.

UPSC Agriculture Syllabus Paper 1 – Ecology, Agricultural extension, Agricultural economics, Soil and water conservation, Soil science and nutrient management, Forestry, Weed Science, and Agronomy.

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UPSC Agriculture Syllabus Paper 2 – Cell biology, Food production and nutrition management, Plant protection techniques, Horticulture and landscape gardening, Plant physiology, Seed production and technology, and Plant breeding.

The aspirants can also refer to the topic-wise UPSC Previous Year Question Papers for GS papers 1 to 4 through the following links:

• Topic Wise GS 1 Previous Year Questions
• Topic Wise GS 2 Previous Year Questions
• Topic Wise GS 3 Previous Year Questions
• Topic Wise GS 4 Previous Year Questions

How to Prepare Agriculture Previous Year Questions UPSC Mains?

To score well in the Mains Exam, the students must prepare the complete syllabus for Agriculture Optional subject. Checking the previous year’s Agriculture UPSC Mains Questions will help the candidates judge their understanding of the topic and also help them to get familiar with the GS-3 Agriculture Exam Pattern.

Along with sheer dedication, here are some tips that will help the aspirants to prepare for the UPSC Mains Agriculture questions.

• Get familiar with the complete syllabus for Agriculture Optional Subject.
• To handle Agriculture Paper 2, you must possess a strong understanding of the subject with basic concepts.
• Try to make notes as per your understanding and always complete revisions.
• Try to divide the syllabus into the most and least important topics, especially the economic dimensions.
• Get to know about the recent government data on agriculture-related statistics sourced from the agriculture ministry website or the economic survey.
• Refer to the previous year’s Agriculture UPSC Mains Questions for a minimum of 10 years. Solve them and judge your preparations.

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