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Sustainable agriculture and genetically modified crops

मराठीत स्पष्टीकरण

Sustainable development and energy · Part 3 / 3 · Fact-checked on · how we check

Written with AI from the sources listed at the bottom of this page, then fact-checked by a separate AI.

Soil, water and input efficiency; integrated pest management; organic farming, NPOP and PGS-India, Sikkim; natural farming and its national mission; NICRA, NMSA and millets; transgenic and genome-edited crops; the 1989 Rules, RCGM and GEAC; Bt cotton, Bt brinjal, GM mustard and genome-edited rice; the GM debate.

Each idea is explained first in Marathi (मराठी), ending with the English and Hindi exam terms, followed by the same point in exam English. UPSC Prelims is in English or Hindi, so understand it in Marathi and revise it in English.

हरितक्रांतीने आपली धान्याची कोठारे भरली, पण बिल नंतर आले: पंजाब, हरियाणात भूजल खोल गेले, जमिनीतील सेंद्रिय कर्ब घटला, युरिया आणि कीटकनाशके अतिप्रमाणात वापरली गेली. आता उष्णतेच्या लाटा आणि अवकाळी पाऊसही. आजोबांचे शेत नातवाला अधिक सुपीक करून देणे हाच शेतीतील शाश्वत विकास. हा भाग आधी चांगल्या शेती पद्धती, सेंद्रिय व नैसर्गिक शेती, हवामानाला तोंड देणारी शेती पाहतो; नंतर जनुकीय सुधारित पिके, त्यांचे नियमन आणि वाद. (→ English: sustainable development; sustainable agriculture; Green Revolution · हिन्दी: सतत विकास; सतत कृषि; हरित क्रांति)

In exam EnglishFarming is where sustainable development meets the daily life of most Indians. The Green Revolution of the 1960s and 1970s made India self-sufficient in food grains through high-yielding seeds, chemical fertilisers and assured irrigation, but it left costs behind: falling water tables in parts of Punjab and Haryana, soils thinned of organic matter, unbalanced use of urea, and heavy pesticide spraying. Climate change now adds heat waves, erratic rain and new pests. Sustainable agriculture asks how yields can stay high while soil, water and biodiversity are protected for the next generation of farmers. This part answers in two halves. The first covers better farm practices, organic and natural farming and climate-resilient farming. The second covers genetically modified crops: what they are, how India regulates them and why they remain contested.

डॉक्टर रक्ततपासणी करून औषध लिहितात तसे, मृदा आरोग्य पत्रिका मातीची तपासणी करून कोणते खत किती घालायचे ते सांगते (2015, सुरतगड). पाण्यासाठी सूक्ष्म सिंचन: संपूर्ण शेतात पाणी न सोडता ठिबक किंवा तुषार सिंचनाने थेट मुळांपाशी; 'प्रति थेंब अधिक पीक' अंतर्गत प्रोत्साहन. खतांसाठी एकात्मिक अन्नद्रव्य व्यवस्थापन: शेणखत, कंपोस्ट, हिरवळीचे खत, जैविक खते आणि रासायनिक खते समतोल प्रमाणात. निंबोळी लेपित युरिया नायट्रोजन हळूहळू देतो आणि कारखान्यांकडे वळवणे कठीण जाते. (→ English: Soil Health Card; micro-irrigation; Per Drop More Crop; integrated nutrient management; neem-coated urea · हिन्दी: मृदा स्वास्थ्य कार्ड; सूक्ष्म सिंचाई; प्रति बूँद अधिक फ़सल; समेकित पोषक तत्व प्रबंधन; नीम-लेपित यूरिया)

In exam EnglishSustainable farming begins with three resources: soil, water and inputs. For soil, the Soil Health Card scheme, launched in February 2015 at Suratgarh in Rajasthan, tests farm soil for nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and micronutrients and gives the farmer a card recommending how much of each fertiliser to apply, so that money is not wasted and land is not overloaded. For water, micro-irrigation delivers water through drip lines or sprinklers to the plant's root zone instead of flooding the field; it is promoted under the Per Drop More Crop component of the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (2015). For inputs, integrated nutrient management combines farmyard manure, compost, green manure and biofertilisers with chemical fertilisers in balanced doses. Neem-coated urea, made compulsory for all domestically produced urea in 2015, releases nitrogen more slowly and is hard to divert to factories.

घरात एक डास दिसला म्हणून आपण संपूर्ण घरात विष फवारत नाही; आधी खिडकीला जाळी, मग मच्छरदाणी. एकात्मिक कीड व्यवस्थापनही तसेच: आधी प्रतिकारक वाण, पीक फेरपालट, वेळेवर पेरणी; मग पिकावर लक्ष ठेवून, नुकसान खरोखर वाढले तरच उपाय. कामगंध सापळे, प्रकाश सापळे, अंड्यांवर हल्ला करणाऱ्या ट्रायकोग्रामा गांधीलमाश्या, निंबोळी अर्क; शेवटीच रसायन. कारण बेसुमार फवारणीने शेतकऱ्याचे मित्रकीटक मरतात, किडींमध्ये प्रतिकारशक्ती वाढते आणि अन्नात अवशेष राहतात. (→ English: integrated pest management; economic threshold; bio-pesticide; biomagnification · हिन्दी: समेकित नाशीजीव प्रबंधन; आर्थिक क्षति स्तर; जैव कीटनाशक; जैव आवर्धन)

In exam Englishintegrated pest management treats chemical pesticides as the last resort rather than the first. It starts with prevention: resistant varieties, crop rotation, timely sowing and clean fields. It then relies on watching the crop and acting only when pests cross a level at which they cause real economic loss. Control methods are layered: mechanical ones such as pheromone and light traps, biological ones such as releasing parasite insects like Trichogramma wasps that attack pest eggs, bio-pesticides made from neem or from microbes, and only then a targeted chemical spray. The reasoning is that blanket spraying kills the farmer's natural allies, lets pests develop resistance, leaves residues in food, and lets some chemicals build up along food chains, the biomagnification taught in the pollution chapter.

सेंद्रिय शेती म्हणजे रासायनिक खते, रासायनिक औषधे आणि जनुकीय सुधारित बियाण्यांशिवाय पिकवणे; मालाला 'सेंद्रिय' असे प्रमाणपत्र असते. प्रमाणपत्र दोन प्रकारचे. निर्यातीसाठी NPOP: बाहेरची संस्था येऊन तपासणी करते, वाणिज्य मंत्रालयाखाली. गावात विकण्यासाठी PGS: गावातील जाणते लोक एकमेकांची हमी देतात तसे, शेतकरी गटच एकमेकांचे शेत पाहून हमी देतो; खर्च कमी. परंपरागत कृषी विकास योजना (2015) गटांमध्ये सेंद्रिय शेतीला प्रोत्साहन देते. 2016 मध्ये सिक्कीम देशातील पहिले पूर्ण सेंद्रिय राज्य ठरले. (→ English: organic farming; NPOP; Participatory Guarantee System; Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana · हिन्दी: जैविक खेती; जैविक उत्पादन के लिए राष्ट्रीय कार्यक्रम; सहभागी गारंटी प्रणाली; परंपरागत कृषि विकास योजना)

In exam Englishorganic farming grows crops without synthetic fertilisers, synthetic pesticides or genetically modified seed, relying on compost, manure, crop rotation and biological pest control, and its produce is sold as certified organic. India runs two certification systems. The National Programme for Organic Production, begun in 2001 under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and implemented through APEDA, uses accredited third-party certifying agencies and is recognised for exports. The Participatory Guarantee System, PGS-India, is run under the Ministry of Agriculture: members of a local farmer group check each other's fields and stand guarantee for one another, an arrangement that costs far less and suits small farmers selling at home. The Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana, launched in 2015, promotes organic farming in clusters of farmers with PGS certification, and a separate mission supports organic value chains in the north-eastern states. Among the states, Sikkim got there first: in January 2016 it became the first in India to be declared wholly organic.

सेंद्रिय शेतकरी बाहेरून सेंद्रिय खत विकत घेऊ शकतो; नैसर्गिक शेती विकत घेणेच टाळायला सांगते. घरीच दह्याला विरजण लावतो तसे, शेण, गोमूत्र, गूळ, डाळीचे पीठ आणि माती यांपासून जीवामृत शेतातच बनवतात; बियाण्यासाठी बीजामृत, जमिनीवर आच्छादन, मिश्र पिके. खर्च कमी होणे कर्जबाजारी लहान शेतकऱ्यासाठी मोठा दिलासा. आंध्र प्रदेशात समुदाय-व्यवस्थापित मोठा कार्यक्रम चालतो; नोव्हेंबर 2024 मध्ये केंद्राने स्वतंत्र राष्ट्रीय अभियानाला मंजुरी दिली. उत्पादन टिकेल का या प्रश्नासाठी देखरेख. (→ English: natural farming; jeevamrit; beejamrit; National Mission on Natural Farming · हिन्दी: प्राकृतिक खेती; जीवामृत; बीजामृत; राष्ट्रीय प्राकृतिक खेती मिशन)

In exam Englishnatural farming goes a step further than organic farming. Organic farmers may buy approved organic inputs from outside; natural farming tries to avoid purchased inputs altogether and builds soil life with preparations made on the farm from cow dung, cow urine, jaggery, pulse flour and soil, such as jeevamrit, together with beejamrit for treating seed, mulching to cover the soil, and mixed cropping. The aim is to cut the cost of cultivation as well as chemical use, which matters for indebted small farmers. Andhra Pradesh has run a large community-managed natural farming programme, and the Centre supported natural farming within the Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana before the Union Cabinet approved a stand-alone National Mission on Natural Farming on 25 November 2024, with an outlay of ₹2,481 crore. Supporters stress lower costs and healthier soils; critics ask whether yields can be maintained at scale, which is why the mission builds in monitoring.

छत्री आणि स्वेटर दोन्ही सोबत ठेवणाऱ्यासारखी, हवामान बदलाला तयार असलेली शेती ही. NICRA (2011, ICAR) पिके, पशुधन, मासे उष्णता आणि दुष्काळाला कसा प्रतिसाद देतात याचे संशोधन करून, संवेदनशील जिल्ह्यांतील गावांत दुष्काळ सहन करणारे वाण, जलसंधारण, पेरणीच्या तारखेतील बदल दाखवते. राष्ट्रीय शाश्वत कृषी अभियान माती, कोरडवाहू क्षेत्र, पाण्याची कार्यक्षमता पाहते. ज्वारी, बाजरी, नाचणी कमी पाण्यात, हलक्या जमिनीत, लवकर पिकतात; 2023 आंतरराष्ट्रीय भरडधान्य वर्ष, अर्थसंकल्पात 'श्री अन्न'. (→ English: climate-resilient agriculture; NICRA; National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture; millets · हिन्दी: जलवायु-अनुकूल कृषि; NICRA; राष्ट्रीय सतत कृषि मिशन; मोटे अनाज)

In exam EnglishClimate-resilient agriculture prepares farms for heat, drought, floods and shifting seasons. Its research arm is the National Innovations in Climate Resilient Agriculture, NICRA, launched by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research in 2011; it studies how crops, livestock and fisheries respond to climate stress and demonstrates tested practices in villages in vulnerable districts, such as drought-tolerant varieties, water harvesting and changed sowing dates. On the policy side the National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture, one of the eight missions of the National Action Plan on Climate Change, works on soil health, rainfed area development and water-use efficiency. Millets such as jowar, bajra and ragi fit this strategy well: they grow on poor soils with little water, mature quickly and are rich in nutrients. India notified millets as nutri-cereals in 2018, and at its proposal the UN General Assembly declared 2023 the International Year of Millets; in its 2023–24 Union Budget the government gave millets the name Shree Anna.

जनुकीय सुधारित पीक म्हणजे दुसऱ्या जीवाचे जनुक वनस्पतीत घालणे. बीटी कापूस: मातीतल्या एका जीवाणूच्या जनुकामुळे झाडच बोंडअळीला मारणारे प्रथिन बनवते; फवारणी कमी. तणनाशक सहन करणारे वाणही असतात. जीनोम संपादन वेगळे: शिंपी नवे कापड न जोडता आहे तेच कापड कापून शिवतो तसे, वनस्पतीचा स्वतःचा DNA एका ठिकाणी कापला जातो. SDN-1, SDN-2 मध्ये छोटासा बदल, बाहेरचा DNA नाही; मार्च 2022 मध्ये यांना GM नियमांतून सूट. SDN-3 मध्ये मोठा तुकडा, बाहेरचे जनुकही असू शकते, म्हणून ते GM सारखेच. (→ English: genetically modified crop; transgenic; Bt; herbicide tolerance; genome editing; SDN-1, SDN-2, SDN-3 · हिन्दी: आनुवंशिक रूप से संशोधित फ़सल; पारजीनी; Bt; शाकनाशी सहनशीलता; जीनोम संपादन; SDN-1, SDN-2, SDN-3)

In exam EnglishA genetically modified crop carries genetic material changed in a laboratory, usually by inserting a gene from another organism; such crops are called transgenic. The best-known trait is Bt: genes from the soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis make the plant produce a protein that kills certain insects, such as the bollworms that bore into cotton, so less insecticide is needed. Another trait is herbicide tolerance, which lets a crop survive a weed-killer that destroys the weeds around it. genome editing is newer and more precise. Tools such as CRISPR-Cas9 cut the plant's own DNA at a chosen spot. In SDN-1 editing the cell repairs the cut by itself, causing a small change; in SDN-2 a small template guides the repair; in SDN-3 a larger piece of DNA, which may be a foreign gene, is inserted. On 30 March 2022 the environment ministry exempted SDN-1 and SDN-2 plants free of foreign DNA from the rules for genetically engineered organisms; SDN-3 plants are still regulated as GM.

नवे औषध बाजारात येण्यासाठी अनेक चाचण्या पार कराव्या लागतात; जनुकीय सुधारित पिकासाठीही अशीच शिडी आहे, 1989 चे नियम, पर्यावरण (संरक्षण) कायद्याखाली. पहिली पायरी: संस्थेतील जैवसुरक्षा समिती (प्रयोगशाळेतील काम). दुसरी पायरी: जैवतंत्रज्ञान विभागाखालील RCGM (संशोधन, छोट्या चाचण्या). वरची पायरी: पर्यावरण मंत्रालयाखालील GEAC (मोठ्या चाचण्या, शेतात सोडणे). ॲलर्जी, जंगली वनस्पतींमध्ये जनुक पसरणे, इतर कीटकांना हानी हे तपासले जाते. देशांदरम्यानच्या वाहतुकीसाठी जैवसुरक्षेवरील कार्टाजेना प्रोटोकॉल. (→ English: Rules, 1989; Institutional Biosafety Committee; RCGM; GEAC; environmental release; Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety · हिन्दी: नियम, 1989; संस्थागत जैव सुरक्षा समिति; RCGM; GEAC; पर्यावरणीय विमोचन; जैव सुरक्षा पर कार्टाजेना प्रोटोकॉल)

In exam EnglishIndia regulates genetically engineered organisms under the Rules for the Manufacture, Use, Import, Export and Storage of Hazardous Micro-organisms, Genetically Engineered Organisms or Cells, 1989, framed under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. The rules set up a ladder of committees. An Institutional Biosafety Committee in each research body oversees laboratory work. The Review Committee on Genetic Manipulation, under the Department of Biotechnology, clears research and small, confined field trials. The Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee, under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, decides on large-scale trials and on environmental release, the step before any commercial cultivation; it was called the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee until 2010. Biosafety reviews ask whether a crop could cause allergies, whether its genes could flow to wild relatives and whether it harms insects it was not meant to kill. Internationally, India is a party to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, which governs the movement of living modified organisms across borders.
Who approves what: India's GM regulatory ladder
BodyWorks underMain role
Institutional Biosafety CommitteeEach research institutionOversees laboratory work and biosafety on site
Review Committee on Genetic Manipulation (RCGM)Department of BiotechnologyClears research and small, confined field trials
Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC)Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate ChangeDecides on large-scale trials and environmental release
State and district committeesState governments and districtsMonitor trials and cultivation on the ground

आतापर्यंत व्यापारी लागवडीला परवानगी असलेले एकमेव जनुकीय सुधारित पीक म्हणजे बीटी कापूस (2002); आधी बोंडअळी कमी झाली, नंतर गुलाबी बोंडअळीने प्रतिकार मिळवला, आणि परवानगी नसलेले तणनाशक-सहनशील बियाणेही शेतात सापडले. बीटी वांग्याला 2009 मध्ये मंजुरी मिळाली तरी 2010 मध्ये स्थगिती दिली. जीएम मोहरी DMH-11 (दिल्ली विद्यापीठ) 2022 मध्ये शिफारस झाली; 2024 मध्ये सर्वोच्च न्यायालयाच्या दोन न्यायमूर्तींनी भिन्न निकाल देऊन राष्ट्रीय धोरण आणण्यास सांगितले. 2025 मध्ये ICAR ने दोन जीनोम संपादन केलेले भाताचे वाण दिले. (→ English: Bt cotton; Bt brinjal moratorium; GM mustard DMH-11; genome-edited rice · हिन्दी: Bt कपास; Bt बैंगन पर रोक; GM सरसों DMH-11; जीनोम-संपादित धान)

In exam EnglishIndia's record with GM crops is short and closely watched. Bt cotton, approved in 2002, remains the only GM crop cleared for commercial cultivation, and it now covers most of the country's cotton area; it cut bollworm damage at first, but the pink bollworm later developed resistance, and unapproved herbicide-tolerant Bt cotton has been found in farmers' fields. Bt brinjal was cleared by the GEAC in 2009, but in February 2010 the environment minister placed a moratorium on its release after public consultations across the country. GM mustard DMH-11, a hybrid developed at the University of Delhi using a gene system that makes the plant male-sterile so that hybrid seed is easier to produce, was recommended for environmental release in October 2022. Its challenge reached the Supreme Court, where a two-judge bench gave a split verdict in July 2024 and directed the Centre to frame a national policy on GM crops. In May 2025 the Indian Council of Agricultural Research released two genome-edited rice varieties, DRR Dhan 100 (Kamala) and Pusa DST Rice 1.

हे तराजूत तोलण्यासारखे आहे. एका पारड्यात फायदे: जास्त उत्पादन, कमी फवारणी, दुष्काळ आणि क्षार सहन करणारी पिके, पोषण. दुसऱ्या पारड्यात भीती: आरोग्य, इतर कीटक; आपला देश वांग्याचे मूळ स्थान असल्याने देशी वाणांमध्ये जनुक पसरणे; दर हंगामात बियाणे विकत घेण्याचा भार; किडी लवकर सरावणे. गंभीर हानीची शक्यता असेल तर पूर्ण पुरावा नाही म्हणून काळजी सोडू नये, हेच सावधगिरीचे तत्त्व. म्हणूनच प्रत्येक पीक समित्या आणि जनसुनावणीतून तपासले जाते. (→ English: precautionary principle; gene flow; centre of origin · हिन्दी: एहतियाती सिद्धांत; जीन प्रवाह; उद्गम केंद्र)

In exam EnglishThe debate over GM crops is a debate about weighing benefits against uncertain risks. Supporters point to higher yields, less insecticide, crops that tolerate drought or salt, and the chance to raise nutrition. Critics raise four main worries: possible effects on health and on insects that were not targets; gene flow into wild and traditional varieties, which matters because India is a centre of origin and diversity for crops such as brinjal; farmers' dependence on a few seed companies and the cost of seed each season; and the speed with which pests adapt, as the pink bollworm showed. The legal answer to such uncertainty is the precautionary principle, which the Supreme Court recognised in the Vellore judgment taught in Part 1: where serious harm is possible, lack of full scientific certainty is no reason to skip safeguards. That is why India moves crop by crop, through committees and public consultation.

दोन पेट्या कल्पना करा. पहिल्या पेटीत स्वस्त पद्धती: माती परीक्षण, ठिबक, समतोल खते, एकात्मिक कीड व्यवस्थापन, सेंद्रिय व नैसर्गिक शेती, भरडधान्ये. दुसऱ्या पेटीत कडक नियंत्रणाखालील तंत्रज्ञान: जनुकीय सुधारित आणि जीनोम संपादन केलेली पिके, RCGM आणि GEAC पार करून यावी लागतात. या दोन्ही शत्रू नाहीत; कमी पाणी, कमी रसायनांत जास्त पिकवणे हेच दोघांचे ध्येय. पहिला भाग ध्येय, दुसरा भाग ऊर्जा, तिसरा भाग अन्न; सगळे शेतकऱ्याच्या शेतात भेटतात. (→ English: sustainable agriculture; GEAC; RCGM · हिन्दी: सतत कृषि; GEAC; RCGM)

In exam EnglishPart 3 shows that sustainable farming has two toolkits. The first is about practice and costs little to adopt: soil testing, drip irrigation, balanced nutrients, integrated pest management, organic and natural farming, climate-tested varieties and millets. The second is about technology and is tightly regulated: transgenic and genome-edited crops, cleared step by step by the RCGM and the GEAC under the 1989 Rules, with Bt cotton the only GM crop grown commercially and genome-edited rice the newest arrival. The two are not rivals; both aim to grow more with less water, fewer chemicals and lower emissions. Part 1 set the goal, development that leaves the future intact. Part 2 applied it to energy. Part 3 applies it to food, where the questions raised by biofuels and by the precautionary principle meet in the farmer's field.

Exam traps

Recap

Practice questions

Q1. In India, which body decides on the environmental release of genetically modified crops?

  1. Review Committee on Genetic Manipulation
  2. Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee
  3. Institutional Biosafety Committee
  4. National Biodiversity Authority
Show answer

Answer: B. Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee

The GEAC, under the environment ministry, decides on large-scale trials and environmental release. The RCGM under the Department of Biotechnology clears research and confined trials, an Institutional Biosafety Committee oversees laboratory work in one institution, and the National Biodiversity Authority regulates access to biological resources under the Biological Diversity Act, not GM approvals.

Q2. Consider the following statements:
1. Bt cotton was approved for commercial cultivation in India in 2002.
2. Bt brinjal was approved for commercial cultivation in India in 2010.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. 1 only
  2. 2 only
  3. Both 1 and 2
  4. Neither 1 nor 2
Show answer

Answer: A. 1 only

Statement 1 is correct. Statement 2 is wrong: Bt brinjal was cleared by the GEAC in 2009, but in February 2010 a moratorium was placed on its release, so it was never approved for cultivation. Option 2 picks the false statement, option 3 includes it, and option 4 rejects the true statement 1.

Q3. With reference to genome editing of plants in India, consider the following statements:
1. SDN-3 genome-edited plants, in which a larger piece of DNA is inserted, are exempt from the rules for genetically engineered organisms.
2. SDN-1 and SDN-2 genome-edited plants free of foreign DNA were exempted from those rules in 2022.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. 1 only
  2. 2 only
  3. Both 1 and 2
  4. Neither 1 nor 2
Show answer

Answer: B. 2 only

Statement 2 is correct: the environment ministry's order of 30 March 2022 exempted SDN-1 and SDN-2 plants without foreign DNA. Statement 1 is wrong: SDN-3 plants can carry foreign genes and are still regulated as GM. Options 1 and 3 include the false statement 1, and option 4 rejects the true statement 2.

Q4. Consider the following statements about organic certification in India:
1. The National Programme for Organic Production uses third-party certification and is implemented through APEDA.
2. PGS-India is a group-based system in which farmers vouch for one another, meant mainly for the domestic market.
3. Sikkim was declared India's first fully organic state in 2016.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. 1 and 2 only
  2. 2 and 3 only
  3. 1 and 3 only
  4. 1, 2 and 3
Show answer

Answer: D. 1, 2 and 3

All three are correct: NPOP (2001) relies on accredited third-party agencies through APEDA and serves exports, PGS-India relies on peer checks within farmer groups for the home market, and Sikkim was declared fully organic in January 2016. Options 1, 2 and 3 each leave out one true statement.

Q5. Match List I with List II:
List I (scheme)
A. Soil Health Card
B. Per Drop More Crop
C. Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana
D. NICRA
List II (purpose)
1. Cluster-based organic farming
2. Research and village demonstrations on climate-resilient farming
3. Fertiliser recommendations based on soil testing
4. Drip and sprinkler irrigation
Select the correct answer using the code given below:

  1. A-3, B-4, C-1, D-2
  2. A-4, B-3, C-1, D-2
  3. A-3, B-4, C-2, D-1
  4. A-1, B-4, C-3, D-2
Show answer

Answer: A. A-3, B-4, C-1, D-2

The Soil Health Card gives soil-based fertiliser advice (A-3), Per Drop More Crop promotes micro-irrigation (B-4), PKVY promotes cluster organic farming (C-1) and NICRA is ICAR's climate-resilience programme (D-2). Option 2 swaps soil cards and irrigation, option 3 swaps PKVY and NICRA, and option 4 swaps soil cards and PKVY.

Q6. Which one of the following best distinguishes natural farming from organic farming?

  1. Natural farming permits limited use of chemical fertilisers
  2. Natural farming relies on preparations made on the farm and tries to avoid buying even organic inputs
  3. Natural farming depends on genetically modified seed
  4. Natural farming produce must be certified under the NPOP for export
Show answer

Answer: B. Natural farming relies on preparations made on the farm and tries to avoid buying even organic inputs

Natural farming avoids purchased inputs and builds soil life with farm-made preparations such as jeevamrit, while organic farmers may buy approved organic inputs. It does not allow chemical fertilisers, it does not use GM seed, and NPOP is an organic certification route, not a defining feature of natural farming.

Q7. Consider the following statements:
1. At India's proposal, the UN General Assembly declared 2023 the International Year of Millets.
2. The National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture is one of the eight missions of the National Action Plan on Climate Change.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. 1 only
  2. 2 only
  3. Both 1 and 2
  4. Neither 1 nor 2
Show answer

Answer: C. Both 1 and 2

Both are correct: 2023 was the International Year of Millets on India's proposal, and the NMSA is one of the NAPCC's eight missions. Options 1 and 2 each drop a true statement, and option 4 rejects both.

Q8. The Rules, 1989 under which genetically engineered organisms are regulated in India were framed under which Act?

  1. Biological Diversity Act, 2002
  2. Seeds Act, 1966
  3. Environment (Protection) Act, 1986
  4. Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972
Show answer

Answer: C. Environment (Protection) Act, 1986

The 1989 Rules were framed under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, which also places the GEAC under the environment ministry. The Biological Diversity Act deals with access to biological resources and benefit sharing, the Seeds Act with seed quality, and the Wild Life Act with protecting wild animals and plants.

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