RAS question
How many free seed kits will be provided to farmers under the Pulses Mission?
Correct answer: (C) 88 lakh.
Under the Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses, farmers will receive 88 lakh free seed kits to improve access to better pulse varieties.
Explanation
The correct figure is 88 lakh free seed kits. The PIB release on India's Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses says the mission is built around self-sufficiency in pulses by raising domestic production, reducing import dependence and improving farmers' incomes. A major part of that design is a stronger seed system: the release mentions high-yielding, pest-resistant and climate-resilient pulse varieties, backed by certified seed production and the free provision of 88 lakh seed kits to farmers. The number matters because the seed kits are not a side benefit; they are the delivery channel through which improved pulse varieties are meant to reach cultivators.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) 20 lakh is too low because the cited PIB release specifies free provision of 88 lakh seed kits, not 20 lakh.
- (B) 50 lakh does not match the mission figure in the official release, which identifies 88 lakh free seed kits for farmers.
- (D) 1 crore overstates the stated target because the PIB source fixes the free seed-kit provision at 88 lakh.
Concept
This tests government schemes in agriculture, especially input support and seed-system interventions under pulses self-sufficiency. RAS often asks such figures because they connect economic policy goals with concrete scheme instruments.