RAS question
How many new crop varieties were released by Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on January 4, 2026?
Correct answer: (D) 184.
Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan released 184 newly developed crop varieties across 25 field crops at the ICAR Leadership Programme in New Delhi on 4 January 2026.
Explanation
The answer is 184 because the official PIB media invitation describes the event as the unveiling of “184 New Crop Varieties of 25 Field Crops”. It identifies the chief guest as Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan, and lists the date as 4 January 2026. These were newly developed varieties released at the ICAR Leadership Programme in New Delhi. The number is not a rounded estimate or a scheme target; it is the specific count attached to a dated official agriculture event: 184 varieties, spread across 25 crops.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) 84 is too low; the official event title states 184 new crop varieties, not 84.
- (B) 234 overstates the release count; the PIB invitation supports 184 varieties across 25 field crops.
- (C) 134 is incorrect because the release count was 184 varieties.
Concept
This tests current affairs in agricultural science and government institutions, especially ICAR-linked crop-variety releases. Such facts recur in RAS because they connect science and technology with agriculture policy and official Union Government announcements.