RAS question
Kisan Rail was launched to:
Correct answer: (C) Transport perishable agricultural produce through cold chain rail service.
Kisan Rail was launched to move perishable agricultural produce through a cold-chain rail service.
Explanation
Kisan Rail is not a passenger concession or a general farm-market slogan; it is a logistics service for perishables. It was launched in August 2020 to provide multi-commodity cold-chain transport for fruits, vegetables, dairy, fish and meat, with dedicated refrigerated wagons and a 50% freight subsidy. The Ministry of Railways, after consultation with the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, started Kisan Special Trains for transporting perishable horticulture and agriculture products, dairy and fisheries. These services are multi-commodity and multi-consignor/consignee, which is why option C captures the scheme most precisely.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Kisan Rail was meant for perishable horticulture and agriculture products, dairy and fisheries, not for transporting fertilisers only.
- (B) Connecting agricultural markets is too broad; the specific design tested here is cold-chain rail transport for perishable produce.
- (D) The scheme concerns freight movement of perishables, not free passenger rail travel for farmers.
Concept
This tests the agriculture-logistics and allied-infrastructure part of the Indian Economy syllabus. It recurs in RAS because schemes that reduce post-harvest losses link farming, transport, markets and farmer income in one policy idea.