RAS question
Rajasthan ranks which position in India in livestock population?
Correct answer: (C) 2nd.
Rajasthan ranks second in India in total livestock population in the 20th Livestock Census, 2019.
Explanation
The 20th Livestock Census, 2019 places Rajasthan second in India for total livestock population, with 56,800,945 animals, or about 5.68 crore. Uttar Pradesh is ahead of it with 68,012,945 animals, or about 6.80 crore, which is why Rajasthan cannot be ranked first. This point matters for RAS because Rajasthan's livestock profile appears both through overall rank and through species-wise leadership; the state leads India in camels, donkeys and goats. In overall livestock population, unlike species-wise leadership, Rajasthan is second overall, after Uttar Pradesh.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) 5th is too low because Rajasthan's 56,800,945 livestock place it behind only Uttar Pradesh among Indian states and UTs in the 20th Livestock Census.
- (B) 1st is wrong because Uttar Pradesh has the highest livestock population at 68,012,945, more than Rajasthan's 56,800,945.
- (D) 3rd is wrong because only Uttar Pradesh is ahead of Rajasthan in total livestock population.
Concept
RAS economic geography covers Rajasthan through official livestock-census rankings. Livestock-census rankings recur in RAS because the census supports both state-rank coverage and Rajasthan's species-wise livestock leadership.