RAS question
Which crop is associated with the 'Technology Mission on Oilseeds' launched in 1986?
Correct answer: (C) Oilseeds (mustard, groundnut, soybean, sunflower).
The Technology Mission on Oilseeds launched in 1986 was associated with oilseed crops such as mustard, groundnut, soybean and sunflower, not cereals, fibre crops or pulses alone.
Explanation
The Technology Mission on Oilseeds was meant for oilseeds. The Comptroller and Auditor General of India, Civil Audit Report, Andhra Pradesh 2004-05 records that in May 1986 the Government of India appointed a Technology Mission on Oilseeds to accelerate self-reliance in oilseeds and vegetable oils. The mission targeted edible-oil self-sufficiency by improving the oilseeds sector, with crops such as mustard, groundnut, soybean and sunflower as the relevant crop group. The report also describes oilseeds crop technology, processing, post-harvest technology, input services and marketing institutions as part of the mission strategy. So option C is right because it identifies the crop category and examples that fit the mission's name, aim and programme design.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Cotton and jute are fibre crops, whereas the mission was for self-reliance in oilseeds and vegetable oils.
- (B) Pulses alone do not fit the mission because the programme was specifically the Technology Mission on Oilseeds, aimed at oilseeds and vegetable oils.
- (D) Rice and wheat belong to the Green Revolution frame, while the 1986 mission concerns oilseeds, not cereals.
Concept
This tests Indian agricultural planning, especially crop-specific technology missions and their link with production self-sufficiency. It recurs in RAS because Rajasthan exam questions often ask candidates to match agricultural programmes with their correct crop group.