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RAS question

Which of the following crops were primarily affected by the unseasonal hailstorms in Rajasthan, Punjab and Haryana in early April 2026?

Correct answer: (C) Wheat, mustard, gram and barley (rabi crops).

The early April 2026 unseasonal hailstorms in Rajasthan, Punjab and Haryana primarily damaged ripening rabi crops: wheat, mustard, gram and barley.

  1. (A)

    Paddy and sugarcane

  2. (B)

    Cotton and groundnut

  3. (C)

    Wheat, mustard, gram and barley (rabi crops)

  4. (D)

    Tea and coffee

Explanation

The correct group is the rabi crops: wheat, mustard, gram and barley. These crops were ripening when hailstorms struck Rajasthan, Punjab and Haryana in early April 2026. The National Agromet Advisory Service (NAAS) bulletin of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research–Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture (ICAR-CRIDA) carried an India Meteorological Department warning of isolated hailstorms over Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan during 6-8 April. It advised farmers in the affected areas to harvest mature crops immediately and move the produce to safer places. The Rajasthan advisories specifically covered harvesting mature wheat, starting the harvest of timely sown gram, drying and threshing harvested mustard, and managing barley; the Punjab advisory also covered wheat. Early April is the maturity and harvest period for these rabi crops. Paddy, sugarcane, cotton and groundnut are kharif crops, while tea and coffee do not fit the regional crop context.

Why the other options are wrong

  • (A) Paddy and sugarcane are kharif crops, not the ripening rabi crops exposed to hail during the early-April harvest period.
  • (B) Cotton and groundnut are also kharif crops, not the ripening rabi crops damaged at that time.
  • (D) Tea and coffee do not fit the crop context of Rajasthan, Punjab and Haryana; the main affected crops were wheat, mustard, gram and barley.

Concept

This question tests the ability to connect the rabi-kharif crop calendar with the agricultural impact of a weather event. For RAS Geography and Science & Technology current-affairs questions, it is useful to connect Rajasthan's seasonal agriculture and crop vulnerability with weather advisories, policy and relief measures.

Source

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