RAS question
Which of the following is NOT a kharif crop of Rajasthan?
Correct answer: (B) Mustard.
Mustard is not a kharif crop of Rajasthan; it is a rabi crop, while groundnut, jowar and bajra are kharif crops.
Explanation
Mustard is the odd one out because it belongs to Rajasthan's rabi season, not the kharif season. Mustard falls in the rabi cycle, sown in October-November and harvested in February-March, while bajra, jowar and groundnut are linked to the monsoon-based kharif season. The Government of Rajasthan's Economic Review 2024-25 supports this classification: it lists major kharif crops such as bajra and groundnut, and major rabi crops such as wheat, mustard, barley and gram. It also classifies groundnut under kharif oilseeds and rape and mustard under rabi oilseeds. So the test is not about whether mustard is important in Rajasthan; it is about matching the crop to the correct agricultural season.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Groundnut is not the answer because it is treated as a kharif crop in Rajasthan and is also listed under kharif oilseeds in the official review.
- (C) Jowar is not the answer because it is a kharif cereal of Rajasthan.
- (D) Bajra is not the answer because it is a classic monsoon-season kharif crop and the official review groups bajra among major kharif crops.
Concept
This tests the RAS geography concept of Rajasthan's crop seasons, especially the distinction between monsoon-dependent kharif crops and winter-season rabi crops. It recurs because agriculture, rainfall and agro-climatic patterns are core to Rajasthan's economy and physical geography.