Aspirant Academy

Economy

Predicted Questions with Model Answers

Agriculture: Production, Water Resources, Irrigation, Animal Husbandry, Farmer Welfare Schemes

Paper I · Unit 2 Section 13 of 14 0 PYQs 40 min
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Predicted Questions with Model Answers

Q1 (5 marks — 50 words)

What is Rajasthan's position in national agriculture and why is its agriculture share in GSVA significantly above the national average?

Model Answer (EN): Rajasthan's agriculture and allied sectors contribute 26.92% of GSVA (2024-25) versus the national average of ~17%. Rajasthan is #1 in bajra, mustard, guar, cumin, and wool production, and #2 in milk. Vast arid land, agrarian workforce (~50% employment), and limited industrialisation explain the high agricultural share.

Q2 (5 marks — 50 words)

What is the Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project (ERCP) and why was it declared a National Project?

Model Answer (EN): ERCP (Modified Parbati-Kalisindh-Chambal) links eastern rivers to provide drinking water to 17 districts for 3.25 crore people and irrigation to 2,51,000 new + 1,52,000 additional hectares. Declared a National Project in 2023, it changed funding to 60:40 Centre-State, making the ₹37,000+ crore investment financially viable.

Q3 (5 marks — 50 words)

Explain Rajasthan's dual income support system for farmers combining PM-KISAN and the CM Kisan Samman Nidhi.

Model Answer (EN): PM-KISAN (central scheme) provides ₹6,000/year in three instalments to registered farmers. Rajasthan supplements this with CM Kisan Samman Nidhi at ₹3,000/year — totalling ₹9,000/year for 72-74 lakh farmers. The 4th instalment (October 2025) disbursed ₹717.96 crore, demonstrating the operational scale of this income support architecture.

Q4 (5 marks — 50 words)

Describe Rajasthan's animal husbandry sector and its significance relative to the crop sector.

Model Answer (EN): Rajasthan's livestock GVA reached ₹1.98 lakh crore in 2024-25 — exceeding the crop sector GVA. The state ranks #1 in wool (47.98% of national), #2 in milk (14.44%), holds 84.43% of national camel population, 10.60% of total livestock. Milk alone contributes 80.17% of livestock GVO.

Q5 (10 marks — 150 words)

Rajasthan faces acute water scarcity despite being the largest state by area. Critically evaluate the state's water resources and the irrigation projects aimed at addressing this challenge.

Model Answer (EN): Rajasthan covers 10.4% of India's area but receives only 1.16% of national surface water. Annual surface water availability is ~40,000 MCM, of which only ~50% is utilized. Over 80% of groundwater blocks are over-exploited and fluoride contamination affects 29 districts — making groundwater irrigation unsafe.

Total irrigation potential created stands at 39.36 lakh hectares (March 2024), with an annual irrigation budget of ₹5,803.75 crore (2024-25). Key projects include: (1) ERCP — declared National Project 2023; 17 districts, 3.25 crore people, 2,51,000 new + 1,52,000 additional hectares; 60:40 Centre-State funding; (2) IGNP (Indira Gandhi Nahar Pariyojana) — serves 5,719 villages and 39 towns in the Thar Desert; (3) RWSLIP (JICA-funded) — rehabilitates 137 irrigation projects covering 4.70 lakh hectare CCA; (4) PMKSY Micro-irrigation (2024-25) — 34,469 ha drip + 56,727 ha sprinkler, ₹123.79 crore; (5) Mukhyamantri Jal Swavlamban Abhiyan — 4,200+ villages benefited.

The strategic shift is from large-canal surface irrigation to micro-irrigation and surface water substitution for groundwater, aligning with SDG 6 and SDG 2.

Q6 (10 marks — 150 words)

Analyse the structure and challenges of Rajasthan's agricultural sector, with reference to its crop pattern, farmer welfare schemes, and crop insurance mechanisms.

Model Answer (EN): Rajasthan's agriculture contributes 26.92% of GSVA (2024-25) and employs ~50% of the workforce. The state's crop pattern reflects its arid geography: dominant crops are bajra (#1 nationally), mustard (#1), guar (#1), cumin (#1), and soybean — largely rain-fed and drought-prone.

Structural challenges: (1) Low irrigation coverage — only 39.36 lakh ha created potential vs. 5.20 crore ha gross cropped area; (2) Groundwater over-exploitation — 80% blocks critical; (3) Low seed replacement rate; (4) Fragmented small/marginal holdings; (5) Price volatility for perishables and oilseeds.

Farmer welfare architecture: PM-KISAN (₹6,000/yr) + CM Kisan Samman Nidhi (₹3,000/yr) = ₹9,000/yr to 72-74 lakh farmers; PMFBY (₹69,515.71 crore national outlay 2021-26, YES-TECH satellite assessment); Krishak Saathi Yojana (₹5,000-₹2 lakh accident cover); CM Krishak Mitra Yojana (3-phase connections, 50% subsidy).

PMDDKY (October 2025, ₹24,000 crore/yr) integrates 36 schemes for 100 low-productivity districts — Rajasthan's arid western districts are included. Rajasthan Millets Promotion Mission (₹40 crore/yr) leverages bajra dominance for export and nutrition goals.

: PM-KISAN (₹6,000) + CM Kisan Samman Nidhi (₹3,000) = ₹9,000/; PMFBY; Krishak Saathi ; CM Krishak Mitra