Agriculture MCQs for UPSC Prelims
Q1. The brownfield ammonia-urea complex of 12.7 lakh metric tonnes capacity under execution at Namrup in Assam is being set up by which one of the following?
- A. Brahmaputra Valley Fertilizer Corporation Limited
- B. Hindustan Urvarak & Rasayan Limited
- C. Ramagundam Fertilizers and Chemicals Limited
- D. Fertilizer Corporation of India Limited
Q2. With reference to the urea supply situation in India during the Kharif season of 2025, consider the following:
1. Availability of urea for the season exceeded the assessed seasonal requirement.
2. Domestic urea production during October 2025 was lower than in October 2024.
3. Imports of agriculture-grade urea during April-October 2025 were more than double those in the corresponding period of 2024.
4. Urea consumption was higher than in the previous Kharif season, attributed mainly to a good monsoon permitting a larger sown area.
Which of the above is/are correctly identified?
- Availability of urea for the season exceeded the assessed seasonal requirement.
- Domestic urea production during October 2025 was lower than in October 2024.
- Imports of agriculture-grade urea during April-October 2025 were more than double those in the corresponding period of 2024.
- Urea consumption was higher than in the previous Kharif season, attributed mainly to a good monsoon permitting a larger sown area.
- A. 1, 2 and 3
- B. 1, 3 and 4
- C. 2 and 4 only
- D. 2, 3 and 4
Q3. The quantity of urea produced in India during the year 2024-25 was closest to which one of the following?
- A. 225 lakh metric tonnes
- B. 283.74 lakh metric tonnes
- C. 306.67 lakh metric tonnes
- D. 314.07 lakh metric tonnes
Q4. Consider the following statements regarding India's urea production and imports:
1. Import of urea for agricultural purposes, to bridge the gap between indigenous production and assessed demand, is undertaken by the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.
2. India's indigenous urea capacity rose from 207.54 LMTPA in 2014-15 to 283.74 LMTPA in 2023-24.
3. Urea production in the country touched a record 314.07 LMT in 2023-24 and stood at 306.67 LMT in 2024-25.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- Import of urea for agricultural purposes, to bridge the gap between indigenous production and assessed demand, is undertaken by the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.
- India's indigenous urea capacity rose from 207.54 LMTPA in 2014-15 to 283.74 LMTPA in 2023-24.
- Urea production in the country touched a record 314.07 LMT in 2023-24 and stood at 306.67 LMT in 2024-25.
- A. 1 and 2 only
- B. 1 only
- C. 2 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Q5. In the context of the urea units commissioned under the New Investment Policy-2012, Hindustan Urvarak & Rasayan Limited (HURL) is best described as which one of the following?
- A. A joint venture company of public sector undertakings that set up the urea units at Gorakhpur, Sindri and Barauni
- B. A joint venture company of public sector undertakings that set up the urea unit at Ramagundam in Telangana
- C. A private company that set up the greenfield urea unit at Panagarh in West Bengal
- D. A public sector company executing the coal-gasification-based greenfield urea project at Talcher in Odisha
Q6. The New Investment Policy (NIP) for the urea sector, announced on 2 January 2013, was subsequently amended on which one of the following dates to facilitate fresh investment?
- A. 1 April 2010, along with the roll-out of the Nutrient Based Subsidy scheme
- B. 7 October 2014, to facilitate additional fresh investment in the urea sector
- C. 25 May 2015, along with the notification of the New Urea Policy for existing units
- D. 1 March 2018, along with the revision of the Maximum Retail Price of urea
Q7. With reference to the National Investment Policy for Urea-2026 (NIPU-2026) as compared with the New Investment Policy (NIP)-2012, consider the following statements:
1. NIPU-2026 separates the fixed cost and variable cost components of urea production to enhance transparency in pricing.
2. NIPU-2026 provides a Return on Equity band with a floor of 12 per cent and a ceiling of 16 per cent.
3. NIPU-2026 requires that all new urea capacity created under it be based exclusively on coal gasification, discontinuing the feedstock route permitted under NIP-2012.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- NIPU-2026 separates the fixed cost and variable cost components of urea production to enhance transparency in pricing.
- NIPU-2026 provides a Return on Equity band with a floor of 12 per cent and a ceiling of 16 per cent.
- NIPU-2026 requires that all new urea capacity created under it be based exclusively on coal gasification, discontinuing the feedstock route permitted under NIP-2012.
- A. 1 and 2 only
- B. 2 and 3 only
- C. 1 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Q8. Which one of the following fertilizers is sold to farmers at a subsidised Maximum Retail Price of Rs. 242 per 45 kg bag, which has remained unchanged since 1 March 2018?
- A. Di-Ammonium Phosphate, subsidised under the Nutrient Based Subsidy scheme
- B. Muriate of Potash, subsidised under the Nutrient Based Subsidy scheme
- C. Urea, subsidised under the Urea Subsidy Scheme
- D. NPK complex fertilizer, subsidised under the Nutrient Based Subsidy scheme
Q9. Which one of the following correctly describes the pricing regime administered by the Department of Fertilizers for urea, as distinct from that for phosphatic and potassic (P&K) fertilizers?
- A. Urea is sold at a Maximum Retail Price statutorily notified by the Union Government, whereas P&K fertilizers are covered by the Nutrient Based Subsidy scheme with a fixed per-nutrient subsidy
- B. All chemical fertilizers sold in India, including P&K fertilizers, carry Maximum Retail Prices statutorily notified by the Union Government every season
- C. Urea and P&K fertilizers are both entirely decontrolled, with subsidy paid solely on the basis of nutrient content notified annually by the Union Government
- D. Urea is fully decontrolled in price, while only P&K fertilizers such as DAP carry a Maximum Retail Price statutorily notified by the Union Government
Q10. In the Department of Biotechnology's scheme 'Biotech-KISAN', the acronym KISAN precisely stands for which one of the following?
- A. Krishi Innovation Science Application Network
- B. Kisan Integrated Science and Agriculture Network
- C. Knowledge and Innovation for Sustainable Agriculture Nationwide
- D. Krishi Investment and Startup Acceleration Network
Q11. For the Kharif Marketing Season 2026-27, the highest absolute increase in Minimum Support Price over the previous year was announced for which crop?
- A. Sunflower seed
- B. Cotton
- C. Paddy (common)
- D. Nigerseed
Q12. As flagged in the 8 July 2026 kharif review, in which month of the 2026 southwest monsoon season was the all-India rainfall deficit the highest before conditions improved?
- A. June
- B. July
- C. August
- D. September
Q13. In the July 2026 monsoon review, the statement that the all-India rainfall deficit had fallen from 33% to 24% should be interpreted to mean that:
- A. cumulative seasonal rainfall was 24% below the long period average, an improvement from being 33% below it earlier
- B. cumulative rainfall was running 24% above the long period average
- C. 24% of the country's area had received deficient rainfall
- D. the kharif sown area had contracted by 24% compared with the previous year
Q14. In the Indian agricultural calendar, kharif crops are most precisely defined as crops that are:
- A. sown at the onset of the southwest monsoon (around June) and harvested in September–October
- B. sown in October–December and harvested in April–June
- C. grown year-round under assured irrigation, independent of the monsoon
- D. sown after the retreat of the monsoon and harvested before the onset of summer
Q15. In the context of the government's response to the 2026 monsoon deficit, the term 'kharif crops' most precisely refers to crops that are:
- A. sown with the onset of the southwest monsoon (around June–July) and harvested in autumn
- B. sown in winter (around October–November) and harvested in spring
- C. grown throughout the year under fully assured irrigation regardless of the monsoon
- D. cultivated only in the summer months between the rabi harvest and the monsoon's arrival
Q16. The development and conservation of indigenous heat-tolerant bovine breeds such as Sahiwal and Gir is operationalised primarily through which programme/agency?
- A. Rashtriya Gokul Mission, under the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying
- B. National Mission on Natural Farming, under the Department of Agriculture
- C. Operation Flood, run by the National Dairy Development Board
- D. Krishi Vigyan Kendras, under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research
Q17. The restructured National Livestock Mission (from 2021) is organised into how many sub-missions?
- A. Two
- B. Three
- C. Five
- D. Seven
Q18. Which one of the following statements correctly describes the Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE)?
- A. It is a department within the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (created in 1973) that provides the government interface for ICAR and handles international cooperation in agricultural research and education
- B. It is an autonomous society registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860, headquartered at Pusa, New Delhi
- C. It is the apex research council that directly runs 113 institutes and 74 agricultural universities
- D. It is a specialised agency of the United Nations coordinating global agricultural research
Q19. ICAR functions as an autonomous body under which of the following, which provides its government interface?
- A. Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE), Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare
- B. Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (DA&FW), Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare
- C. Department of Science and Technology (DST), Ministry of Science and Technology
- D. Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying
Q20. The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) directly administers a nationwide network of research institutes and national research centres. As per ICAR, approximately how many such institutes does it comprise?
Q21. Under the Centrally Sponsored PMKSY-PDMC component, in what ratio are funds shared between the Centre and the State for general (non-North-Eastern, non-Himalayan) States?
- A. 50:50
- B. 60:40
- C. 75:25
- D. 90:10
Q22. The Economic Survey 2024-25 noted that 'irrigation intensity' rose from 144.2 per cent to 154.5 per cent. In this context, 'irrigation intensity' refers to:
- A. the ratio of gross irrigated area to net irrigated area, expressed as a percentage
- B. the ratio of gross irrigated area to gross cropped area, expressed as a percentage
- C. the ratio of net irrigated area to total geographical area, expressed as a percentage
- D. the ratio of area under micro-irrigation to total cultivable area, expressed as a percentage
Q23. Consider the following statements regarding PMKSY's financial parameters:
1. PMKSY for the 2021-26 cycle was approved with a total outlay of Rs.93,068 crore.
2. Within this, the central support component to States is Rs.37,454 crore.
3. The Union Budget 2026-27 allocated Rs.6,587 crore to PMKSY.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- PMKSY for the 2021-26 cycle was approved with a total outlay of Rs.93,068 crore.
- Within this, the central support component to States is Rs.37,454 crore.
- The Union Budget 2026-27 allocated Rs.6,587 crore to PMKSY.
- A. 1 only
- B. 1 and 2 only
- C. 2 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Q24. The Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (AIBP), now a component of PMKSY, was originally launched by the Government of India in which year to provide central assistance for major and medium irrigation projects?
- A. 1991-92
- B. 1996-97
- C. 2004-05
- D. 2015-16
Q25. In the context of PMKSY, the description of the scheme as an 'umbrella' Centrally Sponsored Scheme most precisely means that it:
- A. converged and consolidated several pre-existing irrigation programmes (such as AIBP) under a single integrated framework
- B. is funded entirely by the Central Government with no State contribution
- C. is confined exclusively to micro-irrigation through drip and sprinkler systems
- D. provides crop insurance coverage against irrigation failure
Q26. In which year was the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) launched as an umbrella scheme converging pre-existing irrigation programmes?
- A. 2014-15
- B. 2015-16
- C. 2016-17
- D. 2019-20
Q27. The dedicated fund created to enable States to mobilise resources for providing top-up incentives to farmers for micro-irrigation beyond PMKSY-PDMC provisions was set up with which one of the following institutions?
- A. National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD)
- B. Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI)
- C. Reserve Bank of India (RBI)
- D. National Water Development Agency (NWDA)
Q28. With reference to the Per Drop More Crop (PDMC) component and micro-irrigation under PMKSY, consider the following:
1. PDMC promotes water-use efficiency mainly through drip and sprinkler irrigation.
2. A Micro Irrigation Fund (MIF) with a corpus of Rs.5,000 crore has been created under NABARD.
3. The Government of India provides a 3% interest subvention on loans extended to State Governments under the MIF.
4. PDMC is implemented by the Ministry of Jal Shakti.
Which of the above is/are correctly identified?
- PDMC promotes water-use efficiency mainly through drip and sprinkler irrigation.
- A Micro Irrigation Fund (MIF) with a corpus of Rs.5,000 crore has been created under NABARD.
- The Government of India provides a 3% interest subvention on loans extended to State Governments under the MIF.
- PDMC is implemented by the Ministry of Jal Shakti.
- A. 1 and 2 only
- B. 1, 2 and 3 only
- C. 2, 3 and 4 only
- D. 1, 2, 3 and 4
Q29. The 'Per Drop More Crop' (PDMC) component of PMKSY, focused on enhancing water-use efficiency through micro-irrigation, is operationalised by which one of the following?
- A. Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare
- B. Ministry of Jal Shakti
- C. Department of Land Resources
- D. National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD)
Q30. The 'Har Khet Ko Pani' (HKKP) component of PMKSY, implemented by the Ministry of Jal Shakti, comprises how many sub-components?
- A. Two
- B. Three
- C. Four
- D. Six