2018
Q70. Under the NSSO 70th-Round agricultural-household survey, assess:
(1) Rajasthan had the highest rural share of farm households;
(2) more than 60% were OBC;
(3) over 60% of Kerala farm households drew most income from non-farm activities.
[UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination, 2018]
(A) 2 and 3 only
(B) 2 only
(C) 1 and 3 only
(D) 1, 2 and 3
Answer: (C) 1 and 3 only
Explanation: The cited survey placed Rajasthan high in its rural share of agricultural households and found substantial non-agricultural main income among Kerala’s farm households. The claim that over 60% nationally belonged to OBCs was inaccurate.
Q69. Which crop pair is NOT normally cultivated during the kharif season?
[WBCS Main (Indian Geography), 2018]
(A) Bajra and rice
(B) Maize and jowar
(C) Barley and mustard
(D) Jowar and rice
Answer: (C) Barley and mustard
Explanation: Barley and mustard are chiefly rabi crops planted in the cooler season after the monsoon. Bajra, jowar, rice and maize are commonly associated with kharif cropping where the southwest monsoon provides much of the necessary moisture.
Q68. Which crop occupied the greatest irrigated area in India in the relevant exam?
[WBCS Main (Indian Geography), 2018]
(A) Sugarcane
(B) Rice
(C) Cotton
(D) Wheat
Answer: (D) Wheat
Explanation: Wheat is an important irrigated rabi cereal, especially across the Indo-Gangetic Plain. Winter precipitation alone is often inadequate, so canals and groundwater have a major role in supporting its seasonal cultivation and output.
Q67. Which Indian state was a leading producer of onions in the referenced period?
[WBCS Main (Indian Geography), 2018]
(A) Uttar Pradesh
(B) Madhya Pradesh
(C) Maharashtra
(D) Andhra Pradesh
Answer: (C) Maharashtra
Explanation: Maharashtra is a major onion-growing region, notably around Nashik and nearby districts. The crop responds to local climate and irrigation conditions, while storage, marketing and seasonal arrivals make the state important to the national onion market.
Q66. Which soil is best suited to watermelon cultivation among the following?
[WBCS Main (Indian Geography), 2018]
(A) Alluvial clay
(B) Sandy soil
(C) Heavy black clay
(D) Laterite soil
Answer: (B) Sandy soil
Explanation: Watermelons generally do well in warm conditions and well-drained, relatively light soils. Sandy soils facilitate root development and prevent prolonged waterlogging. In India the crop is widely grown as a short-duration summer or zaid-season fruit.
Q65. Which district-based programmes were associated with the early spread of India’s Green Revolution?
[WBCS Preliminary Examination, 2018]
(A) IADP only
(B) IAAP only
(C) Both IADP and IAAP
(D) Neither programme
Answer: (C) Both IADP and IAAP
Explanation: Intensive Agricultural District Programme and Intensive Agricultural Area Programme were among early efforts to concentrate agricultural inputs, irrigation and technology in selected places. Their localized emphasis illustrates the regionally uneven spread of the Green Revolution.
2017
Q64. For which two crops was Uttar Pradesh the national leader among
sugarcane (1),
paddy (2),
potato (3), and
maize (4)?
[UPPSC Main Examination, 2017]
(A) 1 and 2
(B) 2 and 3
(C) 3 and 4
(D) 1 and 3
Answer: (D) 1 and 3
Explanation: The reported examination-period leading crops were sugarcane and potato. Rice and maize have different geographic production distributions; growing conditions, irrigation and procurement practices all influence the spatial concentration of these crops.
Q63. How many agroclimatic zones are recognized within Uttar Pradesh?
[UPPSC Preliminary Examination, 2017]
(A) 3
(B) 6
(C) 9
(D) 12
Answer: (C) 9
Explanation: Uttar Pradesh is divided into nine agroclimatic zones for region-specific planning. The classification reflects variation in rainfall, soil characteristics, temperatures and agricultural practices between the Terai, plains, Bundelkhand and other regions.
Q62. Which district of Uttar Pradesh is particularly associated with Dashehari mango production?
[UPPSC RO/ARO Preliminary Examination, 2017]
(A) Agra
(B) Lucknow
(C) Varanasi
(D) Pratapgarh
Answer: (B) Lucknow
Explanation: Malihabad, within Lucknow district, has an established reputation for Dashehari mango orchards. This regional association illustrates how particular varieties of fruit become geographically concentrated through suitable local growing conditions and horticultural expertise.
Q61. In the exam, which statements were accepted as explaining why Uttar Pradesh was called the Sugar Bowl of India:
highest cane output (1),
relevant sugarcane institutes (2),
largest number of mills (3),
largest cane-grower base (4)?
[UPPSC RO/ARO Preliminary Examination, 2017]
(A) 1 and 3 only
(B) 1 and 2 only
(C) 1, 2 and 4 only
(D) 2, 3 and 4 only
Answer: (C) 1, 2 and 4 only
Explanation: The archived key accepts statements 1, 2 and 4, while its historical mill-count comparison did not rank Uttar Pradesh first. This is an exam-period combination; production and industrial establishment rankings may change subsequently.
