Green Revolution in India

Q70. Which of the following is an effect of the Green Revolution on rural India?

[DSSSB MTS, 25 July 2026, Shift 1]

• (A) It reduced agricultural employment
• (B) It widened income gaps between regions and farmers
• (C) It eliminated rural poverty completely
• (D) It equally benefited all rural households

Answer: (B) It widened income gaps between regions and farmers

Explanation: Early gains concentrated in irrigated regions and among farmers able to afford seeds, fertilisers and equipment. Consequently, agricultural growth was uneven. The programme raised food output but did not distribute its benefits equally across regions or farm-size categories.

Q69. Which of the following was NOT a feature of the Green Revolution in India?

[DSSSB Assistant Superintendent, 2 July 2026, Shift 1]

• (A) Increased use of chemical fertilisers
• (B) Expansion of irrigation infrastructure
• (C) Introduction of organic farming practices
• (D) Use of high-yielding variety seeds

Answer: (C) Introduction of organic farming practices

Explanation: The Green Revolution relied on improved seed varieties, assured irrigation, chemical fertilisers and plant protection chemicals. Organic farming seeks to minimise synthetic inputs, so its introduction was not a defining element of the original input-intensive agricultural transformation.

Q68. Which Five-Year Plan in India is most closely related to the beginning of the Green Revolution?

[DSSSB Court Attendant, 22 June 2026, Shift 1]

• (A) First Five-Year Plan (1951–1956)
• (B) Fourth Five-Year Plan (1969–1974)
• (C) Second Five-Year Plan (1956–1961)
• (D) Third Five-Year Plan (1961–1966)

Answer: (D) Third Five-Year Plan (1961–1966)

Explanation: The Third Plan prioritised agricultural self-reliance when food shortages posed a major challenge. The Green Revolution took shape in the mid-1960s and the high-yielding varieties programme expanded from 1966–67, around the transition from the Third Plan.

Q67. The first phase of the Green Revolution resulted in a massive increase in the production of ________.

[DSSSB Court Attendant, 18 June 2026, Shift 1]

• (A) Rice and wheat
• (B) Cotton and jute
• (C) Red lentil and black gram
• (D) Maize and bajra

Answer: (A) Rice and wheat

Explanation: Improved wheat varieties produced the earliest spectacular gains, followed by important increases in rice production. Assured irrigation, fertiliser application and better seeds were especially effective in the intensively cultivated plains of north-western India.

Q66. With whom did Dr Norman Borlaug play a crucial role in bringing the Green Revolution to India?

[DSSSB Court Attendant, 1 June 2026, Shift 2]

• (A) Dr K. Sivan
• (B) M. S. Swaminathan
• (C) R. Manickavasagam
• (D) U. R. Rao

Answer: (B) M. S. Swaminathan

Explanation: Indian agricultural scientist M. S. Swaminathan helped adapt and promote the high-yielding wheat technology associated with Norman Borlaug. Their work connected international breeding advances to Indian farming conditions and contributed to a rapid increase in wheat yields.

Q65. In India, high-yielding varieties of seeds of ______ were used in the Green Revolution.

[SSC GD Constable, 9 May 2026, Shift 2]

• (A) Rice and wheat
• (B) Sugarcane and tea
• (C) Jowar and bajra
• (D) Mustard and ragi

Answer: (A) Rice and wheat

Explanation: The original high-yielding varieties programme concentrated on staple cereals, notably wheat and rice. The new seeds responded strongly to irrigation and fertilisers, allowing farmers to harvest more grain per hectare than under many traditional cultivation systems.

Q64. The Green Revolution in India, initiated in the mid-1960s, primarily aimed to increase the production of which crops?

[Delhi Police Head Constable (Ministerial), 8 January 2026, Shift 3]

• (A) Cash crops such as cotton and sugarcane
• (B) Pulses and oilseeds
• (C) Wheat and rice through HYV seeds
• (D) Fruits and vegetables

Answer: (C) Wheat and rice through HYV seeds

Explanation: India faced serious shortages of staple cereals during the 1960s. High-yielding wheat and rice seeds, combined with water and fertilisers, helped raise domestic foodgrain supplies and reduce reliance on overseas shipments.

Q63. In which Indian states was the Green Revolution initially most successful?

[Delhi Police Constable (Executive), 6 January 2026, Shift 2]

• (A) Punjab and Haryana
• (B) Bihar and West Bengal
• (C) Kerala and Tamil Nadu
• (D) Gujarat and Maharashtra

Answer: (A) Punjab and Haryana

Explanation: Punjab and Haryana combined fertile alluvial plains with irrigation facilities, rural infrastructure and early adoption of high-yielding seeds. Wheat productivity increased markedly there, establishing these states as the leading centres of the initial Green Revolution.

Q62. Arrange in chronological order:
I. Garibi Hatao;
II. Nationalisation of banks;
III. Beginning of the Green Revolution.

[UPPSC LT Grade Assistant Teacher (Hindi), 6 December 2025, Shift 2]

• (A) III, II, I
• (B) II, I, III
• (C) I, II, III
• (D) III, I, II

Answer: (A) III, II, I

Explanation: The Green Revolution gathered momentum around 1966–67. The nationalisation of fourteen major banks followed in 1969, while “Garibi Hatao” became a prominent political slogan in 1971. Therefore the correct order is Green Revolution, bank nationalisation, Garibi Hatao.

Q61. The Green Revolution in India primarily aimed to address which economic problem?

[OSSSC CRE Preliminary Examination, 8 November 2025, Shift 1]

• (A) Regional imbalances
• (B) Food security through increased agricultural productivity
• (C) Landlessness among the rural poor
• (D) Price stabilisation in markets

Answer: (B) Food security through increased agricultural productivity

Explanation: The principal goal was to overcome foodgrain shortages by raising yield per hectare. Greater domestic output strengthened food security. Problems such as landlessness and regional inequality required separate reforms and were not directly solved through high-yielding seeds.

Q60. Which initiative was central to boosting foodgrain output during India’s Green Revolution?

[OSSSC CRE Preliminary Examination, 6 November 2025, Shift 2]

• (A) Genetically modified crops
• (B) Cooperative farming
• (C) High-Yielding Variety seeds
• (D) Minimum wage programme

Answer: (C) High-Yielding Variety seeds

Explanation: High-yielding varieties were the technological foundation of the Green Revolution. Their high response to water and nutrients made increased yields possible. Irrigation, fertilisers, credit and procurement arrangements supported the adoption of these improved seeds.

Q59. Which Indian regions gained the most from the first phase of the Green Revolution?

[OSSSC CRE Preliminary Examination, 4 November 2025, Shift 3]

• (A) Bihar and Assam tea valleys
• (B) Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh plains
• (C) Odisha and Bengal rice belts
• (D) Punjab and Haryana wheat zones

Answer: (D) Punjab and Haryana wheat zones

Explanation: The initial breakthrough occurred in irrigated wheat-growing districts of Punjab and Haryana. These areas had favourable farm infrastructure and access to agricultural inputs. Rain-fed and less-developed regions generally experienced later and smaller gains.

Q58. The Green Revolution in India was initially focused on increasing production of which crops?

[OSSSC CRE Preliminary Examination, 8 October 2025, Shift 1]

• (A) Pulses and oilseeds
• (B) Wheat and rice
• (C) Fruits and vegetables
• (D) Sugarcane and cotton

Answer: (B) Wheat and rice

Explanation: The campaign targeted foodgrains essential to national consumption, chiefly wheat and rice. These crops benefited from improved seed varieties and irrigation. Pulses and oilseeds did not experience equally rapid growth during its initial phase.

Q57. Which of the following was NOT a feature of the Green Revolution in India?

[RRB NTPC Undergraduate CBT-I, 9 September 2025, Shift 1]

• (A) Increased use of fertilisers and irrigation
• (B) Expansion of agricultural land
• (C) Mechanisation of agriculture
• (D) Use of high-yielding variety seeds

Answer: (B) Expansion of agricultural land

Explanation: The major strategy was to raise productivity on cultivated land, rather than rely mainly on bringing new land under farming. HYV seeds, chemical inputs, water management and mechanisation increased the amount of grain harvested from each hectare.

Q56. The spread of Green Revolution technology enabled India to achieve self-sufficiency in ________.

[RRB NTPC Undergraduate CBT-I, 29 August 2025, Shift 2]

• (A) Sugarcane
• (B) Vegetables
• (C) Oilseeds
• (D) Foodgrains

Answer: (D) Foodgrains

Explanation: Improved wheat and rice production reduced chronic dependence on imported cereals. The package of high-yielding seeds, irrigation and fertilisers transformed foodgrain availability. Self-sufficiency is a broad long-term achievement, not a claim that imports ceased permanently.

Q55. The first phase of the Green Revolution in India primarily focused on ________.

[DSSSB Assistant Section Officer, 27 August 2025, Shift 1]

• (A) Green vegetable production
• (B) Oilseed production
• (C) Wheat production
• (D) Pulse production

Answer: (C) Wheat production

Explanation: High-yielding Mexican-origin dwarf wheat varieties spread rapidly in irrigated areas during the initial phase. Their performance made wheat the clearest early success, especially in Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh. Rice gains expanded subsequently.

Q54. The Green Revolution in India primarily led to increased production of which crops?

[RRB NTPC Undergraduate CBT-I, 21 August 2025, Shift 1]

• (A) Rice and pulses
• (B) Wheat and sugarcane
• (C) Wheat and rice
• (D) Rice and maize

Answer: (C) Wheat and rice

Explanation: Wheat and rice received the main benefits of high-yielding seed programmes supported by assured water and nutrient inputs. Their yields increased substantially, improving national foodgrain supplies. Other crop groups initially lagged behind these cereals.

Q53. Which of the following is NOT an effect of the Green Revolution?

[DSSSB Assistant Section Officer, 20 August 2025, Shift 1]

• (A) Attaining a marketable surplus
• (B) Benefits to lower-income groups
• (C) Decrease in agricultural productivity
• (D) Creation of foodgrain buffer stocks

Answer: (C) Decrease in agricultural productivity

Explanation: The central outcome of the Green Revolution was increased crop productivity, not a decline. Larger harvests helped generate marketable surpluses and enabled greater government procurement. Benefits to individual farmer groups, however, differed considerably.

Q52. What was a key technological advancement of the Green Revolution?

[DSSSB Assistant Section Officer, 18 August 2025, Shift 2]

• (A) Development of organic fertilisers
• (B) Reduction in chemical pesticide use
• (C) Introduction of high-yielding variety seeds
• (D) Decrease in irrigation practices

Answer: (C) Introduction of high-yielding variety seeds

Explanation: Improved varieties could produce greater cereal yields when supplied with adequate water and nutrients. The spread of HYV seeds marked a decisive change from traditional varieties, supported by fertilisers, pesticides and investments in irrigation.

Q51. Which Indian region benefited most from the Green Revolution during the period 1947–1991?

[RRB NTPC Undergraduate CBT-I, 12 August 2025, Shift 2]

• (A) Western India
• (B) Eastern India
• (C) Northern India
• (D) Southern India

Answer: (C) Northern India

Explanation: The north-western agricultural belt, especially Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, achieved the greatest early gains. Assured irrigation and fertile plains supported wheat cultivation. This uneven diffusion contributed to differences in regional agricultural development.

Q50. Which state became a leading beneficiary of the Green Revolution in India?

[RRB NTPC Undergraduate CBT-I, 7 August 2025, Shift 1]

• (A) Bihar
• (B) Assam
• (C) Punjab
• (D) Odisha

Answer: (C) Punjab

Explanation: Punjab became a pioneering centre of modern wheat and rice cultivation. Canal and tube-well irrigation, improved seeds and fertiliser use raised productivity sharply. Its cereal output later contributed significantly to procurement and public food stocks.

Q49. India’s Green Revolution began with experimental programmes. What was the first such initiative called?

[RRB NTPC Graduate CBT-I, 24 June 2025, Shift 2]

• (A) Operation Green
• (B) Rural Employment Programme
• (C) Intensive Agricultural District Programme
• (D) National Seed Plan

Answer: (C) Intensive Agricultural District Programme

Explanation: The Intensive Agricultural District Programme began in 1960–61 and concentrated resources on selected high-potential districts. It preceded the broader HYV-based Green Revolution and demonstrated the value of coordinated irrigation, credit, seeds and extension services.

Q48. Which regions were the initial focus of the Green Revolution introduced to counter food shortages?

[RRB NTPC Graduate CBT-I, 20 June 2025, Shift 2]

• (A) Odisha and Assam
• (B) Punjab and Haryana
• (C) Bihar
• (D) Tamil Nadu

Answer: (B) Punjab and Haryana

Explanation: The programme initially favoured areas where reliable irrigation and farm infrastructure supported expensive high-yielding technology. Punjab and Haryana fitted these conditions and registered exceptional wheat yields, while rain-fed regions joined more slowly.

Q47. Which state was least impacted by the first phase of the Green Revolution?

[RRB NTPC Graduate CBT-I, 17 June 2025, Shift 2]

• (A) Haryana
• (B) Uttar Pradesh
• (C) Odisha
• (D) Punjab

Answer: (C) Odisha

Explanation: The early programme was concentrated in well-irrigated north-western districts. Odisha, with substantial rain-fed cultivation and weaker access to the full input package at that time, benefited less than Punjab, Haryana or western Uttar Pradesh.

Q46. Why did small and marginal farmers face difficulties adopting Green Revolution technology?

[RRB NTPC Graduate CBT-I, 14 June 2025, Shift 2]

• (A) Excess availability of land
• (B) High input costs and limited access to credit
• (C) Limited demand for foodgrains
• (D) Scarcity of agricultural labourers

Answer: (B) High input costs and limited access to credit

Explanation: HYV cultivation needed purchased seeds, fertilisers, pesticides and reliable irrigation. Smaller farmers often lacked money or institutional credit to finance this package. Larger landowners could adopt it sooner, helping explain unequal early gains.

Q45. The Green Revolution that began in the 1960s primarily focused on which crops?

[RPF Constable (2024 cycle), 12 March 2025, Shift 3]

• (A) Maize and millet
• (B) Wheat and rice
• (C) Fruits and vegetables
• (D) Cotton and sugarcane

Answer: (B) Wheat and rice

Explanation: The principal purpose was greater cereal production, particularly wheat and rice, to combat recurrent food shortages. New seeds and improved crop management delivered substantial increases in yield and strengthened India’s ability to feed its population.

Q44. The Green Revolution had a significant socioeconomic impact on rural areas of which two states?

[RPF Constable (2024 cycle), 11 March 2025, Shift 1]

• (A) Tamil Nadu and Kerala
• (B) Maharashtra and Gujarat
• (C) Punjab and Haryana
• (D) Bihar and Uttar Pradesh

Answer: (C) Punjab and Haryana

Explanation: Punjab and Haryana were among the first states to deploy high-yielding wheat seeds at scale. Agricultural incomes, machinery use and rural infrastructure expanded there, although gains were uneven across farm households and came with environmental costs.

Q43. The Green Revolution in India began in which decade?

[RPF Constable (2024 cycle), 10 March 2025, Shift 1]

• (A) 1970s
• (B) 1960s
• (C) 1980s
• (D) 1950s

Answer: (B) 1960s

Explanation: The decisive Indian transition began in the mid-1960s with high-yielding cereal varieties and the expansion of input-intensive agriculture. Subsequent years brought major increases in wheat output, especially across the irrigated north-western plains.

Q42. What was a major outcome of the Green Revolution in India?

[RPF Constable (2024 cycle), 5 March 2025, Shift 2]

• (A) Urbanisation of rural areas
• (B) Increase in food security
• (C) Rise in export of traditional crops
• (D) Decrease in agricultural employment

Answer: (B) Increase in food security

Explanation: Food security improved as the new farming package raised domestic wheat and rice production. Increased grain availability reduced vulnerability to shortages and external dependence. The revolution was primarily about cereal productivity, not urbanisation or export promotion.

Q41. What was the primary effect of the Green Revolution on Indian agriculture?

[SSC GD Constable, 20 February 2025, Shift 3]

• (A) Reduction of industrial employment
• (B) Decline in foodgrain production
• (C) Self-sufficiency in foodgrains
• (D) Increased reliance on food imports

Answer: (C) Self-sufficiency in foodgrains

Explanation: The major achievement was an expansion of domestic cereal supplies. Higher-yielding wheat and rice, backed by irrigation and fertilisers, helped India move away from the severe import dependence that characterised many earlier food-shortage years.

Q40. Who is known as the Father of the Green Revolution in India?

[SSC GD Constable, 19 February 2025, Shift 3]

• (A) Verghese Kurien
• (B) Jawaharlal Nehru
• (C) M. S. Swaminathan
• (D) Norman Borlaug

Answer: (C) M. S. Swaminathan

Explanation: M. S. Swaminathan is recognised for promoting and adapting improved cereal varieties within India. Norman Borlaug is associated with the global Green Revolution, while Verghese Kurien is closely linked to India’s White Revolution in dairying.

Q39. What change was observed in agricultural practices after the Green Revolution?

[SSC GD Constable, 10 February 2025, Shift 1]

• (A) Focus on monoculture of wheat only
• (B) Decrease in the use of fertilisers
• (C) Shift from low-yield to high-yield crops
• (D) Shift from cash crops to subsistence farming

Answer: (C) Shift from low-yield to high-yield crops

Explanation: Farmers increasingly adopted scientifically developed cereal varieties with greater yield potential. These were cultivated alongside improved irrigation, fertiliser application and pest control. The resulting change was a shift towards high-productivity farming rather than reduced input use.

Q38. How did the Green Revolution affect India’s dependence on food imports?

[SSC GD Constable, 5 February 2025, Shift 1]

• (A) Increased dependence
• (B) No change
• (C) Decreased dependence
• (D) Stopped all food imports completely

Answer: (C) Decreased dependence

Explanation: Higher wheat and rice harvests reduced the amount of grain India needed from abroad. The achievement was a substantial reduction in import dependence; it did not mean every category of food import vanished permanently.

Q37. The Green Revolution primarily involved which combination?

[UP Police Constable Re-examination, 30 August 2024, Shift 1]

• (A) Genetically modified crops
• (B) Advanced irrigation techniques alone
• (C) High-yielding variety seeds and chemical fertilisers
• (D) Organic farming practices

Answer: (C) High-yielding variety seeds and chemical fertilisers

Explanation: The technology package centred on high-yielding seeds, fertilisers and reliable irrigation. Each complemented the others: improved varieties achieved their potential only under suitable water and nutrient conditions. Genetically modified crops were not the original foundation.

Q36. Who among the following is NOT associated with the Green Revolution?

[SSC CHSL Tier-I, 11 July 2024, Shift 4]

• (A) C. Subramaniam
• (B) M. S. Swaminathan
• (C) P. Chidambaram
• (D) Norman Borlaug

Answer: (C) P. Chidambaram

Explanation: C. Subramaniam helped shape India’s agricultural policy; M. S. Swaminathan promoted improved varieties; and Norman Borlaug advanced high-yielding wheat research. P. Chidambaram is better known for other ministerial and economic responsibilities, not this agricultural transformation.

Q35. Which foodgrain benefited most prominently from the Green Revolution?

[SSC CHSL Tier-I, 9 July 2024, Shift 3]

• (A) Millet
• (B) Maize
• (C) Barley
• (D) Wheat

Answer: (D) Wheat

Explanation: Wheat registered the most dramatic early productivity gains from high-yielding varieties, particularly in Punjab and Haryana. Improved rice varieties were also important, but the initial breakthrough is especially associated with a sharp rise in wheat output.

Q34. Which statements correctly describe the Green Revolution’s effect on crop yields and areas? I. Rice yield rose faster than wheat yield. II. Technology penetrated wheat more than rice. III. Rice area grew relatively slowly compared with wheat area.

[SSC CHSL Tier-I, 9 July 2024, Shift 1]

• (A) I, II and III
• (B) Only I and III
• (C) Only I and II
• (D) Only II and III

Answer: (D) Only II and III

Explanation: Wheat was the earliest major beneficiary, showing stronger technology adoption and yield expansion than rice in the initial period. Hence statement I is inconsistent with the comparative early performance, while statements II and III describe that pattern.

Q33. Which statements about the Green Revolution are correct? I. India became more self-reliant. II. Repeated monocropping depleted soil nutrients. III. Fresh groundwater was depleted.

[SSC CHSL Tier-I, 8 July 2024, Shift 3]

• (A) Only I and II
• (B) Only I and III
• (C) Only II
• (D) I, II and III

Answer: (D) I, II and III

Explanation: Greater foodgrain production improved national self-reliance, but continuous cereal cultivation and heavy fertiliser use could damage soil health. Intensive irrigation, especially through tube wells, also placed pressure on groundwater reserves. All three statements describe recognised outcomes.

Q32. In Green Revolution terminology, what does HYV stand for?

[SSC CHSL Tier-I, 3 July 2024, Shift 3]

• (A) Heat Yielding Variant
• (B) High Yield Variant
• (C) High Yielding Variety
• (D) High Yielding Variance

Answer: (C) High Yielding Variety

Explanation: HYV stands for High Yielding Variety, referring to crop varieties bred for increased output under suitable conditions. Such seeds were central to India’s Green Revolution, particularly when supported by assured irrigation and adequate nutrients.

Q31. The Green Revolution was primarily due to the introduction of ________.

[SSC CHSL Tier-I, 3 July 2024, Shift 2]

• (A) Fertilisers
• (B) Fisheries
• (C) High-yielding varieties of seeds
• (D) Irrigation

Answer: (C) High-yielding varieties of seeds

Explanation: Although fertilisers and water were indispensable supporting inputs, the key breakthrough was the adoption of high-yielding cereal seeds. These varieties enabled much larger harvests when cultivated with appropriate fertiliser, irrigation and crop-management practices.

Q30. Which statement about the Green Revolution is true?

[SSC CPO Paper-I, 27 June 2024, Shift 2]

• (A) It required less water
• (B) It used organic fertilisers and pesticides
• (C) It involved high-yielding varieties of seeds
• (D) It mainly targeted pulse-growing areas

Answer: (C) It involved high-yielding varieties of seeds

Explanation: The introduction of high-yielding seeds was the central innovation. Irrigation and chemical inputs supported their performance. The initial programme concentrated on major cereals in irrigated districts rather than predominantly rain-fed pulse-growing zones.

Q29. The Green Revolution succeeded in Punjab, Haryana, ______ and parts of Rajasthan.

[Bihar D.El.Ed, 22 April 2024, Shift 2]

• (A) Western Uttar Pradesh
• (B) Eastern Uttar Pradesh
• (C) Madhya Pradesh
• (D) Gujarat

Answer: (A) Western Uttar Pradesh

Explanation: Western Uttar Pradesh forms part of the irrigated north-western wheat belt where high-yielding crop varieties spread rapidly. It shared agricultural infrastructure and favourable farming conditions with Punjab, Haryana and selected parts of Rajasthan.

Q28. Which statements are correct?
A. Wheat production more than tripled between 1967–68 and 2003–04 while cereal output roughly doubled.
B. Grain output reached about 131 million tonnes in 1978–79.

[SSC GD Constable, 1 March 2024, Shift 3]

• (A) Neither A nor B
• (B) Only B
• (C) Only A
• (D) Both A and B

Answer: (D) Both A and B

Explanation: The question highlights the outstanding performance of wheat in the post-revolution period and India’s substantial expansion of foodgrain supply by the late 1970s. The historical figures illustrate why the early Green Revolution is frequently called a wheat-centred breakthrough.

Q27. During the first Green Revolution phase, which group of states chiefly benefited from HYV seeds?

[SSC GD Constable, 1 March 2024, Shift 3]

• (A) Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar
• (B) Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra
• (C) Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka
• (D) Punjab, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu

Answer: (D) Punjab, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu

Explanation: The question follows the textbook description of early HYV adoption in relatively prosperous states, including Punjab, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. Availability of water, inputs and investment determined which places could use the technology effectively.

Q26. Who mainly led the Green Revolution in India?

[SSC GD Constable, 29 February 2024, Shift 4]

• (A) John Norman
• (B) M. S. Swaminathan
• (C) M. D. Swami
• (D) Radhakrishnan

Answer: (B) M. S. Swaminathan

Explanation: M. S. Swaminathan coordinated scientific work and policy support for high-yielding cereal varieties. His role in adapting improved wheat technology to India made him widely known as the Father of the Green Revolution in India.

Q25. Consider two statements.
A. The Green Revolution was launched during India’s Second Five-Year Plan.
B. Its longer-term aims included agricultural modernisation and rural infrastructure.

Which is correct?

[SSC GD Constable, 27 February 2024, Shift 2]

• (A) Both A and B
• (B) Neither A nor B
• (C) Only A
• (D) Only B

Answer: (D) Only B

Explanation: India’s Green Revolution was initiated in the mid-1960s, not during the Second Plan of 1956–61. Its broader objectives included upgrading agricultural technology and infrastructure. Therefore A is incorrect and B is correct.

Q24. What was a notable drawback of the Green Revolution?

[SSC GD Constable, 24 February 2024, Shift 3]

• (A) Reduced government investment
• (B) Decreased food production
• (C) Environmental degradation
• (D) Limited use of chemical fertilisers

Answer: (C) Environmental degradation

Explanation: Heavy application of fertilisers and pesticides affected soil and water quality, while intensive irrigation increased pressure on groundwater. These ecological costs accompanied the important gains in cereal production, particularly in intensively cultivated regions.

Q23. Which statements are correct?
A. Norman Borlaug helped initiate the global Green Revolution.
B. He is known as its Father.

[SSC GD Constable, 24 February 2024, Shift 1]

• (A) Both A and B
• (B) Only A
• (C) Neither A nor B
• (D) Only B

Answer: (A) Both A and B

Explanation: Norman Borlaug’s high-yielding dwarf wheat breeding work in Mexico influenced agricultural transformation internationally. He is popularly known as the Father of the Green Revolution; M. S. Swaminathan is recognised for its Indian implementation.

Q22. The International Rice Research Institute, associated with Green Revolution technology, is located in ________.

[SSC GD Constable, 22 February 2024, Shift 3]

• (A) Philippines
• (B) Mexico
• (C) India
• (D) New York

Answer: (A) Philippines

Explanation: The International Rice Research Institute is based at Los Baños in the Philippines. It developed and disseminated improved rice varieties, while Mexico played an especially important role in high-yielding wheat research associated with Norman Borlaug.

Q21. The Green Revolution is an example of ________.

[Delhi Police Constable (Executive), 22 November 2023, Shift 2]

• (A) How services drive agricultural change
• (B) How trade bans alter farm output
• (C) How green GDP alone increases production
• (D) How technology can transform agricultural output

Answer: (D) How technology can transform agricultural output

Explanation: Improved varieties, assured irrigation, chemical inputs and mechanisation demonstrated how technological adoption could rapidly increase output from existing farmland. The Green Revolution therefore illustrates the productivity effects of new agricultural technology rather than trade restrictions.

Q20. The Green Revolution mainly targeted which crops?

[Delhi Police Constable (Executive), 21 November 2023, Shift 1]

• (A) Millet and rice
• (B) Wheat and rice
• (C) Barley and millet
• (D) Wheat and millet

Answer: (B) Wheat and rice

Explanation: Wheat and rice were the two main foodgrains targeted by the modern seed-and-input package. Wheat led the earliest productivity surge, while rice also benefited from high-yielding varieties and the expansion of irrigated cultivation.

Q19. The Green Revolution commenced under which Prime Minister of India?

[Delhi Police Constable (Executive), 17 November 2023, Shift 1]

• (A) Gulzarilal Nanda
• (B) Charan Singh
• (C) Morarji Desai
• (D) Lal Bahadur Shastri

Answer: (D) Lal Bahadur Shastri

Explanation: The Green Revolution began taking shape in the mid-1960s, overlapping with Lal Bahadur Shastri’s tenure. His emphasis on food security and the slogan “Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan” accompanied efforts to strengthen Indian farming.

Q18. The Bringing Green Revolution to Eastern India scheme was implemented in how many eastern states or regions?

[Delhi Police Constable (Executive), 15 November 2023, Shift 1]

• (A) Four
• (B) Seven
• (C) Three
• (D) Six

Answer: (B) Seven

Explanation: The BGREI initiative initially covered seven eastern states or regions: Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, eastern Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. It sought to raise productivity in rice-based systems that had benefited less from the original programme.

Q17. Norman Borlaug, the Father of the Green Revolution worldwide, belonged to which country?

[Delhi Police Constable (Executive), 15 November 2023, Shift 1]

• (A) United States
• (B) New Zealand
• (C) Australia
• (D) Germany

Answer: (A) United States

Explanation: Norman Borlaug was an American agronomist recognised for high-yielding, disease-resistant wheat research and its global impact. His work contributed to foodgrain advances in Mexico, India and Pakistan. He received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970.

Q16. Which traditional input was increasingly replaced by modern inputs during the Green Revolution?

[Delhi Police Constable (Executive), 14 November 2023, Shift 3]

• (A) Inorganic manures
• (B) Government-supplied seeds
• (C) Groundwater irrigation
• (D) Organic manures

Answer: (D) Organic manures

Explanation: Green Revolution farming greatly expanded the use of manufactured fertilisers to support high-yielding crops. Organic manures were not universally eliminated, but synthetic nutrients increasingly supplemented or displaced traditional manure in intensive cereal cultivation.

Q15. Which period best defines the first Green Revolution in India?

[SSC JE Electrical Paper-I, 11 October 2023, Shift 3]

• (A) Mid-1960s to early 1980s
• (B) Mid-1990s to early 2010s
• (C) Mid-1980s to early 1990s
• (D) Mid-1950s to early 1960s

Answer: (A) Mid-1960s to early 1980s

Explanation: The broad transformation began in the mid-1960s and expanded over subsequent decades. Early successes were concentrated in irrigated wheat areas, with a wider diffusion of high-yielding varieties and related farming technology later.

Q14. Which statements about the Green Revolution are correct? I. It began in the 1960s. II. HYV seeds contributed to its success. III. Extensive use of cattle was central.

[SSC CPO Paper-I, 5 October 2023, Shift 3]

• (A) Only II and III
• (B) Only I and II
• (C) Only I
• (D) Only II

Answer: (B) Only I and II

Explanation: The Green Revolution began in India during the 1960s and depended heavily on high-yielding seeds. Its chief supporting inputs were irrigation, fertilisers and machinery; extensive use of cattle was not the defining technological innovation.

Q13. Which statement about the Green Revolution is INCORRECT?

[SSC CPO Paper-I, 5 October 2023, Shift 2]

• (A) It received international funding support
• (B) It was introduced in rain-fed areas
• (C) It targeted wheat- and rice-growing areas
• (D) It was a government programme of agricultural modernisation

Answer: (B) It was introduced in rain-fed areas

Explanation: Initial Green Revolution technology performed best where irrigation was assured, not in rain-fed areas. Public programmes and international assistance helped promote modern seeds and farm inputs in suitable cereal-growing districts.

Q12. Which statement is NOT true about the Green Revolution?

[SSC CHSL Tier-I, 14 August 2023, Shift 3]

• (A) It received international support
• (B) It was a private-sector agricultural modernisation programme
• (C) It targeted wheat- and rice-growing areas
• (D) It initially emphasised assured-irrigation areas

Answer: (B) It was a private-sector agricultural modernisation programme

Explanation: India’s Green Revolution was supported by public agricultural policy, research institutions and international agencies. It was not simply a private-sector programme. Initial efforts focused on irrigated wheat and rice regions where high-yielding seeds could succeed.

Q11. Which statement about the second phase of the Green Revolution is correct?

[SSC CHSL Tier-I, 3 August 2023, Shift 1]

• (A) It covered the 1980s
• (B) It was confined to the first irrigated districts
• (C) It covered only the 1960s and 1970s
• (D) It was restricted to Punjab and Uttar Pradesh

Answer: (A) It covered the 1980s

Explanation: Textbook accounts describe a second phase of wider diffusion during the late 1970s and 1980s. HYV technology spread beyond early north-western centres into more states, allowing a broader share of agriculture to benefit.

Q10. Which statements are true?
I. William Gaud coined the term Green Revolution.
II. Norman Borlaug is its global Father.
III. M. S. Randhawa is its Father in India.

[SSC CHSL Tier-I, 2 August 2023, Shift 4]

• (A) Only I and III
• (B) Only I and II
• (C) Only II
• (D) Only III

Answer: (B) Only I and II

Explanation: William S. Gaud popularised the term Green Revolution in 1968. Norman Borlaug is known internationally for the movement, while M. S. Swaminathan, rather than M. S. Randhawa, is recognised as its leading Indian pioneer.

Q9. In which year did the Green Revolution begin in India, according to the options in this paper?

[MP Forest Guard / Jail Prahari Combined Examination, 12 June 2023, Shift 1]

• (A) 1957
• (B) 1968
• (C) 1975
• (D) 1982

Answer: (B) 1968

Explanation: The question’s keyed year is 1968, associated with the early high-yielding wheat breakthrough. More broadly, textbooks place the start of Green Revolution initiatives in the mid-1960s, especially 1965–67; these dates reflect different milestones.

Q8. Who led the Green Revolution in India?

[SSC GD Constable (2022 recruitment cycle), 1 February 2023, Shift 2]

• (A) Norman Borlaug
• (B) M. S. Swaminathan
• (C) Jawaharlal Nehru
• (D) Mahatma Gandhi

Answer: (B) M. S. Swaminathan

Explanation: M. S. Swaminathan played the leading scientific role in India’s adoption of improved cereal varieties. Norman Borlaug’s wheat-breeding breakthroughs supplied crucial international expertise, but Swaminathan is specifically associated with the Indian Green Revolution.

Q7. Who is known as the Father of the Green Revolution in the world?

[SSC GD Constable (2022 recruitment cycle), 17 January 2023, Shift 1]

• (A) Norman Borlaug
• (B) Adam Smith
• (C) Jawaharlal Nehru
• (D) Verghese Kurien

Answer: (A) Norman Borlaug

Explanation: Norman Borlaug developed high-yielding wheat varieties that helped transform food production internationally. His contributions earned the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970. In India, M. S. Swaminathan played the corresponding pioneering role.

Q6. Which period marks the first phase of the Green Revolution?

[SSC Stenographer, 18 November 2022, Shift 3]

• (A) Mid-1980s to mid-1990s
• (B) Mid-1960s to mid-1970s
• (C) Mid-1970s to mid-1980s
• (D) Mid-1950s to mid-1960s

Answer: (B) Mid-1960s to mid-1970s

Explanation: The first phase is conventionally dated from the mid-1960s to the mid-1970s. During this period high-yielding seeds spread chiefly through irrigated, relatively prosperous agricultural districts; later phases extended the technology into additional regions and crops.

Q5. Who was a pioneering agricultural scientist associated with the Green Revolution in Punjab?

[RRB Group D / RRC Group D, 24 October 2018, Shift 2]

• (A) Gurcharan Singh Kalkat
• (B) Gudivada Nagaratnam Naidu
• (C) R. N. Swami
• (D) Girish Badragond

Answer: (A) Gurcharan Singh Kalkat

Explanation: Gurcharan Singh Kalkat was influential in promoting modern agricultural practices and extension work in Punjab. His contribution complements the better-known national leadership of M. S. Swaminathan and the international wheat-breeding work of Norman Borlaug.

Q4. Assertion: The Green Revolution increased foodgrain production in India. Reason: It also aggravated regional disparities. Choose the correct relation.

[RPSC RAS Preliminary Examination, 2016]

• (A) Both true, and Reason correctly explains Assertion
• (B) Both true, but Reason does not explain Assertion
• (C) Assertion true, Reason false
• (D) Assertion false, Reason true

Answer: (B) Both true, but Reason does not explain Assertion

Explanation: Higher foodgrain production and wider regional inequality were both genuine outcomes. However, inequality does not explain why production rose; the causal factors were improved seeds, irrigation and other inputs, adopted unequally across regions.

Q3. Match each development with its revolution:
A. Growth in food production;
B. Milk production;
C. Fisheries;
D. Fertilisers.

1. Green;
2. Blue;
3. White;
4. Grey.

[UPPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination, 2014]

• (A) A–1, B–3, C–2, D–4
• (B) A–3, B–1, C–4, D–2
• (C) A–4, B–2, C–3, D–1
• (D) A–3, B–2, C–4, D–1

Answer: (A) A–1, B–3, C–2, D–4

Explanation: Green Revolution is associated with grain output, White Revolution with milk, Blue Revolution with fisheries, and Grey Revolution with fertilisers. Matching those sectors produces A–1, B–3, C–2 and D–4.

Q2. The Green Revolution in India has contributed to which of the following?

[WBCS Preliminary Examination, 2007]

• (A) Inter-regional inequality
• (B) Inter-crop inequality
• (C) Inter-class inequality
• (D) All of the above

Answer: (D) All of the above

Explanation: The adoption of modern farming technology occurred unevenly. Irrigated states gained earlier than rain-fed areas, wheat performed better than many other crops, and capital-rich cultivators could afford the input package more easily than poorer farmers.

Q1. The Green Revolution was most successful in the ________.

[WBCS Preliminary Examination, 2002, Question 155]

• (A) Sixties
• (B) Seventies
• (C) Eighties
• (D) Nineties

Answer: (B) Seventies

Explanation: The major growth of high-yielding cereal production followed the programme’s late-1960s introduction and extended through the 1970s. Note: unofficial answer compilations disagree between “Sixties” and “Seventies”; a definitive original commission answer key has not been verified.