Agriculture & Food Security — UPSC Mains GS Paper 3 PYQ

2026

1. Q3
   Describe the various Technology Missions initiated in Indian agriculture and examine their role in food security.

   10 marks 150 words Medium Model answer →
2. Q4
   Explain the factors responsible for inefficiency of agri-produce marketing. How e-commerce helps to reduce inefficiency of agri-produce marketing? Explain.

   10 marks 150 words Medium Model answer →
3. Q13
   How Indian agriculture has been transformed from food scarcity to food surplus level? Explain the various government policies implemented for diversification of Indian agriculture.

   15 marks 250 words Medium Model answer →
4. Q14
   Discuss the different types of subsidies and supports provided by the Government of India to agricultural sector. Examine the related issues pertaining to Agreement on Agriculture of World Trade Organisation (WTO).

   15 marks 250 words Medium Model answer →

2025

1. Q3
   Explain the factors influencing the decision of the farmers on the selection of high value crops in India.

   10 marks 150 words Medium Model answer →
2. Q4
   Elaborate the scope and significance of supply chain management of agricultural commodities in India.

   10 marks 150 words Medium Model answer →
3. Q14
   Examine the scope of the food processing industries in India. Elaborate the measures taken by the government in the food processing industries for generating employment opportunities.

   15 marks 250 words Medium Model answer →

2024

1. Q3
   What were the factors responsible for the successful implementation of land reforms in some parts of the country? Elaborate.

   10 marks 150 words Medium Model answer →
2. Q4
   Explain the role of millets for ensuring health and nutritional security in India.

   10 marks 150 words Easy Model answer →
3. Q13
   What are the major challenges faced by Indian irrigation system in recent times? State the measures taken by the government for efficient irrigation management.

   15 marks 250 words Medium Model answer →
4. Q14
   Elucidate the importance of buffer stocks for stabilizing agricultural prices in India. What are the challenges associated with the storage of buffer stocks? Discuss.

   15 marks 250 words Medium Model answer →

2023

1. Q3
   How does e-Technology help farmers in production and marketing of agricultural produce? Explain it.

   10 marks 150 words Easy Model answer →
2. Q14
   What are the direct and indirect subsidies provided to farm sector in India? Discuss the issues raised by the World Trade Organization (WTO) in relation to agricultural subsidies.

   15 marks 250 words Hard Model answer →

2022

1. Q3
   What are the major challenges of Public Distribution System (PDS) in India? How can it be made effective and transparent?

   10 marks 150 words Medium Model answer →
2. Q4
   Elaborate the scope and significance of the food processing industry in India.

   10 marks 150 words Easy Model answer →
3. Q13
   What are the main bottlenecks in upstream and downstream process of marketing of agricultural products in India?

   15 marks 250 words Medium Model answer →
4. Q14
   What is Integrated Farming System? How is it helpful to small and marginal farmers in India?

   15 marks 250 words Medium Model answer →

2021

1. Q4
   How and to what extent would micro-irrigation help in solving India’s water crisis?

   10 marks 150 words Medium Model answer →
2. Q13
   What are the salient features of the National Food Security Act, 2013? How has the Food Security Bill helped in eliminating hunger and malnutrition in India?

   15 marks 250 words Medium Model answer →

2020

1. Q3
   What are the main constraints in transport and marketing of agricultural produce in India?

   10 marks 150 words Medium Model answer →
2. Q4
   What are the challenges and opportunities of food processing sector in the country? How can income of the farmers be substantially increased by encouraging food processing?

   10 marks 150 words Medium Model answer →
3. Q13
   What are the major factors responsible for making rice-wheat system a success? In spite of this success how has this system become bane in India?

   15 marks 250 words Hard Model answer →
4. Q14
   Suggest measures to improve water storage and irrigation system to make its judicious use under depleting scenario.

   15 marks 250 words Hard Model answer →

2019

1. Q3
   How far is Integrated Farming System (IFS) helpful in sustaining agricultural production?

   10 marks 150 words Medium Model answer →
2. Q4
   Elaborate the impact of National Watershed Project in increasing agricultural production from water-stressed areas.

   10 marks 150 words Medium Model answer →
3. Q13
   What are the reformative steps taken by the Government to make food grain distribution system more effective?

   15 marks 250 words Medium Model answer →
4. Q14
   Elaborate the policy taken by the Government of India to meet the challenges of the food processing sector.

   15 marks 250 words Medium Model answer →

2018

1. Q3
   What do you mean by Minimum Support Price (MSP)? How will MSP rescue the farmers from the low income trap?

   10 marks 150 words Easy Model answer →
2. Q4
   Examine the role of supermarkets in supply chain management of fruits, vegetables and food items. How do they eliminate number of intermediaries?

   10 marks 150 words Medium Model answer →
3. Q13
   Assess the role of National Horticulture Mission (NHM) in boosting the production, productivity and income of horticulture farms. How far has it succeeded in increasing the income of farmers?

   15 marks 250 words Medium Model answer →
4. Q14
   How has the emphasis on certain crops brought about changes in cropping patterns in recent past? Elaborate the emphasis on millets production and consumption.

   15 marks 250 words Medium Model answer →

2017

1. Q4
   Explain various types of revolutions, took place in Agriculture after independence in India. How these revolutions have helped in poverty alleviation and food security in India?

   10 marks 150 words Easy Model answer →
2. Q5
   What are the reasons for poor acceptance of cost-effective small processing unit? How the food processing unit will be helpful to uplift the socio-economic status of poor farmers?

   10 marks 150 words Medium Model answer →
3. Q14
   What are the major reasons for declining rice and wheat yield in the cropping system? How crop diversification is helpful to stabilise the yield of the crops in the system?

   15 marks 250 words Medium Model answer →
4. Q15
   How do subsidies affect the cropping pattern, crop diversity and economy of farmers? What is the significance of crop insurance, minimum support price and food processing for small and marginal farmers?

   15 marks 250 words Medium Model answer →

2016

1. Q7
   What is water-use efficiency? Describe the role of micro-irrigation in increasing the water-use efficiency.

   12.5 marks 200 words Easy Model answer →
2. Q8
   What is allelopathy? Discuss its role in major cropping systems of irrigated agriculture.

   12.5 marks 200 words Medium Model answer →
3. Q9
   Discuss the role of land reforms in agricultural development. Identify the factors that were responsible for the success of land reforms in India.

   12.5 marks 200 words Medium Model answer →
4. Q10
   Given the vulnerability of Indian agriculture to vagaries of nature, discuss the need for crop insurance and bring out the salient features of the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY).

   12.5 marks 200 words Medium Model answer →

2015

1. Q2
   Livestock rearing has a big potential for providing non-farm employment and income in rural areas. Discuss suggesting suitable measures to promote this sector in India.

   12.5 marks 200 words Medium Model answer →
2. Q3
   In view of the declining average size of land holdings in India which has made agriculture non-viable for a majority of farmers, should contract farming and land leasing be promoted in agriculture? Critically evaluate the pros and cons.

   12.5 marks 200 words Hard Model answer →
3. Q4
   How can the ‘Digital India’ programme help farmers to improve farm productivity and income? What steps has the Government taken in this regard?

   12.5 marks 200 words Medium Model answer →
4. Q6
   What are the impediments in marketing and supply chain management in developing the food processing industry in India? Can e-commerce help in overcoming these bottlenecks?

   12.5 marks 200 words Medium Model answer →

2014

1. Q3
   There is also a point of view that Agricultural Produce Market Committees (APMCs) set up under the State Acts have not only impeded the development of agriculture but also have been the cause of food inflation in India. Critically examine.

   12.5 marks 200 words Hard Model answer →
2. Q4
   “In the villages itself no form of credit organization will be suitable except the cooperative society.” —All India Rural Credit Survey. Discuss this statement in the background of agricultural finance in India. What constraints and challenges do financial institutions supplying agricultural finance face? How can technology be used to better reach and serve rural clients?

   12.5 marks 200 words Medium Model answer →

2013

1. Q4
   Food Security Bill is expected to eliminate hunger and malnutrition in India. Critically discuss various apprehensions in its effective implementation along with the concerns it has generated in WTO.

   10 marks 200 words Hard Model answer →
2. Q5
   What are the different types of agriculture subsidies given to farmers at the national and at state levels? Critically analyse the agricultural subsidy regime with reference to the distortions created by it.

   10 marks 200 words Medium Model answer →
3. Q6
   India needs to strengthen measures to promote the pink revolution in food industry for ensuring better nutrition and health. Critically elucidate the statement.

   10 marks 200 words Medium Model answer →
4. Q8
   Establish relationship between land reforms, agriculture productivity and elimination of poverty in the Indian economy. Discuss the difficulties in designing and implementation of agriculture-friendly land reforms in India.

   10 marks 200 words Medium Model answer →

0

1. •
   Critically examine the constraints of land consolidation in India and the case for a Model Agricultural Land Leasing framework.

   15 marks 250 words Hard Model answer →
2. •
   Discuss the achievements of Operation Flood and the role of NDDB in sustaining India’s leadership in milk production.

   10 marks 150 words Easy Model answer →
3. •
   Evaluate the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana and India’s emerging blue economy strategy under the Sagarmala framework.

   15 marks 250 words Hard Model answer →
4. •
   Define open-ended procurement and discuss its limitations in India’s foodgrain management.

   10 marks 150 words Medium Model answer →
5. •
   Trace the evolution of India’s Public Distribution System and evaluate the One Nation One Ration Card (ONORC) initiative.

   15 marks 250 words Medium Model answer →
6. •
   What is the function of buffer stocks in India’s food security architecture? Explain the operational role of FCI.

   10 marks 150 words Easy Model answer →
7. •
   Examine the constraints in India’s food processing sector and the role of the Mega Food Park and SAMPADA schemes in addressing them.

   15 marks 250 words Medium Model answer →
8. •
   List the main pillars of India’s food security framework under the NFSA 2013 and explain the role of POSHAN 2.0.

   10 marks 150 words Easy Model answer →
9. •
   Trace the trajectory of land reforms in India after Independence and explain why they remained uneven across states.

   15 marks 250 words Medium Model answer →
10. •
    Discuss the role of Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) and gramin haats in restructuring India’s agricultural marketing.

    10 marks 150 words Medium Model answer →
11. •
    Examine the case for and against the legal guarantee of Minimum Support Price (MSP) as demanded by farmer movements.

    15 marks 250 words Hard Model answer →
12. •
    Critically examine the status of micro-irrigation under Per Drop More Crop and identify reasons for sub-optimal coverage in Indian agriculture.

    10 marks 150 words Medium Model answer →
13. •
    Discuss India’s groundwater stress, the role of Jal Shakti Abhiyan and the case for demand-side management in agriculture.

    15 marks 250 words Hard Model answer →
14. •
    Examine the storage and post-harvest loss problem in Indian agriculture and the role of Agricultural Infrastructure Fund.

    15 marks 250 words Medium Model answer →
15. •
    Explain how e-NAM has tried to integrate India’s agricultural markets and identify the structural bottlenecks limiting its impact.

    10 marks 150 words Medium Model answer →
16. •
    India’s two major cropping patterns are kharif and rabi. Differentiate between them with examples and list one government scheme supporting each.

    10 marks 150 words Easy Model answer →
17. •
    The Minimum Support Price regime covers 23 crops but procures only paddy and wheat at scale. Examine the structural distortions in the MSP system and the case for crop diversification.

    15 marks 250 words Medium Model answer →
18. •
    Agritech and e-technology can transform smallholder agriculture in India. Discuss the role of AgriStack, drones and digital platforms, and the risks of digital exclusion.

    10 marks 150 words Easy Model answer →
19. •
    India’s food processing sector remains under-developed despite being the world’s largest producer of milk and second-largest of fruit and vegetables. Comment on the constraints and the role of PLI for food processing.

    10 marks 150 words Easy Model answer →