UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Government Launches Twin Initiatives DDKY and National Mission on Natural Farming to Boost Productivity, Sustainability and Farmer Welfare
Q1. The Prime Minister Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana (PMDDKY) is being implemented as a saturation-convergence programme under which of the following Union Ministries?
- A. Ministry of Rural Development
- B. Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare
- C. Ministry of Panchayati Raj
- D. Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution
Q2. At the district level, the body that prepares the District Action Plan under PMDDKY — the District Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana Samiti — is chaired by which one of the following?
- A. The District Collector
- B. The Chief Executive Officer of the Zila Parishad
- C. The District Agriculture Officer
- D. The senior-most Member of Parliament of the district
Q3. With reference to the convergence architecture of the Prime Minister Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana (PMDDKY), consider the following statements:
1. It is implemented through convergence of 36 existing Central schemes across 11 Departments.
2. Progress in each district is monitored through 117 Key Performance Indicators on a monthly dashboard.
3. It envisages local partnerships with the private sector in addition to Central and State schemes.
4. Its total annual outlay is Rs 2,481 crore.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
- It is implemented through convergence of 36 existing Central schemes across 11 Departments.
- Progress in each district is monitored through 117 Key Performance Indicators on a monthly dashboard.
- It envisages local partnerships with the private sector in addition to Central and State schemes.
- Its total annual outlay is Rs 2,481 crore.
- A. 1, 2 and 3
- B. 1 and 4 only
- C. 2 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2, 3 and 4
Q4. The convergence-and-saturation delivery template of PMDDKY is explicitly modelled on which one of the following earlier initiatives?
- A. Aspirational Blocks Programme
- B. Aspirational Districts Programme
- C. Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana
- D. PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan
Q5. The National Mission on Natural Farming (NMNF) was approved as a standalone Centrally Sponsored Scheme by which one of the following?
- A. NITI Aayog
- B. The Union Cabinet
- C. The Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare through an executive order
- D. Parliament through a dedicated enactment
Q6. With reference to how the National Mission on Natural Farming (NMNF) is structured relative to its predecessor, consider the following statements:
1. NMNF is a standalone Centrally Sponsored Scheme, whereas the Bharatiya Prakritik Krishi Paddhati (BPKP) was a sub-scheme under another programme.
2. NMNF has a total outlay of Rs 2,481 crore shared between the Centre and the States.
3. NMNF is implemented by the Ministry of Rural Development.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- NMNF is a standalone Centrally Sponsored Scheme, whereas the Bharatiya Prakritik Krishi Paddhati (BPKP) was a sub-scheme under another programme.
- NMNF has a total outlay of Rs 2,481 crore shared between the Centre and the States.
- NMNF is implemented by the Ministry of Rural Development.
- A. 1 and 2 only
- B. 1 only
- C. 2 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Q7. Under the National Mission on Natural Farming, how many need-based Bio-Input Resource Centres (BRCs) are targeted to be set up?
- A. 5,000
- B. 7,500
- C. 10,000
- D. 15,000
Q8. The financial commitment for the National Mission on Natural Farming has been approved up to which one of the following periods?
- A. The 14th Finance Commission period
- B. The 15th Finance Commission period (2025-26)
- C. The 16th Finance Commission period
- D. The financial year 2030-31
Q9. Reflecting the shift towards an outcome-based, district-saturation model rather than blanket input subsidies, PMDDKY concentrates agricultural transformation in how many districts?
- A. 75 districts
- B. 100 districts
- C. 112 districts
- D. 117 districts
Q10. With reference to the lineage of natural/organic farming schemes in India, consider the following statements:
1. The Bharatiya Prakritik Krishi Paddhati (BPKP) was implemented under the Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY) during 2020-21 to 2022-23.
2. The National Mission on Natural Farming (NMNF) was approved as a standalone Centrally Sponsored Scheme in November 2024.
3. The Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY) is a scheme for promoting organic farming.
4. BPKP was launched in 2015 as a component of the Aspirational Districts Programme.
Which of the statements given above are correctly identified?
- The Bharatiya Prakritik Krishi Paddhati (BPKP) was implemented under the Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY) during 2020-21 to 2022-23.
- The National Mission on Natural Farming (NMNF) was approved as a standalone Centrally Sponsored Scheme in November 2024.
- The Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY) is a scheme for promoting organic farming.
- BPKP was launched in 2015 as a component of the Aspirational Districts Programme.
- A. 1, 2 and 3
- B. 1 and 4 only
- C. 2, 3 and 4
- D. 1, 2, 3 and 4
Q11. Among the three indicators used to select the 100 PMDDKY districts is 'low cropping intensity'. In this context, cropping intensity is best understood as which one of the following?
- A. The ratio of gross cropped area to net sown area, expressed as a percentage, indicating how many crops are raised on the same land in a year
- B. The proportion of net sown area that is irrigated
- C. The crop output (yield) obtained per hectare of land
- D. The volume of agricultural credit disbursed per cultivator
Q12. An output-based incentive of Rs 4,000 per acre per year, payable for two years and capped at one acre per farmer, is a defining feature of which one of the following schemes?
- A. Prime Minister Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana (PMDDKY)
- B. National Mission on Natural Farming (NMNF)
- C. Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY)
- D. Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY)