UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Improved rain will boost kharif sowing: Agriculture Minister

Q1. 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

Q2. In its updated Long Range Forecast for the southwest monsoon, into how many homogeneous rainfall regions does the India Meteorological Department divide the country?

  • A. Two
  • B. Three
  • C. Four
  • D. Five

Q3. 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

Q4. 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

Q5. The pre-season Kharif preparedness reviews that assess seed and fertilizer availability and set the National Seed Reserve are operationalised primarily by which of the following?

  • A. Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare
  • B. Department of Fertilizers, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers
  • C. Department of Water Resources, Ministry of Jal Shakti
  • D. Department of Food and Public Distribution, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution

Q6. The high-level Kharif preparedness and El Niño/monsoon review meetings of 2026 were chaired by which one of the following?

  • A. Union Minister for Agriculture & Farmers Welfare
  • B. The Prime Minister
  • C. Union Minister of Jal Shakti
  • D. Union Minister of Earth Sciences

Q7. The official Long Range Forecast for the southwest monsoon, expressed as a percentage of the Long Period Average, is issued by which of the following bodies?

  • A. India Meteorological Department, Ministry of Earth Sciences
  • B. Central Water Commission, Ministry of Jal Shakti
  • C. Indian Council of Agricultural Research
  • D. National Remote Sensing Centre, ISRO

Q8. In the IMD's seasonal forecasts, the term 'Long Period Average (LPA)' of southwest monsoon rainfall refers to:

  • A. the average monsoon-season rainfall over the country for the base period 1971–2020, about 87 cm
  • B. the highest monsoon rainfall recorded over the country in the last hundred years
  • C. the average rainfall of only the immediately preceding ten monsoon seasons
  • D. the total rainfall expected over the country during the current monsoon season

Q9. In the Central Water Commission's weekly reservoir bulletin, the 'live storage' of a reservoir refers to:

  • A. the usable stored water that can be withdrawn for irrigation, power generation and water supply
  • B. the total water held between the riverbed and the full reservoir level, including dead storage
  • C. only the water lying below the minimum draw-down level of the reservoir
  • D. the maximum flood volume a reservoir can absorb above its full reservoir level

Q10. 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