UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Making India’s food system climate-proof cannot wait
Q1. The National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture was initially approved for implementation with how many major components?
- A. Two
- B. Three
- C. Five
- D. Eight
Q2. Which one of the following statements about the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) is correct?
- A. It is a statutory framework enacted by Parliament in 2008, and all of its missions are implemented exclusively by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
- B. It was drafted by NITI Aayog in 2008, and every State is legally required under it to prepare a State Action Plan on Climate Change
- C. It was released in 2008 under the guidance of the Prime Minister's Council on Climate Change, and comprises eight National Missions including one on sustainable agriculture
- D. It was adopted in 2008 as India's Nationally Determined Contribution under the Paris Agreement, and it entirely replaced all earlier sectoral climate programmes
Q3. 'National Innovations in Climate Resilient Agriculture' is best described as which one of the following?
- A. A centrally sponsored mission under the National Action Plan on Climate Change, implemented through State agriculture departments for rainfed area development and on-farm water management
- B. A network research project launched by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research in 2011, built on strategic research, technology demonstration and capacity building
- C. A component of the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana that subsidises drip and sprinkler systems to raise water-use efficiency on farmers' fields
- D. A component of the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana that finances village-level soil testing laboratories and issues nutrient recommendations to farmers
Q4. Of the agricultural districts found vulnerable in the climate-change risk and vulnerability assessment carried out under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research's climate-resilience project, how many have been placed in the 'very high' vulnerability category?
Q5. The 'Per Drop More Crop' scheme is implemented by which one of the following?
- A. Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Ministry of Jal Shakti
- B. Department of Land Resources, Ministry of Rural Development
- C. Department of Agricultural Research and Education, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare
- D. Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare
Q6. Since its inception, approximately how much area has been brought under micro-irrigation through the 'Per Drop More Crop' scheme?
- A. About 62 lakh hectares
- B. About 85 lakh hectares
- C. About 111 lakh hectares
- D. About 140 lakh hectares
Q7. With reference to recent flagship reports on food and agrifood systems, consider the following statements:
1. The State of Food and Agriculture 2025 is centred on addressing land degradation across landholding scales, whereas the 2024 edition was centred on true cost accounting of the hidden costs of agrifood systems.
2. The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World is brought out jointly by five United Nations agencies, whereas The State of Food and Agriculture is a Food and Agriculture Organization flagship.
3. The 2026 edition of The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World reported that the prevalence of hunger had risen above the level reported for 2024 in the preceding edition.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- The State of Food and Agriculture 2025 is centred on addressing land degradation across landholding scales, whereas the 2024 edition was centred on true cost accounting of the hidden costs of agrifood systems.
- The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World is brought out jointly by five United Nations agencies, whereas The State of Food and Agriculture is a Food and Agriculture Organization flagship.
- The 2026 edition of The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World reported that the prevalence of hunger had risen above the level reported for 2024 in the preceding edition.
- A. 1 and 2 only
- B. 2 and 3 only
- C. 1 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Q8. The 2026 edition of the flagship United Nations report on world food security and nutrition takes which one of the following as its central theme?
- A. Value-driven transformation of agrifood systems through true cost accounting of hidden costs
- B. Addressing land degradation across landholding scales in global agrifood systems
- C. Overcoming water challenges in agriculture through improved water-use productivity
- D. The rising cost of healthy diets and the structural barriers to affording them
Q9. District-level risk and vulnerability assessment of Indian agriculture to climate change, covering 651 predominantly agricultural districts as per IPCC protocols, has been carried out by which one of the following?
- A. The Department of Science and Technology, through its climate change programme divisions
- B. The Indian Council of Agricultural Research, through its climate-resilient agriculture project
- C. The India Meteorological Department, under the Ministry of Earth Sciences
- D. The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, through the Strategic Knowledge Mission
Q10. With reference to soil health management in India, consider the following statements:
1. Since 2022-23, the Soil Health Card Scheme has been implemented as the 'Soil Health & Fertility' component of the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana.
2. Village Level Soil Testing Labs under the scheme may be set up by rural youth entrepreneurs, Self Help Groups and schools, besides agricultural universities.
3. Soil Health Management is one of the components with which the National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture was initially approved.
4. Soil testing under the scheme is now carried out exclusively in static laboratories run by State agriculture departments, mobile and mini laboratories having been discontinued.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- Since 2022-23, the Soil Health Card Scheme has been implemented as the 'Soil Health & Fertility' component of the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana.
- Village Level Soil Testing Labs under the scheme may be set up by rural youth entrepreneurs, Self Help Groups and schools, besides agricultural universities.
- Soil Health Management is one of the components with which the National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture was initially approved.
- Soil testing under the scheme is now carried out exclusively in static laboratories run by State agriculture departments, mobile and mini laboratories having been discontinued.
- A. 1 and 3 only
- B. 2 and 4
- C. 1, 2 and 3
- D. 3 and 4
Q11. With reference to India's climate-resilient agriculture research effort, consider the following statements:
1. More than 2,900 climate-resilient crop varieties were released during 2014-2025 under the National Agricultural Research System led by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research.
2. Location-specific climate-resilient technologies have been demonstrated through Krishi Vigyan Kendras in more than 400 model Climate Resilient Villages.
3. District Agriculture Contingency Plans have been prepared only for those districts categorised as 'very high' in climate vulnerability, and not for the full set of districts assessed.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- More than 2,900 climate-resilient crop varieties were released during 2014-2025 under the National Agricultural Research System led by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research.
- Location-specific climate-resilient technologies have been demonstrated through Krishi Vigyan Kendras in more than 400 model Climate Resilient Villages.
- District Agriculture Contingency Plans have been prepared only for those districts categorised as 'very high' in climate vulnerability, and not for the full set of districts assessed.
- A. 1 and 2 only
- B. 1 and 3 only
- C. 2 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Q12. The Prime Minister Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana, cleared by the Union Cabinet for a six-year period covering 100 agricultural districts, commences from which financial year?
- A. 2024-25
- B. 2025-26
- C. 2026-27
- D. 2027-28