UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Launch of Integrated Fertilizers claim process, a significant process for achieving Viksit Bharat: Shri J P Nadda
Q1. The 'Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) in Fertilizers' scheme, under which 100% subsidy is released to fertilizer companies on actual sale to beneficiaries, is administered by which one of the following?
- A. Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare
- B. Department of Food and Public Distribution, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution
- C. Department of Fertilizers, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers
- D. Department of Rural Development, Ministry of Rural Development
Q2. With reference to the 'Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) in Fertilizers' system as currently implemented in India, which of the following statements is/are correct?
- The fertilizer subsidy is credited directly to the bank account of the farmer in cash, in proportion to his/her landholding.
- 100% subsidy is released to the fertilizer company only after actual sale of fertilizer to the beneficiary, authenticated through a Point of Sale (PoS) device at the retail shop.
- A beneficiary purchasing subsidised fertilizer at a retail shop is identified through Aadhaar-based authentication at the PoS device installed at the retailer.
- Subsidy claims of fertilizer companies are processed by the Government on a Last-In-First-Out (LIFO) basis.
- A. 1 and 4 only
- B. 2 and 3 only
- C. 1, 2 and 3
- D. 2, 3 and 4
Q3. In the context of agricultural subsidies in India, the term 'Direct Benefit Transfer in Fertilizers (DBT 1.0)' most precisely refers to which one of the following?
- A. Crediting of a cash equivalent of fertilizer subsidy directly into the Aadhaar-linked bank account of the eligible farmer, based on her landholding records
- B. Release of 100% subsidy to fertilizer companies on the basis of actual sale of fertilizer made by the retailer to the beneficiary, captured through Aadhaar-authenticated Point of Sale (PoS) devices at each retail outlet
- C. Issuance of digital fertilizer vouchers to farmers, which can be redeemed at any notified retail outlet against subsidised urea and P&K fertilizers
- D. Advance disbursement of subsidy to retailers based on quarterly estimates of stock movement reported through the Integrated Fertilizer Management System (iFMS)
Q4. As per the Department of Fertilizers, how many stages of the fertilizer value chain are captured end-to-end by the Integrated Fertilizer Management System (iFMS)?
- A. Four (Production, Movement, Sale, Subsidy payment)
- B. Five (Production, Movement, Availability, Sale, Subsidy payment)
- C. Six (Production, Movement, Availability, Sale, Subsidy bill generation, Subsidy payment)
- D. Seven (Production, Movement, Availability, Requirement, Sale, Subsidy bill generation, Subsidy payment)
Q5. Which of the following functions are NOT performed by the Integrated Fertilizer Management System (iFMS) of the Department of Fertilizers?
- Real-time monitoring of movement and availability of subsidized fertilizers up to the district level
- Tracking of subsidy bill generation and payment to fertilizer companies
- Fixing of Nutrient Based Subsidy (NBS) rates for Phosphatic and Potassic fertilizers
- Aadhaar-based biometric authentication of the buyer at retail PoS devices
- A. 1 and 2 only
- B. 2 and 3 only
- C. 3 and 4 only
- D. 1, 2 and 4 only
Q6. The Integrated Fertilizer Management System (iFMS) is administered by which one of the following authorities?
- A. Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare
- B. Department of Fertilizers, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers
- C. Department of Food and Public Distribution, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution
- D. Department of Rural Development, Ministry of Rural Development
Q7. With reference to the Nutrient Based Subsidy (NBS) scheme of the Government of India, which of the following fertilizers are covered under the NBS scheme?
1. Urea
2. Di-Ammonium Phosphate (DAP)
3. Muriate of Potash (MOP)
4. Complex P&K fertilizer grades such as NPK 10:26:26
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
- Urea
- Di-Ammonium Phosphate (DAP)
- Muriate of Potash (MOP)
- Complex P&K fertilizer grades such as NPK 10:26:26
- A. 1, 2 and 3 only
- B. 2 and 3 only
- C. 2, 3 and 4 only
- D. 1, 2, 3 and 4
Q8. Consider the following statements comparing the Nutrient Based Subsidy (NBS) regime for P&K fertilizers with the urea subsidy regime in India:
1. Under the NBS regime, a fixed per-kg subsidy is announced for each nutrient (N, P, K, S), whereas urea subsidy is determined with reference to the cost of production of urea units.
2. NBS rates for P&K fertilizers are revised by the Cabinet on an annual or bi-annual basis, whereas the Maximum Retail Price of urea sold to farmers is statutorily notified by the Government.
3. Both P&K fertilizers covered under NBS and urea are sold to farmers at a uniform Maximum Retail Price fixed by the Central Government.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- Under the NBS regime, a fixed per-kg subsidy is announced for each nutrient (N, P, K, S), whereas urea subsidy is determined with reference to the cost of production of urea units.
- NBS rates for P&K fertilizers are revised by the Cabinet on an annual or bi-annual basis, whereas the Maximum Retail Price of urea sold to farmers is statutorily notified by the Government.
- Both P&K fertilizers covered under NBS and urea are sold to farmers at a uniform Maximum Retail Price fixed by the Central Government.
- A. 1 only
- B. 1 and 2 only
- C. 2 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Q9. As of 2026, the portfolio of the Union Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers is held concurrently by the Union Minister who also holds which one of the following portfolios?
- A. Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare
- B. Health and Family Welfare
- C. Commerce and Industry
- D. Petroleum and Natural Gas
Q10. The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA), which fixes ceiling prices of scheduled drugs in India, functions under which one of the following departments?
- A. Department of Health and Family Welfare, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
- B. Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers
- C. Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers
- D. Department of Health Research, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
Q11. PM-PRANAM (Programme for Restoration, Awareness Generation, Nourishment and Amelioration of Mother-Earth) was approved in June 2023 by which one of the following bodies?
- A. Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA)
- B. Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs (CCPA)
- C. Governing Council of NITI Aayog
- D. National Development Council (NDC)
Q12. PM-PRANAM, which incentivises States/UTs to reduce chemical fertilizer use, is operationalised by which one of the following?
- A. Department of Fertilizers, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers
- B. Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare
- C. Department of Agricultural Research and Education, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare
- D. Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
Q13. With reference to the PM-PRANAM scheme, the reduction in the consumption of which of the following chemical fertilizers, compared to the average of the previous three years, is taken into account for computing the incentive grant payable to a State/UT?
- Urea
- Di-Ammonium Phosphate (DAP)
- NPK complex fertilizers
- Single Super Phosphate (SSP)
- A. 1, 2 and 3 only
- B. 2 and 4 only
- C. 1, 3 and 4 only
- D. 1, 2, 3 and 4
Q14. Which of the following is the nodal body entrusted with preparing the 'Viksit Bharat @2047' Vision Document for the Government of India?
- A. NITI Aayog
- B. Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation
- C. Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance
- D. Prime Minister's Economic Advisory Council (EAC-PM)
Q15. Who chairs the Governing Council of NITI Aayog, the forum in which the 'Viksit Bharat @2047' vision approach was formally deliberated?
- A. Prime Minister of India
- B. Vice-Chairperson of NITI Aayog
- C. Union Minister of Finance
- D. Cabinet Secretary
Q16. In the Government of India's articulation of the 'Viksit Bharat @2047' vision, the Union Finance Minister identified four 'major castes' as the foundational priority groups for all welfare and development initiatives. How many such priority groups have been identified?
- A. Two
- B. Three
- C. Four
- D. Five