UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — AI farmer revolution to begin from Jaipur: Union Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan to launch ‘Bharat-VISTAAR’

Q1. Bharat-VISTAAR is developed and operationalised under which one of the following?

  • A. Department of Rural Development, Ministry of Rural Development
  • B. Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare
  • C. Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology
  • D. Department of Agricultural Research and Education (ICAR)

Q2. With which one of the following organisations did the Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare sign a Memorandum of Understanding for the pro-bono development of the VISTAAR Digital Public Infrastructure network?

  • A. EkStep Foundation
  • B. Digital Green
  • C. Nasscom Foundation
  • D. Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Q3. The Digital Agriculture Mission, under which AgriStack is created, was brought into force in which one of the following ways?

  • A. Enacted by Parliament as the Digital Agriculture Act, 2024
  • B. Approved by the NITI Aayog Governing Council in 2023
  • C. Approved by the Union Cabinet in September 2024
  • D. Approved by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs in 2021

Q4. In the context of the AI-for-agriculture initiatives announced alongside Bharat-VISTAAR, 'AgriKosh' is best described as which one of the following?

  • A. A national buffer stock of foodgrains for market price stabilisation
  • B. A repository of large agricultural datasets used to train and power AI models
  • C. A credit fund that exclusively disburses interest-free loans to every farmer
  • D. An archive solely of soil samples collected under the Soil Health Card scheme

Q5. Which one of the following correctly describes the launch of the 'AI for Agriculture Roadmap' announced with Bharat-VISTAAR?

  • A. It was launched by the Union Agriculture Minister together with the Rajasthan Chief Minister, coinciding with the India AI Summit in Delhi
  • B. It was launched solely by NITI Aayog with no State Government involvement
  • C. It was issued only by the Ministry of Electronics & IT
  • D. It was mandated exclusively under the Information Technology Act, 2000

Q6. With reference to the administrative ownership and integrated agencies of Bharat-VISTAAR, consider the following statements. Which of the above is/are NOT correct?

  1. The Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare is the implementing department for the platform.
  2. The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) supplies advisory content such as the Package of Practices.
  3. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) provides the weather data integrated into the platform.
  4. The Reserve Bank of India is the nodal agency that owns and operates the 155261 farmer helpline.
  • A. 1 and 2
  • B. 3 only
  • C. 4 only
  • D. 2, 3 and 4

Q7. Which of the following are correctly identified as advisory services offered to farmers through the Bharat-VISTAAR platform?

  1. Real-time weather advisory drawing on India Meteorological Department data
  2. Market (mandi) price information
  3. Pest and disease diagnosis and advisory
  4. Direct cash transfer of PM-KISAN income-support instalments into farmers' bank accounts
  • A. 1 and 3 only
  • B. 1, 2 and 3
  • C. 2 and 4 only
  • D. 1, 2, 3 and 4