UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — ICMR-ICAR Launches ‘SEHAT’ to Strengthen Agriculture-Nutrition-Health Convergence and Deliver Measurable Public Health Outcomes

Q1. The SEHAT Mission, launched in 2026 to converge agriculture, nutrition and health research, is jointly implemented under which one of the following pairs of Union Ministries?

  • A. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare
  • B. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and Ministry of Women and Child Development
  • C. Ministry of Science and Technology and Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare
  • D. Ministry of AYUSH and Ministry of Food Processing Industries

Q2. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) functions under the administrative control of which one of the following?

  • A. Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology
  • B. Department of Health Research, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
  • C. Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers
  • D. Ministry of AYUSH

Q3. In the context of ICAR's varietal development programmes referenced under initiatives such as SEHAT, the term 'biofortification' most precisely refers to:

  • A. Adding vitamins and minerals to staple foods during industrial post-harvest processing, such as fortifying wheat flour with iron premix at the miller's end.
  • B. Increasing the density of essential micronutrients in the edible portions of food crops through conventional plant breeding, agronomic management or modern biotechnology, so that the harvested grain itself is more nutrient-dense.
  • C. Spraying micronutrient solutions as foliar fertilisers on standing crops primarily to enhance grain yield and pest resistance rather than human nutrition.
  • D. Genetic engineering of livestock and poultry feed to produce animal-source foods (milk, eggs) enriched with vitamins and minerals for human consumption.

Q4. The National One Health Mission, conceived for integrated disease control and pandemic preparedness, is steered by which one of the following bodies of the Government of India?

  • A. Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India
  • B. NITI Aayog
  • C. Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology
  • D. National Centre for Disease Control, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare

Q5. Which one of the following is the nodal Ministry that anchors the implementation of POSHAN Abhiyaan?

  • A. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
  • B. Ministry of Women and Child Development
  • C. Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution
  • D. Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare

Q6. With reference to POSHAN Abhiyaan and Mission POSHAN 2.0, consider the following statements: 1. Mission POSHAN 2.0 was created by merging POSHAN Abhiyaan with the Supplementary Nutrition Programme and the Scheme for Adolescent Girls. 2. Unlike POSHAN Abhiyaan, which was administered by the Ministry of Women and Child Development, Mission POSHAN 2.0 is administered by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. 3. POSHAN Abhiyaan set a target of reducing stunting among children in the age group 0-6 years from 38.4% to 25% by 2022. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. Mission POSHAN 2.0 was created by merging POSHAN Abhiyaan with the Supplementary Nutrition Programme and the Scheme for Adolescent Girls.
  2. Unlike POSHAN Abhiyaan, which was administered by the Ministry of Women and Child Development, Mission POSHAN 2.0 is administered by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
  3. POSHAN Abhiyaan set a target of reducing stunting among children in the age group 0-6 years from 38.4% to 25% by 2022.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 1 and 3 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q7. Which of the following are recognised enterprise components of an Integrated Farming System (IFS) model as developed and promoted by ICAR-IIFSR? 1. Cropping system 2. Dairy and livestock 3. Aquaculture / fisheries 4. Contract manufacturing of synthetic agro-chemicals Which of the statements given above is/are correctly identified?

  1. Cropping system
  2. Dairy and livestock
  3. Aquaculture / fisheries
  4. Contract manufacturing of synthetic agro-chemicals
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 1, 2 and 3 only
  • C. 2, 3 and 4 only
  • D. 1, 2, 3 and 4
  • NRAA-Funded Wild Rice Conservation Project Secures Major Milestone in Assam
    NRAA-Funded Wild Rice Conservation Project Secures Major Milestone in Assam

    The notification of Borjuli site in Sonitpur, Assam as a Biodiversity Heritage Site under an NRAA-funded wild rice conservation project is a named, verifiable fact. Biodiversity Heritage Sites and wild crop genetic resource conservation are tested Prelims topics.

  • India Advances Global Green Hydrogen Leadership under National Green Hydrogen Mission

    Under the National Green Hydrogen Mission (NGHM), a landmark commercial deal for green ammonia and methanol export to Japan (IHI Corporation named) is a concrete outcome. India's green hydrogen ambitions and NGHM are recurring Prelims themes; this adds a factual export-deal hook.

  • NITI Aayog launches report on "Strategic Roadmap for Making Ayurveda Global"
    NITI Aayog launches report on "Strategic Roadmap for Making Ayurveda Global"

    A named NITI Aayog report on Ayurveda's global expansion is testable as a policy document. NITI Aayog reports, AYUSH sector initiatives, and traditional medicine diplomacy are recurring Prelims themes; the report's launch date and authoring body are clean factual hooks.

  • INDIAN NAVAL SHIP TRIKAND RESPONDS TO PIRACY ATTEMPT ON MV GOLDEN ARSENAL IN THE GULF OF ADEN

    A named Indian Navy anti-piracy operation with specific ship (INS Trikand — identified as a stealth frigate), vessel flag state (St. Vincent and the Grenadines), and location (Gulf of Aden) offers testable facts. India's maritime security operations are plausible Prelims hooks but appear occasionally, not frequently.

  • Union Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan launches nationwide ‘Viksit Bharat – G-Ram G Act’ from Andhra Pradesh with Chief Minister Shri Chandrababu Naidu and Deputy Chief Minister Shri Pawan Kalyan

    A newly named nationwide scheme launched by the Rural Development ministry that explicitly positions itself as moving 'beyond MGNREGA' is potentially testable. However, the excerpt lacks concrete numbers or statutory grounding, keeping it at 3 rather than 4.

  • MANAS: A Digital Shield Against Drugs

    MANAS is a named government digital initiative (national narcotics helpline) with a specific mandate under Nasha Mukt Bharat. Named government portals/helplines with specific functions are tested in Prelims, though this release is a backgrounder without new launch data.

  • VB-G RAM G Act comes into force across the country from today; “A historic day for rural India”: Shivraj Singh Chouhan

    The VB-G RAM G Act (likely a renamed/revised MGNREGA or rural employment guarantee framework) came into force across India from July 1, 2026. Key facts: national launch in Tirupati on July 2; revised wage rates notified with no daily wage below ₹300; national average wage increased by over 10%. A new central Act coming into force with specific wage figures is high-priority Prelims material.

  • India Achieves Major Milestone with Approval of Country’s First PinS Instrument Approach Procedure for Helicopter Operations

    DGCA approved India's first Private Point-in-Space (PinS) Instrument Approach Procedure for helicopter operations, implemented at Undavalli Heliport (developed by AAI). This is a named first in Indian aviation with a specific location and implementing body — classic Prelims material for science/tech and aviation sections.

  • 11 Years of Digital India: Better Healthcare & Digital Markets Making Lives Easier

    This release contains high-quality testable data: Greece is named as the 10th country to adopt UPI; every second real-time digital transaction globally is processed via India's UPI; 13 lakh Anganwadi workers connected via Poshan Tracker covering 9 crore beneficiaries. Multiple concrete facts that are prime Prelims material.

  • India, EU Advance Cooperation on Sustainable Ship Recycling; Three Indian Yards Ready for EU Recognition

    India has a 35.4% global market share in sustainable ship recycling. Three Indian ship-recycling yards are ready for EU recognition. India committed $8 billion to strengthen shipbuilding and recycling, with a target of recycling 16,000 ships. These are specific, verifiable figures in a sector where India leads globally — strong Prelims material on maritime/shipping sector.

  • GAGAN: Navigating India’s Skies with Precision

    Detailed backgrounder on GAGAN (GPS Aided GEO Augmented Navigation), India's Satellite-Based Augmentation System developed jointly by ISRO and Airports Authority of India (AAI). It enhances GPS accuracy for aviation, is certified to international standards, and supports satellite-based landing approaches. GAGAN is a recurring Prelims topic and this backgrounder consolidates key testable facts about its developers, purpose, and certification status.

    • The Hindu

    Latest PIB

    Latest from The Hindu

    Explore