UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Indore Declaration Marks New Chapter in Global Agriculture, Places Farmers at the Heart of BRICS Agenda

Q1. With reference to the Indore Declaration adopted at the 16th BRICS Agriculture Ministers' Meeting (2026), the term 'BRICS AGRIN' refers to which one of the following?

  • A. A BRICS cooperation network on agricultural inputs, genetic resources and information-sharing among member countries
  • B. A pooled BRICS sovereign fund providing crop insurance subsidies to smallholder farmers
  • C. A satellite-based geospatial agricultural monitoring system coordinated jointly by ISRO and Roscosmos
  • D. A common external agricultural tariff arrangement binding all BRICS member economies

Q2. With reference to the Indore Declaration adopted at the 16th BRICS Agriculture Ministers' Meeting (June 2026), consider the following themes: 1. Food and nutritional security 2. Agricultural trade and cooperation 3. Regenerative, climate-resilient and sustainable farming 4. Universal harmonization of agricultural tariffs within BRICS Which of the above is/are NOT correctly identified as a priority pillar of the Declaration?

  1. Food and nutritional security
  2. Agricultural trade and cooperation
  3. Regenerative, climate-resilient and sustainable farming
  4. Universal harmonization of agricultural tariffs within BRICS
  • A. 1 only
  • B. 2 and 3 only
  • C. 4 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 4

Q3. In the context of BRICS cooperation, the term 'BRICS Agricultural Research Platform (BRICS-ARP)', operationalised in 2021, is best described as which one of the following?

  • A. A multilateral concessional-lending window of the New Development Bank dedicated to agricultural credit for smallholders in BRICS countries
  • B. A virtual platform for cooperation in agricultural research, technology, policy and innovation among BRICS member states, with its coordinating centre in India
  • C. A physical international research institute located in Brazil that conducts joint field experiments on tropical food crops for BRICS countries
  • D. A trade-facilitation body of BRICS that harmonises sanitary and phytosanitary standards governing agricultural exports among member states

Q4. Which one of the following countries became the first new full member to be admitted to BRICS during the year 2025?

  • A. Saudi Arabia
  • B. Indonesia
  • C. Nigeria
  • D. Belarus

Q5. Under which country's BRICS chairship was the 'BRICS Land Restoration Partnership' formally launched at the 15th BRICS Agriculture Ministers' Meeting in 2025?

  • A. India
  • B. Brazil
  • C. Russia
  • D. South Africa

Q6. With reference to the 15th BRICS Agriculture Ministers' Meeting (Brasilia, 2025) that launched the BRICS Land Restoration Partnership, consider the following countries: 1. Egypt 2. Saudi Arabia 3. Indonesia 4. Brazil Which of the above are correctly identified as countries that joined BRICS as part of its 2024 expansion (i.e., are NOT among the original BRICS members)?

  1. Egypt
  2. Saudi Arabia
  3. Indonesia
  4. Brazil
  • A. 1, 2 and 3
  • B. 1 and 4 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 3 and 4

Q7. With reference to India's Digital Agriculture Mission, the term 'AgriStack' most appropriately refers to which one of the following?

  • A. A digital public infrastructure built around three foundational registries — Farmers Registry, Geo-referenced Village Maps and Crop Sown Registry — to enable a Farmer ID and delivery of agri-services
  • B. A centralised electronic spot exchange under SEBI for nationwide trading and warehousing of notified agricultural commodities
  • C. A unified buffer-stock and minimum support price procurement portal operated by the Food Corporation of India for foodgrains
  • D. A satellite-based crop loss assessment and insurance claim settlement portal operated under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana

Q8. The Digital Agriculture Mission, which envisages the creation of AgriStack and a Krishi Decision Support System, was approved by the Union Cabinet in 2024 as an umbrella scheme of which one of the following Union Ministries?

  • A. Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare
  • B. Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology
  • C. Ministry of Rural Development
  • D. Ministry of Food Processing Industries

Q9. As per the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), 'Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA)' is best described as an approach that simultaneously pursues which one of the following sets of objectives?

  • A. Sustainably increasing agricultural productivity and incomes; adapting and building resilience to climate change; and reducing/removing greenhouse gas emissions where possible
  • B. Eliminating synthetic fertilizers and pesticides; promoting only indigenous seeds; and certifying produce as organic
  • C. Maximizing yield per hectare through precision inputs; mechanizing all farm operations; and ensuring minimum support price for all crops
  • D. Restoring soil organic carbon through cover cropping; integrating livestock with crops; and prohibiting tillage on all farmlands

Q10. The flagship network project 'National Innovations in Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA)' was launched in 2011 under the aegis of which one of the following?

  • A. Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare
  • B. National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD)
  • C. Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
  • D. NITI Aayog, in convergence with the Ministry of Earth Sciences

Q11. With reference to the Malwa Plateau, on which the city of Indore is situated, consider the following statements: 1. It lies in central Madhya Pradesh and extends into south-eastern Rajasthan. 2. It is bounded by the Vindhya Range to its east and south. 3. Its predominant soils are derived from ancient Deccan trap lava flows. 4. It is drained primarily by the Mahanadi river system. Which of the statements given above are correct?

  1. It lies in central Madhya Pradesh and extends into south-eastern Rajasthan.
  2. It is bounded by the Vindhya Range to its east and south.
  3. Its predominant soils are derived from ancient Deccan trap lava flows.
  4. It is drained primarily by the Mahanadi river system.
  • A. 1, 2 and 3 only
  • B. 2, 3 and 4 only
  • C. 1 and 4 only
  • D. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Q12. The Malwa Plateau, on which the city of Indore is located, has an average elevation of approximately how many metres above mean sea level?

  • A. 200-300 m
  • B. 500-600 m
  • C. 900-1000 m
  • D. 1200-1500 m

Q13. Which one of the following is recognized as the foremost inclusive international and intergovernmental platform of the United Nations system for stakeholders to work together towards the elimination of hunger and ensuring food security and nutrition for all?

  • A. FAO Conference
  • B. Committee on World Food Security (CFS)
  • C. United Nations Standing Committee on Nutrition (UNSCN)
  • D. Executive Board of the World Food Programme
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