Art & Culture MCQs for UPSC Prelims — January 2026

Q1. Under the Digital Agriculture Mission administered by the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare, digital Farmer IDs are targeted to be issued to how many crore farmers?

  • A. 6 crore
  • B. 9 crore
  • C. 11 crore
  • D. 14 crore

Q2. The Digital Agriculture Mission, the umbrella scheme operationalising AgriStack, was formally sanctioned under whose authority and in which year?

  • A. The Union Cabinet, in September 2024
  • B. The NITI Aayog Governing Council, in 2023
  • C. The Inter-State Council, in 2024
  • D. The Department of Agriculture through an executive order, in 2021

Q3. Consider the following pairs of Digital Agriculture Mission components and their descriptions. Which one of the pairs is NOT correctly matched?

  1. AgriStack — comprises three foundational registries including the Farmers' Registry
  2. Krishi Decision Support System — a geospatial system unifying remote-sensing data on crops, soil, weather and water
  3. Soil Profile Mapping — detailed soil profile maps on a 1:10,000 scale
  4. Farmer ID — a physical Kisan Credit Card issued for MSP procurement
  • A. 1 only
  • B. 2 only
  • C. 3 only
  • D. 4 only

Q4. AgriStack, India's core Digital Public Infrastructure for agriculture, is operationalised by which one of the following?

  • A. The Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare (Department of Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare)
  • B. The Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology
  • C. The Ministry of Rural Development
  • D. The Ministry of Panchayati Raj

Q5. Under the AgriStack Farmer ID target of 11 crore, in which single financial year is the largest number of Farmer IDs planned to be generated?

  • A. FY 2023-24
  • B. FY 2024-25
  • C. FY 2025-26
  • D. FY 2026-27

Q6. In the context of AgriStack, the term 'Farmer ID' ('Kisan ki Pehchaan') is best described as which one of the following?

  • A. A trusted digital identity for farmers, similar to Aadhaar, dynamically linked to land records, crops sown and scheme benefits
  • B. A physical smart card issued only to Kisan Credit Card holders to authorise MSP procurement
  • C. A unique registration number assigned to each Farmer Producer Organisation (FPO)
  • D. A biometric authentication device installed at Common Service Centres for scheme enrolment

Q7. Which of the following are correctly identified as the three foundational registries of AgriStack?

  1. Farmers' Registry
  2. Geo-referenced Village Maps
  3. Crop Sown Registry
  4. Soil Profile Registry
  • A. 1, 2 and 3
  • B. 1, 2 and 4
  • C. 2, 3 and 4
  • D. 1, 3 and 4

Q8. In the context of the Supreme Court's recent order on VIP access at the Mahakaleshwar temple, the term 'garbhagriha', central to the dispute, refers to which one of the following?

  • A. The pillared assembly hall in front of the shrine where devotees congregate
  • B. The ornamental gateway tower marking the entrance to the temple complex
  • C. The innermost sanctum chamber housing the principal deity of the temple
  • D. The circumambulatory passage around the main shrine used for pradakshina

Q9. With reference to the twelve Jyotirlingas of Shiva — of which the Mahakaleshwar temple, recently in news over a Supreme Court ruling on 'VIP darshan', is one — consider the following pairings of Jyotirlinga and State: 1. Somnath — Gujarat 2. Mallikarjuna — Karnataka 3. Mahakaleshwar — Madhya Pradesh 4. Kedarnath — Himachal Pradesh Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?

  1. Somnath — Gujarat
  2. Mallikarjuna — Karnataka
  3. Mahakaleshwar — Madhya Pradesh
  4. Kedarnath — Himachal Pradesh
  • A. 1 and 3 only
  • B. 2 and 4 only
  • C. 1, 2 and 3
  • D. 1, 3 and 4

Q10. Among the twelve Jyotirlingas of Shiva, the Mahakaleshwar shrine at Ujjain — at the centre of the recent Supreme Court VIP-darshan plea — is uniquely distinguished by which one of the following features?

  • A. It is the only Jyotirlinga whose lingam is south-facing (Dakshinamukhi)
  • B. It is the only Jyotirlinga located on the banks of the Ganga
  • C. It is the only Jyotirlinga whose principal deity is a Swayambhu Shakti Peetha
  • D. It is the only Jyotirlinga managed directly by the Ministry of Culture, Government of India

Q11. Among the following GI-registered handloom textiles of Andhra Pradesh, which one was the earliest to receive its GI registration?

  • A. Uppada Jamdani Sarees
  • B. Venkatagiri Sarees
  • C. Mangalagiri Sarees and Fabrics
  • D. Dharmavaram Handloom Pattu Sarees and Paavadas

Q12. Mahatma Gandhi highlighted the virtues of Ponduru Khadi chiefly through which one of the following weekly journals that he edited?

  • A. Young India
  • B. Harijan
  • C. Navajivan
  • D. Indian Opinion

Q13. The single-spindle 'Gandhi Charkha' still traditionally used by Ponduru spinners is characterised by how many spokes?

  • A. 24
  • B. 12
  • C. 18
  • D. 36

Q14. In the traditional production of Ponduru Khadi, the serrated jawbone of the Valuga fish is used specifically for which one of the following purposes?

  • A. Cleaning and combing the raw cotton to separate fibre from seeds and impurities
  • B. Dyeing the spun yarn with natural indigenous colours
  • C. Polishing and calendaring the finished woven cloth
  • D. Sharpening and truing the spindle of the Gandhi Charkha

Q15. With reference to the local cotton varieties traditionally used in the making of Ponduru Khadi, consider the following: 1. Hill cotton 2. Punasa cotton 3. Red cotton 4. Suvin cotton Which of the above is/are NOT correctly identified as a traditional local variety used in Ponduru Khadi?

  1. Hill cotton
  2. Punasa cotton
  3. Red cotton
  4. Suvin cotton
  • A. 1 and 2
  • B. 2 and 3
  • C. 3 only
  • D. 4 only

Q16. Comparing the new Seed Act (draft Seeds Bill, 2025) with the earlier regime and its implementing machinery, consider the following statements: 1. Unlike the Seeds Act, 1966, the draft Bill makes registration of all seed companies mandatory. 2. The draft Bill raises the maximum penalty for spurious seeds from up to ₹500 to up to ₹30 lakh. 3. India's network of Krishi Vigyan Kendras, which is to spread seed awareness, numbers 638 across the country. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. Unlike the Seeds Act, 1966, the draft Bill makes registration of all seed companies mandatory.
  2. The draft Bill raises the maximum penalty for spurious seeds from up to ₹500 to up to ₹30 lakh.
  3. India's network of Krishi Vigyan Kendras, which is to spread seed awareness, numbers 638 across the country.
  • A. 1 only
  • B. 1 and 2 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q17. A farmer's right to save, use, sow, re-sow, exchange, share or sell farm produce, including seed of a registered variety in an unbranded manner, is expressly guaranteed under which one of the following?

  • A. The Seeds Act, 1966
  • B. The Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers' Rights Act, 2001
  • C. The draft Seeds Bill, 2025
  • D. The Essential Commodities Act, 1955

Q18. Which one of the following was the first central legislation in India to regulate the quality of seeds?

  • A. The Essential Commodities Act, 1955
  • B. The Seeds Act, 1966
  • C. The Seeds (Control) Order, 1983
  • D. The Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers' Rights Act, 2001

Q19. In the evolution of India's seed regulation, the Seeds (Control) Order, 1983 is best described as which one of the following?

  • A. An order promulgated under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955, requiring licensing of persons who sell, export or import seeds
  • B. A subordinate rule framed under the Seeds Act, 1966, applicable only to notified varieties
  • C. A sui generis intellectual-property statute protecting plant breeders and farmers
  • D. A scheme of the Ministry of Agriculture establishing Krishi Vigyan Kendras

Q20. In the context of the new Seed Act (draft Seeds Bill, 2025), the 'Centralised Seed Traceability Portal' is best described as which one of the following?

  • A. A central-government platform for tracking seed production and distribution through which QR codes/labels on seed packets are generated
  • B. A state-level licensing register for seed dealers maintained under the Essential Commodities Act
  • C. A price-fixation exchange where seed companies bid for minimum support prices
  • D. An intellectual-property registry recording farmers' varieties under the PPVFR Act

Q21. With reference to the traceability architecture proposed under the new Seed Act (draft Seeds Bill, 2025), consider the following statements: 1. Every seed packet is to carry a QR code disclosing producer, dealer and seller details. 2. The QR code can be generated through a Centralised Seed Traceability Portal. 3. Registration of all seed companies is to be made mandatory. 4. The QR-code requirement extends to farmer-to-farmer exchange of traditional seed varieties. Which of the above is/are correctly identified?

  1. Every seed packet is to carry a QR code disclosing producer, dealer and seller details.
  2. The QR code can be generated through a Centralised Seed Traceability Portal.
  3. Registration of all seed companies is to be made mandatory.
  4. The QR-code requirement extends to farmer-to-farmer exchange of traditional seed varieties.
  • A. 1, 2 and 3
  • B. 1 and 4
  • C. 2, 3 and 4
  • D. 1, 2 and 4

Q22. With reference to the penalty framework proposed under the new Seed Act (draft Seeds Bill, 2025), consider the following statements: 1. The maximum fine proposed for selling substandard/fake seeds is ₹30 lakh. 2. Under the earlier regime the penalty was as low as up to ₹500. 3. Imprisonment of up to three years is proposed for deliberate offences. 4. The proposed fine represents an increase from a previous maximum of ₹5,000. Which of the above is/are correctly identified?

  1. The maximum fine proposed for selling substandard/fake seeds is ₹30 lakh.
  2. Under the earlier regime the penalty was as low as up to ₹500.
  3. Imprisonment of up to three years is proposed for deliberate offences.
  4. The proposed fine represents an increase from a previous maximum of ₹5,000.
  • A. 1, 2 and 3
  • B. 1 and 4
  • C. 2, 3 and 4
  • D. 1, 3 and 4

Q23. Under the new Seed Act (draft Seeds Bill, 2025), the maximum term of imprisonment proposed for the deliberate sale or production of spurious/substandard seeds is up to how many years?

  • A. One year
  • B. Two years
  • C. Three years
  • D. Five years

Q24. The principal central legislation regulating seed quality that the new Seed Act (draft Seeds Bill, 2025) seeks to replace was enacted in which year?

  • A. 1955
  • B. 1966
  • C. 1983
  • D. 2001

Q25. The draft Seeds Bill, 2025, on which the Union Agriculture Minister announced 'historic reforms for farmers', is intended to replace how many of the existing central seed-regulation instruments (the Seeds Act, 1966 and the Seeds (Control) Order, 1983)?

  • A. One
  • B. Two
  • C. Three
  • D. Four

Q26. The traditionally built stitched sail vessel INSV Kaundinya is rigged with how many masts?

  • A. Two
  • B. Three
  • C. Four
  • D. Five

Q27. With reference to wheat procurement and the Rabi Marketing Season (RMS), which one of the following statements is NOT correct?

  1. Wheat for the central pool is procured by the Food Corporation of India along with designated State Agencies.
  2. The wheat procurement estimate for RMS 2025-26 was fixed at 310 LMT.
  3. Actual wheat procurement in RMS 2025-26 was about 300.35 LMT.
  4. The wheat procurement target for RMS 2026-27 has been set at 266 LMT.
  • A. 1 only
  • B. 2 only
  • C. 3 only
  • D. 4 only

Q28. The weekly 'Progress of Area Coverage' bulletins for the Rabi and Kharif seasons are published by which one of the following ministries?

  • A. Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution
  • B. Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare
  • C. Ministry of Rural Development
  • D. Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation

Q29. As on 9 January 2026, which single crop accounted for the largest area under Rabi cultivation?

  • A. Gram (Chana)
  • B. Rapeseed & Mustard
  • C. Wheat
  • D. Rice

Q30. Into how many principal cropping seasons is the Indian agricultural year conventionally divided?

  • A. Two
  • B. Three
  • C. Four
  • D. Five