Agriculture 2024 Paper I 50 marks Discuss

Q6

(a) Briefly discuss the crop management practices for stabilising yield in dryland areas. Enlist the crops with their characteristics suitable for dryland agriculture. 20 marks (b) Discuss the changes in irrigated area through different sources of irrigation in India since independence. Classify the irrigation projects based on cultivable command area, purpose served and financial return. 20 marks (c) Describe the five steps of effective extension education process as per Leagans (1967). 10 marks

हिंदी में प्रश्न पढ़ें

(a) शुष्क भूमि क्षेत्रों में उपज को स्थिर करने के लिए फसल प्रबंधन क्रियाओं का संक्षेप में वर्णन करिए । शुष्क भूमि कृषि हेतु उपयुक्त फसलों उनकी विशेषताओं के साथ सूचीबद्ध करिए । 20 (b) भारत में स्वतंत्रता के बाद से सिंचाई के विभिन्न स्रोतों से सिंचित क्षेत्र में हुए परिवर्तनों का वर्णन करिए । सिंचाई परियोजनाओं को खेती योग्य कमांड क्षेत्र, उद्देश्य पूर्ति और वित्तीय रिटर्न के आधार पर वर्गीकृत करिए । 20 (c) लीगंस (1967) के अनुसार प्रभावी प्रसार शिक्षा प्रक्रिया के पांच चरणों का वर्णन करिए । 10

Evaluate your answer to this question → See all 2024 Agriculture questions

Directive word: Discuss

This question asks you to discuss. The directive word signals the depth of analysis expected, the structure of your answer, and the weight of evidence you must bring.

See our UPSC directive words guide for a full breakdown of how to respond to each command word.

How this answer will be evaluated

Approach

The directive 'discuss' for part (a) and (b) demands analytical exposition with balanced coverage, while part (c) requires 'describe' which needs systematic detailing. Allocate approximately 40% time/words to part (a) given its 20 marks and dual demand (practices + crop characteristics), 40% to part (b) covering temporal trends and multi-dimensional classification, and 20% to part (c) for the five-step Leagans process. Structure with clear sub-headings for each part, use data for irrigation trends, and conclude with integrated insights on sustainable agricultural development.

Key points expected

  • Part (a): Crop management practices for yield stabilization in drylands—moisture conservation (mulching, anti-transpirants), soil management (deep tillage, contour farming), nutrient management (micro-dosing, foliar feeding), and contingency planning for aberrant weather
  • Part (a): Crops with characteristics suitable for drylands—short duration, deep root system, C4 photosynthesis, drought escape/tolerance mechanisms; specific examples: millets (bajra, jowar, ragi), pulses (pigeonpea, mungbean), oilseeds (castor, groundnut), and new dryland varieties like ICAR-developed hybrids
  • Part (b): Temporal changes in irrigated area since 1947—canal irrigation decline from 40% to ~25%, rapid rise of groundwater (tube wells, bore wells) from negligible to ~60%, tank irrigation stagnation, and micro-irrigation emergence post-1980s with area statistics from Agriculture Census and Ministry data
  • Part (b): Classification of irrigation projects—by CCA (major >10,000 ha, medium 2,000-10,000 ha, minor <2,000 ha); by purpose (single/multi-purpose); by financial return (productive vs protective irrigation); with examples like Bhakra Nangal, Sardar Sarovar, and PMKSY projects
  • Part (c): Leagans (1967) five steps of extension education—(1) collecting facts about the situation, (2) analyzing and interpreting the situation, (3) selecting, defining, and limiting the problem, (4) determining possible solutions and making the decision, (5) taking action and accepting responsibility, with brief elaboration of each step's practical application
  • Integrated insight: Link dryland management with extension education (Leagans' process applied to technology transfer) and irrigation policy (PMKSY convergence) for holistic agricultural development

Evaluation rubric

DimensionWeightMax marksExcellentAveragePoor
Concept correctness22%11Precise explanation of dryland agronomy concepts (drought escape vs avoidance vs tolerance), accurate classification criteria for irrigation projects (CCA thresholds, purpose distinctions), and faithful reproduction of Leagans' five steps with correct sequence and terminology; no conflation of dryland with rainfed definitionsGenerally correct concepts but some imprecision—vague on drought mechanisms, mixed up CCA thresholds, or paraphrased Leagans steps without exact terminology; minor errors in distinguishing protective vs productive irrigationFundamental errors—treats dryland as synonymous with rainfed without nuance, confuses major/medium/minor project classifications, misrepresents Leagans' steps or omits key steps; conceptual confusion between extension education and extension methods
Quantitative reasoning18%9Specific data for irrigation trends—approximate percentages for canal (25%), groundwater (60%), tank (3-4%) coverage; CCA thresholds cited accurately; area under micro-irrigation mentioned; temporal benchmarks (1951, Green Revolution, post-2000) with reasonable numerical estimatesBroad trends mentioned without specific figures—'groundwater increased significantly' or 'canals declined'; correct CCA thresholds but no project-wise data; vague references to 'millions of hectares' without contextual comparisonNo quantitative data or seriously incorrect figures—claims canal irrigation dominates currently, or grossly wrong CCA thresholds; absence of any temporal markers or area statistics for irrigation sources
Indian context examples20%10Rich Indian specificity—dryland crops linked to agro-ecological zones (bajra in AER IV, ragi in Karnataka, castor in Gujarat); irrigation projects named (Bhakra Nangal, Sardar Sarovar, Indira Gandhi Canal, Parambikulam-Aliyar); states with groundwater crisis (Punjab, Haryana) and success stories (Gujarat's Jyotigram); PMKSY/Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme mentionedSome Indian examples but limited—generic 'millets grown in India' without regional specificity, one or two major projects named, no contemporary schemes; examples not tightly linked to argumentGeneric or no Indian examples—'cereals are grown' without naming crops, 'there are dams in India' without naming any; complete absence of government schemes, regional variations, or project-specific illustrations
Diagram / process18%9Clear schematic of Leagans' five-step process (circular or linear diagram showing feedback loops); possibly a table comparing irrigation project classifications; well-structured flow of dryland management practices; visual clarity in presenting multi-dimensional classification matrix for irrigation projectsAttempt at diagramming but incomplete—Leagans steps listed linearly without showing interconnections, or table attempted but missing one classification dimension; dryland practices described sequentially without visual organizationNo diagrams, tables, or process visualization; dense paragraph format for Leagans steps making sequence unclear; no attempt to present classification criteria in structured format; purely narrative approach to all three parts
Policy / extension angle22%11Strong policy integration—National Mission on Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA) for drylands, PMKSY (Har Khet Ko Pani) for irrigation, Atal Bhujal Yojana for groundwater; extension linkage showing how Leagans' process enables technology adoption (seed varieties, micro-irrigation); critique of irrigation inequity and extension gaps; convergence of approaches suggestedMention of schemes without integration—lists PMKSY or NMSA but doesn't connect to specific practices; Leagans described as theoretical without application to Indian extension system; no critique or forward-looking suggestionsComplete absence of policy context—no government schemes mentioned, no connection between extension theory and practice, purely descriptive treatment without evaluative or prescriptive element; misses the 'so what' for agricultural development

Practice this exact question

Write your answer, then get a detailed evaluation from our AI trained on UPSC's answer-writing standards. Free first evaluation — no signup needed to start.

Evaluate my answer →

More from Agriculture 2024 Paper I