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General Studies 2023 GS Paper I 15 marks 250 words Compulsory Explain

GS Paper I — Q17

From being net food importer in 1960s, India has emerged as a net food exporter to the world. Provide reasons. (Answer in 250…

From being net food importer in 1960s, India has emerged as a net food exporter to the world. Provide reasons. (Answer in 250 words) 15 marks

हिंदी में प्रश्न पढ़ें

1960 के दशक में शुद्ध खाद्य आयातक से, भारत विश्व में एक शुद्ध खाद्य निर्यातक के रूप में उभरा। कारण दीजिए। (उत्तर 250 शब्दों में दीजिए)

Q17 of the 2023 UPSC Mains General Studies GS Paper I, as printed
The question as printed in the 2023 General Studies paper
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Model answer

Written by UPSC Answer Check against this question's marking rubric, to the 250-word length. UPSC does not publish answers for Mains — this is one way to score well, not an official key.

In the 1960s, India faced severe food insecurity, relying on vulnerable ‘ship-to-mouth’ imports under the US PL-480 programme. Today, India has transformed into a leading net agricultural exporter, driven by technological breakthroughs, institutional support, and trade reforms.

Technological Transformation The Green Revolution (1966 onwards) laid the production foundation by combining High-Yielding Variety (HYV) seeds with chemical fertilizers, rural electrification, and canal and tube-well irrigation in Punjab, Haryana, and western Uttar Pradesh. This yield surge created structural cereal surpluses, shifting India from chronic deficits to sustained food self-sufficiency.

Institutional and Price Incentives State interventions de-risked agriculture. The institutional framework of the Minimum Support Price (MSP) regime, backed by procurement through the Food Corporation of India (FCI) and distribution via the Public Distribution System (PDS), guaranteed market access and remunerative prices, incentivising farmers to produce beyond domestic absorption capacity.

Trade Reforms and Commercial Diversification Post-1991 economic liberalisation dismantled quantitative restrictions under WTO obligations, while a depreciated rupee enhanced price competitiveness globally. Institutional promotion by the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) catalyzed high-value export diversification, notably in Pusa Basmati rice, marine products (frozen shrimp), carabeef (buffalo meat), and spices.

Post-2000 Structural Drivers Programmes like the National Food Security Mission (NFSM) and Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) expanded output beyond traditional heartlands. Concurrently, rising private sector investment in cold chains, logistics, and agro-processing enhanced supply chain efficiency and international quality compliance.

However, this aggregate export surplus coexists with structural challenges: eastern India continues to lag in agricultural productivity, groundwater depletion threatens long-term sustainability, and severe nutritional insecurity persists despite caloric abundance. Achieving sustainable export growth requires pivoting toward climate-resilient and nutrition-sensitive farming systems.

What "Explain" is asking you to do

Make the working of something clear — what sets it off, what follows from what, and what it produces. Explain is the Commission's mechanism word: it dominates the technical papers and the “explain why” stems, where the marks sit in the causal chain and not in the label.

Structure that answers it

State what it is → the initiating condition → the chain of cause, step by step → an instance where it plays out → what the chain produces

Where marks are lost

Describing what something looks like instead of why it works that way. Naming the stages without linking them reads as description too.

All UPSC directive words, compared →

How this answer will be evaluated

Approach

Framework: GS1 Agriculture & Economic Development. justify: claim > 3-4 reasons > evidence > conclusion Full marks: Comprehensive analysis of Green Revolution, post-GR expansion, infrastructure, and policy with specific examples.

Key points expected

  • Green Revolution (HYV seeds, irrigation, fertilizers)
  • Post-Green Revolution expansion (pulses, horticulture)
  • Infrastructure development (cold chains, logistics)
  • Government policy support (MSP, export promotion)

Evaluation rubric

Each sub-part is marked on its own, against the marks and word limit printed on the paper.

  1. The answer Explain the structural and policy shifts that transformed India from a food importer to an exporter. 15 marks · 250 words

    justify— claim → 3-4 reasons → evidence → conclusion

    Must cover

    • Green Revolution (HYV seeds, irrigation, fertilizers)
    • Post-Green Revolution expansion (pulses, horticulture)
    • Infrastructure development (cold chains, logistics)
    • Government policy support (MSP, export promotion)

    Loses marks

    • Focusing only on the Green Revolution without post-1990s context
    • Ignoring the role of government policy (MSP/procurement)
    • Vague generalities without naming specific agricultural changes

    Earns more

    • Mention of specific crops (rice, wheat, basmati)
    • Reference to 'Operation Flood' for dairy
    • Role of FPOs (Farmer Producer Organizations)
    • Shift in dietary patterns and surplus generation

    Extra mark

    • Specific statistic on export value or volume
    • Mention of specific export destinations (e.g., Middle East, SE Asia)

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