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General Studies 2023 GS Paper III 10 marks 150 words Compulsory Explain

GS Paper III — Q3

How does e-Technology help farmers in production and marketing of agricultural produce? Explain it. (Answer in 150 words) 10

हिंदी में प्रश्न पढ़ें

कृषि उत्पादों के उत्पादन एवं विपणन में ई-तकनीक किसानों की किस प्रकार मदद करती है? इसे समझाइए। (उत्तर 150 शब्दों में दीजिए)

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Model answer

Written by UPSC Answer Check against this question's marking rubric, to the 150-word length. UPSC does not publish answers for Mains — this is one way to score well, not an official key.

e-Technology integrates information and communication tools across the agricultural value chain, driving efficiency from sowing to sales.

Enhancing Production: Precision agriculture tools, including IoT sensors, GPS-guided machinery, and Kisan Drones, enable variable-rate input application, directly optimizing water-fertilizer use and boosting yields. Digital advisory platforms like Kisan Suvidha provide real-time weather forecasts and pest early warnings, allowing timely preventive interventions. Furthermore, digital identity frameworks facilitate seamless access to institutional credit, input subsidies, digital Soil Health Cards, and direct benefit transfers under PM-KISAN, alongside faster crop insurance settlements via PMFBY.

Transforming Marketing: Pan-India electronic platforms like e-NAM (National Agriculture Market) ensure transparent price discovery, breaking local APMC monopolies and minimizing post-harvest distress sales. Agri-tech platforms such as DeHaat, Bijak, and Farmizen create direct farmer-to-consumer and B2B linkages, eliminating commission-seeking middlemen and improving farm-gate realizations.

To ensure inclusive adoption, policy must address the rural digital divide, low internet penetration, and farmer data privacy concerns.

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: Technology: why it matters, use, benefit, risk, policy. explain: definition/context > points in order > small example > short close Full marks: Specific examples for both production and marketing with a clear structure.

Key points expected

  • Define e-technology in agricultural context
  • Production: weather, soil, pest, or precision farming
  • Marketing: e-NAM, price info, or direct access
  • Short closing on impact or way forward

Evaluation rubric

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

  1. The answer Definition of e-tech in agri, specific uses in production and marketing, and a short close. 10 marks · 150 words

    explain— definition/context → points in order → small example → short close

    Must cover

    • Define e-technology in agricultural context
    • Production: weather, soil, pest, or precision farming
    • Marketing: e-NAM, price info, or direct access
    • Short closing on impact or way forward

    Loses marks

    • Generic 'technology is good' without specific examples
    • Ignoring the 'marketing' aspect of the question
    • Aspirational solutions without implementation details

    Earns more

    • Mention of specific apps (Kisan Suvidha, mKisan)
    • Reference to digital payment or traceability
    • Mention of drone or IoT usage
    • Balanced view on digital divide

    Extra mark

    • Specific statistic on e-NAM transaction volume
    • Simple flowchart of digital supply chain

Practice this exact question

Write your answer and it is marked point by point against the model answer above — what you covered, what you missed, what you got wrong.

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