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General Studies 2025 GS Paper III 15 marks 250 words Compulsory Examine

GS Paper III — Q14

Examine the scope of the food processing industries in India. Elaborate the measures taken by the government in the food…

Examine the scope of the food processing industries in India. Elaborate the measures taken by the government in the food processing industries for generating employment opportunities. (Answer in 250 words) 15 marks

हिंदी में प्रश्न पढ़ें

भारत में खाद्य प्रसंस्करण उद्योगों के विस्तार का परीक्षण कीजिए। खाद्य प्रसंस्करण उद्योगों में रोजगार अवसरों को सृजित करने हेतु, सरकार द्वारा किए गए उपायों का विस्तार से उल्लेख कीजिए। (उत्तर 250 शब्दों में दीजिए)

Q14 of the 2025 UPSC Mains General Studies GS Paper III, as printed
The question as printed in the 2025 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.

India’s food processing sector has large scope because the country is the world’s largest producer of milk and pulses and second largest in fruits and vegetables, yet only about 10% of produce is processed, against roughly 80% in developed economies. This gap shows that value addition, export potential and supply-chain integration can convert perishable farm output into higher-value products, reduce wastage and create stable urban-rural linkages. It can also strengthen export competitiveness of dairy, spices and processed foods. The employment multiplier is significant: each direct job can generate about 2.5 indirect jobs, with special relevance for rural women and youth who can participate in collection, cleaning, packaging, quality control and marketing.

Government measures are aimed at formalisation, scale and infrastructure. The PM Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME) Scheme targets 2 lakh micro enterprises through credit-linked subsidy and FPO integration, enabling small processors to access markets and create local jobs. The Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for Food Processing, with an outlay of ₹10,900 crore, seeks to expand large-scale processing and is expected to generate about 2.5 lakh direct and 7.5 lakh indirect jobs. SAMPADA-linked Mega Food Parks and Integrated Cold Chain schemes provide backward/tribal-area infrastructure, reducing post-harvest losses and enabling processing clusters.

However, employment gains remain constrained by fragmented supply chains, seasonality, skill gaps and weak value-chain coordination. The sector’s potential will be realised only when subsidies shift from inputs to processing, cold storage, quality standards and FPO-led aggregation, making food processing a durable engine of rural employment.

What "Examine" is asking you to do

Test the proposition the question puts to you and return a finding on how far it holds. Examine stems carry a claim, or ask whether something has happened, and expect evidence weighed both ways before the extent is stated — often with remedial measures attached.

Structure that answers it

Restate the claim as the question frames it → evidence that supports it → evidence that undercuts it → the conditions under which it holds → verdict on how far it stands

Where marks are lost

Stopping at description. An examination has to reach a finding, and “examine with justification” means the extent must be stated, not implied.

All UPSC directive words, compared →

How this answer will be evaluated

Approach

Framework: Situation > Analysis > Measures: legal, institutional, developmental > Assessment. examine: intro > how/why with reasoning > evidence > conclusion Full marks: Detailed scope with data; specific schemes (PMFME) linked to employment.

Key points expected

  • Scope: value addition to raw agri produce
  • Scope: export potential and import substitution
  • Measures: specific schemes (e.g., PMFME, MTPS)
  • Measures: institutional support (NHB, FSSAI)

Evaluation rubric

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

  1. The answer Assess the potential of the food processing sector and detail government employment measures.  · 250 words

    examine— intro → how/why with reasoning → evidence → conclusion

    Must cover

    • Scope: value addition to raw agri produce
    • Scope: export potential and import substitution
    • Measures: specific schemes (e.g., PMFME, MTPS)
    • Measures: institutional support (NHB, FSSAI)

    Loses marks

    • Generic 'government support' without naming schemes
    • Ignoring the employment aspect of measures
    • Aspirational writing without implementable details

    Earns more

    • Mention of specific sub-sectors (dairy, fruits)
    • Linkage to rural employment generation
    • Reference to infrastructure development (cold chain)
    • Mention of FSSAI for quality standards

    Extra mark

    • Specific budget allocation figure for PMFME
    • Simple flowchart of value chain

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