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General Studies 2025 GS Paper III 10 marks 150 words Compulsory Elaborate

GS Paper III — Q4

Elaborate the scope and significance of supply chain management of agricultural commodities in India. (Answer in 150 words) 10

हिंदी में प्रश्न पढ़ें

भारत में कृषि वस्तुओं की आपूर्ति श्रृंखला प्रबंधन के क्षेत्र तथा महत्व की विस्तार से व्याख्या कीजिए। (उत्तर 150 शब्दों में दीजिए)

Q4 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 150-word length. UPSC does not publish answers for Mains — this is one way to score well, not an official key.

Agricultural supply chain management (ASCM) encompasses the end-to-end flow of inputs, production, post-harvest handling, processing, storage, transportation, and retail of farm commodities.

Scope of ASCM It spans backward linkages including input logistics (certified seeds, fertilizers) and farm operations, to midstream post-harvest cold chains, WDRA-regulated warehousing, and food processing via Mega Food Parks. Forward linkages encompass seamless market integration through APMC reforms and e-NAM.

Significance For farmers, efficient ASCM curtails post-harvest losses (currently ~16%), bypasses multi-layered intermediation, and ensures remunerative price realization. For the economy, it stabilizes food security buffers, creates non-farm rural employment, and bolsters export competitiveness toward the $50+ billion agri-export target by connecting domestic produce with global value chains.

Addressing structural hurdles—such as fragmented landholdings, scarce cold storage (covering only 4% of produce), and high logistics costs (14% vs 8% global average)—via Operation Greens, Kisan Rail, and PM-KISAN is critical to doubling farmers' income and achieving SDG-2 (Zero Hunger).

What "Elaborate" is asking you to do

Give the full detailed account the question has compressed into a line — every dimension of it, with specifics. Elaborate rewards completeness and detail rather than clarification or argument: the examiner is checking whether you can fill out a topic without being told what its parts are.

Structure that answers it

State the proposition → first dimension in detail → second dimension in detail → the part the statement leaves implicit → the consolidated picture

Where marks are lost

Repeating the statement at greater length instead of adding substance. Elaborate also punishes narrowness: omitting a whole dimension costs more here than anywhere else in this family.

All UPSC directive words, compared →

How this answer will be evaluated

Approach

Framework: Situation > Analysis > Measures > Assessment. explain: definition/context > points in order > small example > short close Full marks: Clear scope definition, specific bottlenecks, and strong significance analysis.

Key points expected

  • Define scope: procurement to retail (seed-to-shell).
  • Identify key bottlenecks: storage, transport, intermediaries.
  • Explain significance: reducing post-harvest losses.
  • Link to farmer income and food security.

Evaluation rubric

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

  1. The answer Define scope and significance of agricultural SCM in India. 10 marks · 150 words

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

    Must cover

    • Define scope: procurement to retail (seed-to-shell).
    • Identify key bottlenecks: storage, transport, intermediaries.
    • Explain significance: reducing post-harvest losses.
    • Link to farmer income and food security.

    Loses marks

    • Focusing only on MSP (Minimum Support Price).
    • Ignoring the 'scope' (process) aspect.
    • Vague generalities without specific Indian context.

    Earns more

    • Mention e-NAM or PM-KISAN.
    • Reference cold chain infrastructure.
    • Mention FPOs (Farmer Producer Organizations).

    Extra mark

    • Specific statistic on post-harvest loss %.
    • Simple flowchart of the 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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