Analyze the role of satellite-based technologies in achieving climate-smart agriculture and food security in India. (Answer in…

Analyze the role of satellite-based technologies in achieving climate-smart agriculture and food security in India. (Answer in 250 words) 15 marks

हिंदी में प्रश्न पढ़ें

भारत में जलवायु-अनुकूल (क्लाइमेट-स्मार्ट) कृषि एवं खाद्य सुरक्षा को हासिल करने में उपग्रह-आधारित तकनीकियों की भूमिका का विश्लेषण कीजिए। (उत्तर 250 शब्दों में दीजिए)

The question as printed in the 2026 General Studies paper

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Model answer

Drafted with AI 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. How we build rubrics and answers.

Satellite-based earth observation and weather systems underpin climate-smart agriculture in India, supporting productivity, adaptation and mitigation.

Crop Monitoring and Yield Estimation: ISRO's Resourcesat (optical) and RISAT/EOS-04 (radar, all-weather) imagery feeds the FASAL programme for pre-harvest crop acreage and yield forecasts, reducing supply-side uncertainty; CHAMAN extends similar geospatial assessment to horticulture crops.

Weather Advisories and Early Warning: INSAT-3D data feed India Meteorological Department (IMD) models for location-specific agro-advisories that help farmers time sowing and harvesting. The National Agricultural Drought Assessment and Monitoring System (NADAMS) uses satellite indices for early drought warning.

Precision Inputs and Water: Bhuvan maps soil moisture and groundwater prospects to guide irrigation, and NDVI data on crop vigour can guide variable-rate fertiliser and pesticide use, cutting costs and emissions.

Risk Transfer and Mitigation: YES-TECH under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) uses remote-sensing yield estimates to speed insurance claims, while satellite fire detection tracks stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana.

Food Security: Reliable forecasts and stress maps support procurement and buffer-stock planning for the PDS and identify zones for climate-resilient crop diversification, while early signals of crop failure allow timely relief and imports.

Limitations: Kharif cloud cover (partly offset by radar), small fragmented holdings that strain image resolution, and weak ground-truthing limit accuracy.

Delivering these gains needs last-mile extension through digital advisories and Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), turning space data into field-level resilience.

How this answer will be evaluated

Framework: GS1 Geography/Environment

What earns full marks: Detailed mechanism of specific satellite tech (e.g., NDVI, SAR) linked to food security outcomes.

Evaluation rubric

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

The answer Analyse how satellite-based technologies support climate-smart agriculture (productivity, adaptation, mitigation) and food security in India, including their limitations. 15 marks · 250 words

analyse— intro → causes → effects → stakeholders/linkages → way forward
Must cover
- Remote sensing for crop acreage, crop health and soil moisture (e.g., FASAL)
- Weather forecasting and early warning (INSAT, IMD agro-advisories, NADAMS drought monitoring)
- Precision input and water management
- Linkage to food security (yield forecasting, procurement and buffer-stock planning)
- Limitations (cloud cover, small holdings vs. resolution, ground-truthing, last-mile)
Loses marks
- Generic description of satellites without agricultural application
- Ignoring the 'climate-smart' aspect (adaptation/mitigation)
- Narrating history of ISRO instead of analyzing role
Earns more
- Specific ISRO missions (e.g., Resourcesat, RISAT/EOS-04, INSAT-3D)
- Schemes using satellite data (e.g., PMFBY's YES-TECH, CHAMAN, KISAN)
- Mitigation uses such as satellite monitoring of stubble burning
- Data platforms (e.g., Bhuvan) and last-mile delivery via FPOs/extension
Extra mark
- Specific statistic on area coverage or forecast accuracy
- Specific Indian sensor or satellite (e.g., LISS-III, AWiFS, EOS-04 SAR)

What "Analyse" is asking you to do

Break the subject into its working parts and show how they act on each other. The marks are in the interconnections — which factor drives which, and what the resulting structure explains — not in the inventory of factors.

Structure that answers it

Define the whole → separate it into its parts → show which part drives which → what that interaction produces → what the structure implies

Where marks are lost

A flat list of causes with no account of which drives which. An answer of neatly separated headings, each self-contained, scores as description.

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