# Agriculture I for UPSC: Growth, Land Records, Irrigation, Fertiliser (NPK Imbalance) & Missions (2025-26) Source: https://tracknation.in/story/agriculture-i-for-upsc-growth-land-records-irrigation-fertiliser-npk-imbalance-missions-2025-26 (TrackNation — free UPSC notes with PYQs) > Indian agriculture for UPSC — Economic Survey 2025-26 data (4.45% decadal growth, livestock 7.1%, fisheries 8.8%, foodgrains 3,577.3 lakh tonnes, 46.1% of workforce), crop seasons, land reforms and DILRMP, irrigation (55.8%) and PMKSY, the NPK imbalance (10.9:4.1:1) and urea, seeds, the oilseed/pulses/ethanol missions and PM Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana — with practice questions and real PYQs. ## The Agriculture Sector: Output, Growth and Seasons 🎯 **Exam priority: High-yield.** *Agriculture gave 23 Prelims questions in a decade (MSP, procurement, schemes, crops, inputs). The recent papers ask fewer but sharper questions — a named scheme, a crop's season or MSP status. This note covers the sector, land and inputs; the next two cover prices/food security and allied sectors/credit.* Farming employs nearly half of India's workers but produces about a fifth of its income. Raising productivity in that gap is the central problem of rural policy. ## The sector at a glance (Economic Survey 2025-26) - **Weight:** agriculture and allied activities contribute nearly **one-fifth of national income** but employ **46.1% of the workforce** (PLFS 2023-24) — the reason low farm productivity means low incomes. - **Growth:** about **4.4% a year** over the last five years; the decadal growth of **4.45% (FY16–FY25)** is the highest of any decade since the 1970s. The drivers: **livestock 7.1%** and **fisheries 8.8%**, with **crops only 3.5%** — allied sectors are the growth engines. - **Output:** foodgrain production reached **3,577.3 lakh tonnes in AY 2024-25** (+254.3 lakh tonnes), led by rice, wheat, maize and coarse cereals ("Shree Anna"); **horticulture** (about 33% of agricultural GVA) produced **362.08 million tonnes**, more than the 329.68 million tonnes of foodgrains. India is the **largest producer of dry onions (about 25% of world output)** and second in vegetables, fruits and potatoes. - **Constraints:** fragmented landholdings, limited irrigation, low mechanisation, uneven quality of seeds and extension, weak storage and marketing, and stagnating yields — Indian yields in cereals, maize, soybean and pulses trail world averages; **groundnut** is an exception thanks to improved varieties and concentration in suitable semi-arid States. Pulse yields suffer in El Niño years. ## Crops and seasons | **Season** | **Sowing → harvest** | **Crops** | | **Kharif** | June–July (monsoon) → Sept–Oct | Rice (paddy), jowar, bajra, ragi, maize, arhar, moong, urad, cotton, groundnut, soybean, sunflower, sesamum, **niger**, jute | | **Rabi** | Oct–Dec → Feb–April | Wheat, barley, gram, masur, rapeseed & mustard, safflower, linseed | | **Zaid** | Summer (March–June) | Watermelon, cucumber, fodder, some pulses and vegetables | ## Leading producers by crop (standard reference) | **Crop** | **Leading States** | **Notes** | | Rice | West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Andhra Pradesh/Telangana, Odisha | Kharif; India is the world's largest rice exporter | | Wheat | Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan | Rabi; needs cool growing season and irrigation | | Pulses | Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh | Mostly rainfed; yields low and unstable; gram is the largest pulse | | Oilseeds | Gujarat (groundnut), Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra (soybean), Rajasthan (rapeseed-mustard) | Edible-oil import dependence remains | | Sugarcane | Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka | Price set as FRP (Article 19) | | Cotton | Gujarat, Maharashtra, Telangana | Black (regur) soil; kharif | | Jute | West Bengal | Eastern India; also an MSP crop | | Plantation crops | Tea — Assam; coffee — Karnataka; rubber — Kerala | Commodity boards regulate | - **Cropping pattern and intensity:** the area sown more than once a year divided by net sown area gives **cropping intensity**; irrigation, short-duration seeds and mechanisation raise it. Cropping patterns shift with prices — Survey Box VI.2 shows maize area growing 6.68% a year (FY22–FY25) because of ethanol demand while pulses and oilseeds lost relative profitability. ## Farm Structure and the Revolutions Behind the national averages is a farm structure of tiny holdings — and a history of "revolutions" that UPSC treats as a standard Mains theme. ## Farm structure and the revolutions - **Holdings.** The Agriculture Census (every five years) counts operational holdings. In 2015-16 the average holding was about **1.08 hectares**; **marginal holdings (below 1 ha)** were roughly two-thirds of all holdings and, with **small holdings (1–2 ha)**, about 86% of the total — yet together they operate under half the farmland. Small, fragmented plots limit mechanisation, irrigation and credit, which is why consolidation, land-records reform and farmer organisations (FPOs) matter. - **Cropping intensity** is gross cropped area divided by net sown area: the more often the same land is cropped in a year, the higher it is, and irrigation is the main driver. | **'Revolution'** | **What it raised** | **How** | | Green (from 1966-67) | Foodgrains, mainly wheat and rice | HYV seeds, irrigation, fertiliser and assured procurement | | White (Operation Flood, 1970) | Milk | Village milk cooperatives linked to urban markets (Amul model) | | Yellow (Technology Mission on Oilseeds, 1986) | Oilseeds | Seed, price support and processing — yet India still imports much of its edible oil | | Blue | Fish and aquaculture | Marine and inland fisheries, now backed by the PM Matsya Sampada Yojana | | Golden | Horticulture (fruits, vegetables, honey) | Mission-mode support through the National Horticulture Mission | - These are popular names rather than official categories, but UPSC's 2017 Mains asked students to explain the post-independence agricultural revolutions and how they helped poverty reduction and food security — so learn the crop or product behind each name and the instrument that drove it. ## Land, Water, Soil and Fertiliser Land, water, seeds and nutrients are the four inputs. The Survey's data show progress in each — and a problem hidden in fertiliser use. ## Land reforms and land records - Post-independence land reforms: abolition of **zamindari** (intermediaries), **tenancy reforms**, **ceilings on holdings**, **consolidation of holdings** and the Bhoodan/Gramdan movement; they are State subjects (Seventh Schedule). Operation Barga (West Bengal) gave tenants security. - **Digital land records:** the **Digital India Land Records Modernisation Programme (DILRMP)** is a **Central Sector scheme funded 100% by the Centre**; it digitises **cadastral maps**, computerises and **transliterates Records of Rights** into the Eighth Schedule languages, and links registration with land records (UPSC 2024). Unique land IDs and State digital land titles (e.g., Andhra Pradesh's drone-based resurvey) reduce disputes and ease credit. ## Water: irrigation - The **gross irrigated area as a share of gross cropped area rose from 41.7% (2001-02) to 55.8% (2022-23)**, but coverage varies — about **67% for rice, 26% for pulses and under 15% for millets**. - **PMKSY (Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana)** aims at "Har Khet Ko Pani" (irrigation sources), **Per Drop More Crop (PDMC)** for micro-irrigation — **55% assistance for small and marginal farmers, 45% for others** on drip and sprinkler systems — watershed development, and efficient on-farm water use. ## Soil and fertiliser - **Soil Health Card** scheme: over **25.55 crore cards** issued (November 2025); National Soil Mapping Programme and the NOSUIS portal. - **The NPK imbalance:** the ratio of nitrogen : phosphorus : potassium used by farmers was **4 : 3.2 : 1 in 2009-10**, worsened to **7 : 2.8 : 1 in 2019-20** and to about **10.9 : 4.1 : 1 in 2023-24** — against an agronomic norm near **4 : 2 : 1**. The cause is a heavily subsidised, cheap **urea**; the result is falling soil organic carbon, nitrate leaching and a declining crop response. Policy answers: **nutrient-based subsidy**, **neem-coated urea**, nano-urea and the Survey's proposal to raise urea's retail price while paying an equivalent per-acre transfer through PM-KISAN. ## Groundwater, Irrigation Efficiency and the Water Schemes Water is the binding constraint on Indian farming, and groundwater — not canals — carries most of the load. This section links the numbers to the schemes. ## Groundwater, irrigation efficiency and the water schemes - **Groundwater is the largest source of irrigation** — wells and tube wells irrigate more than half of the net irrigated area — and is being over-drawn in the north-west (Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan) where free or cheap power and assured procurement favour paddy and wheat. Rice and sugarcane are the most water-hungry crops, which is why crop diversification and direct-seeded rice are policy goals. - **PMKSY (2015)** brings together four strands: the Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (finishing large projects), **Har Khet Ko Pani** (new sources and district irrigation plans), watershed development, and **Per Drop More Crop** (micro-irrigation). The **Micro Irrigation Fund** (NABARD, from 2018-19) lets States borrow to expand drip and sprinkler coverage. - **Atal Bhujal Yojana (2019)** is a community-led groundwater-management scheme in water-stressed parts of seven States (Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh), supported by the World Bank. The **Jal Shakti Abhiyan (2019)** is a campaign for rainwater harvesting and water conservation in water-stressed districts. - **Why efficiency, not just supply.** Flood irrigation wastes much of the water it delivers; drip and sprinkler systems raise *water-use efficiency* (crop output per unit of water) and also save fertiliser and power. UPSC has asked about micro-irrigation in Mains in both 2016 and 2021. ## Seeds, Missions, PM-DDKY and the Ethanol–Maize Trade-off Missions turn policy priorities into targets: oilseeds, pulses, seeds, high-productivity districts and ethanol. ## Seeds, missions and the new schemes - **Seeds:** the Sub-Mission on Seeds and Planting Material created **6.85 lakh seed villages**; Budget 2025-26 announced the **National Mission on High-Yielding Seeds** (climate-resilient varieties; 100+ new varieties). Seed replacement rates are uneven; many farmers still use farm-saved seed. - **National Food Security and Nutrition Mission** (NFSM since 2007, renamed in FY25) covers rice, wheat, pulses, coarse cereals and nutri-cereals; **Krishonnati Yojana** is an umbrella of eight schemes (MIDH horticulture, SAME extension, Digital Agriculture Mission, NMEO and others). - **Edible oils (NMEO-Oilseeds and Oil Palm):** aims for nearly **70 million tonnes of oilseeds by 2030-31**. Between 2014-15 and 2024-25 oilseed area rose 18%, production about 55% and productivity about 31%, and the share of imports in edible-oil supply fell from **63.2% (2015-16) to 56.25% (2023-24)**. - **Pulses:** the **Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses** was approved on **1 October 2025** to cut import dependence. - **PM Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana** (approved July 2025, six years from FY26): **100 aspirational agricultural districts** chosen on *low productivity, low cropping intensity and limited credit disbursement*, converging 36 existing schemes across 11 departments, with agricultural universities as knowledge partners. ## The ethanol–maize trade-off - Ethanol blending (towards E20) had saved over **₹1.44 lakh crore of foreign exchange** by August 2025, but the administered ethanol price is higher for maize, so maize yields rose (2.56 → **3.78 tonnes/ha** from FY16 to FY25) and maize area expanded while **pulses and oilseeds** lost ground — the Survey flags a tension between energy self-reliance and food self-reliance and calls for a roadmap that preserves both. ## Why this matters for UPSC - Typical tests: crop–season–State pairing, schemes and who funds them (Central Sector vs CSS), the NPK ratio and urea, irrigation numbers, and which sector grew fastest (livestock/fisheries). Link to Article 19 (MSP/procurement) and Article 20 (allied sectors, credit). ## Further Reading - NCERT Economics textbooks (Class 11–12), the Economic Survey, the Union Budget documents and RBI publications cited in this note — the primary sources behind every figure above. ## Organic and Natural Farming, and Cutting Chemical Use Fertiliser subsidies drive the nutrient imbalance described above. Organic and natural farming are the policy response — and a favourite Prelims topic. ## Organic and natural farming, and cutting chemical use - **Soil Health Card (2015)** tells each farmer what nutrients the soil lacks so that balanced fertiliser can be used. **Neem-coated urea** (mandatory from 2015) slows nitrogen release and cuts diversion to industry; **nano urea** (IFFCO, 2021) replaces bags with a liquid spray. **PM-PRANAM (2023)** rewards States that reduce chemical-fertiliser use. - **Organic farming.** The **Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (2015)** promotes cluster-based organic farming with certification; the Mission Organic Value Chain Development for the North-Eastern Region (2015) builds organic value chains there. The **National Mission on Natural Farming** (approved November 2024) promotes chemical-free farming with local inputs. **Sikkim** became India's first fully organic State in 2016. - **Certification.** The National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP) is run under the **Ministry of Commerce and Industry**, with **APEDA** as its secretariat, for export certification; the Participatory Guarantee System (PGS-India) serves the domestic market (UPSC 2018 tested exactly this split). - **The trade-off.** Organic and natural farming can cut input costs and soil damage, but yields can dip in the transition, certification is costly for small farmers and the premium price depends on buyers — which is why the schemes focus on clusters and value chains. ## Test Yourself: Practice Questions & PYQs Eighteen practice questions on the sector, inputs, water, organic farming and missions, followed by real UPSC questions on land records and farmer organisation. ## Practice Questions **Q1.** According to the Economic Survey 2025-26, which of the following sub-sectors grew fastest over the decade FY16-FY25? - (a) Crops - (b) Fisheries and aquaculture - (c) Livestock - (d) Forestry **Answer: (b)** — Fisheries and aquaculture grew 8.8% a year, ahead of livestock (7.1%) and crops (3.5%). **Q2.** Consider the following statements about the Digital India Land Records Modernisation Programme: 1. It is a Central Sector scheme with 100 per cent central funding. 2. It involves digitisation of cadastral maps. 3. It provides for transliteration of Records of Rights into languages in the Eighth Schedule. Which of the statements given above are correct? - (a) 2 and 3 only - (b) 1, 2 and 3 - (c) 1 and 2 only - (d) 1 and 3 only **Answer: (b)** — All three are features of DILRMP. **Q3.** The N:P:K ratio of fertiliser use in India in 2023-24 was about 10.9:4.1:1, compared with an agronomic norm of about - (a) 4:2:1 - (b) 1:1:1 - (c) 2:1:1 - (d) 10:5:1 **Answer: (a)** — Heavily subsidised urea has pushed nitrogen use far above the recommended balance. **Q4.** Which of the following is a kharif crop? 1. Niger 2. Gram 3. Groundnut - (a) 2 only - (b) 1, 2 and 3 - (c) 1 and 2 only - (d) 1 and 3 only **Answer: (d)** — Gram is a rabi crop; niger and groundnut are kharif. **Q5.** The share of gross irrigated area in gross cropped area rose from 41.7 per cent in 2001-02 to about - (a) 70 per cent in 2022-23 - (b) 45.0 per cent in 2022-23 - (c) 55.8 per cent in 2022-23 - (d) 80 per cent in 2022-23 **Answer: (c)** — 55.8%, with big differences by crop: rice about 67%, pulses 26%, millets under 15%. **Q6.** Under the PM Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana, districts were identified on the basis of - (a) low productivity, low cropping intensity and limited credit disbursement - (b) high rainfall, high productivity and high credit - (c) highest MSP procurement - (d) population density **Answer: (a)** — 100 aspirational agricultural districts, six years from FY26, convergence of 36 schemes. **Q7.** Which of the following describes 'Per Drop More Crop'? - (a) A seed subsidy - (b) A component of PMKSY promoting micro-irrigation (drip and sprinkler) with subsidy to farmers - (c) A scheme for crop insurance - (d) A pulses procurement scheme **Answer: (b)** — Subsidy: 55% for small and marginal farmers and 45% for others. **Q8.** Statement-I: Ethanol pricing has contributed to a rise in the area under maize. Statement-II: The administered price of maize-based ethanol has increased faster than that of rice- or molasses-based ethanol. Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements? - (a) Statement-I is not correct but Statement-II is correct - (b) Statement-I is correct but Statement-II is not correct - (c) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II explains Statement-I - (d) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct but Statement-II does not explain Statement-I **Answer: (c)** — The Survey notes the price signal for maize (CAGR 11.7% FY22–FY25) has pushed acreage and output up. **Q9.** 'Cropping intensity' is - (a) the share of cash crops in total area - (b) the yield per hectare - (c) the ratio of gross cropped area to net sown area - (d) the ratio of irrigated to unirrigated area **Answer: (c)** — It measures how many times, on average, the same land is cropped in a year. **Q10.** India's share of imports in edible oil supply fell from 63.2 per cent in 2015-16 to about - (a) 56 per cent in 2023-24 - (b) 46 per cent in 2023-24 - (c) 63 per cent in 2023-24 - (d) 36 per cent in 2023-24 **Answer: (a)** — To 56.25%, helped by NMEO-Oilseeds and Oil Palm. **Q11.** Which of the following is NOT a component of the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY)? - (a) Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme - (b) Har Khet Ko Pani - (c) National Food Security Mission - (d) Per Drop More Crop **Answer: (c)** — PMKSY has the AIBP, Har Khet Ko Pani, watershed development and Per Drop More Crop. The National Food Security Mission is a separate scheme for foodgrain output. **Q12.** The Atal Bhujal Yojana is - (a) a crop insurance scheme - (b) a community-led groundwater management scheme for water-stressed areas of seven States - (c) an inter-linking of rivers project - (d) a scheme for building large dams **Answer: (b)** — Launched in 2019 with World Bank support, it focuses on community-led management of groundwater in water-stressed blocks of seven States. **Q13.** The National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP) is operated under the guidelines of the - (a) NITI Aayog - (b) Ministry of Rural Development - (c) Ministry of Commerce and Industry - (d) Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change **Answer: (c)** — NPOP is run by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, with APEDA as the secretariat; it provides certification for exports. **Q14.** Which of the following became India's first fully organic State? - (a) Himachal Pradesh - (b) Sikkim - (c) Uttarakhand - (d) Kerala **Answer: (b)** — Sikkim was declared fully organic in 2016. **Q15.** PM-PRANAM, launched in 2023, aims to - (a) provide crop insurance to all farmers - (b) encourage States to reduce the use of chemical fertilisers - (c) expand irrigation through micro-irrigation - (d) double farmers' incomes through procurement **Answer: (b)** — PM-PRANAM rewards States that cut chemical-fertiliser use by promoting alternative and balanced nutrients. **Q16.** In the Agriculture Census, 'marginal holdings' are those of size - (a) below 1 hectare - (b) above 10 hectares - (c) 2 to 4 hectares - (d) 1 to 2 hectares **Answer: (a)** — Marginal holdings are below 1 hectare; small holdings are 1–2 hectares. Together they are about 86% of holdings. **Q17.** The 'Yellow Revolution' is associated with - (a) fish - (b) oilseeds - (c) milk - (d) fruits **Answer: (b)** — The Technology Mission on Oilseeds (1986) launched the Yellow Revolution; milk is the White Revolution and fisheries the Blue. **Q18.** The Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana promotes - (a) farm mechanisation - (b) crop insurance - (c) warehouse receipts - (d) cluster-based organic farming **Answer: (d)** — PKVY (2015) supports farmers in clusters to adopt organic farming with certification and marketing support. ### UPSC Previous Year Questions (PYQs) *Real UPSC Prelims questions, checked against the official paper and answer key.* **Q1.** (2024) With reference to the Digital India Land Records Modernisation Programme, consider the follow- ing statements : 1. To implement the scheme, the Central Government provides 100% funding. 2. Under the Scheme, Cadastral Maps are digitized. 3. An initiative has been undertaken to transliterate the Records of Rights from local language to any of the languages recognized by the Constitution of India. Which of the statements given above are correct ? - (a) 1 and 2 only - (b) 1, 2 and 3 - (c) 2 and 3 only - (d) 1 and 3 only **Answer: (b)** — The Digital India Land Records Modernisation Programme is a Central Sector scheme — the Centre funds it 100% — digitising cadastral maps (2 ✔) and transliterating Records of Rights from local languages into languages in the Eighth Schedule (3 ✔). **Q2.** (2023) Which one of the following best describes the concept of 'Small Farmer Large Field'? - (a) Many marginal farmers in an area together make a contract with a corporate body and surrender their land to the corporate body for a fixed term for which the corporate body makes a payment of agreed amount to the farmers - (b) Many marginal farmers in an area organize themselves into groups and synchronize and harmonize selected agricultural operations - (c) Resettlement of a large number of people, uprooted from their countries due to war, by giving them a large cultivable land which they cultivate collectively and share the produce - (d) A company extends loans, technical knowledge and material inputs to a number of small farmers in an area so that they produce the agricultural commodity required by the company for its manufacturing process and commercial production **Answer: (b)** — 'Small Farmer Large Field' means marginal farmers in an area organise themselves into groups and synchronise farm operations so that they gain scale advantages without giving up land ownership. **Q3.** (2018) Consider the following statements: 1. The quantity of imported edible oils is more than the domestic production of edible oils in the last five years. 2. The Government does not impose any customs duty on all the imported edible oils as a special case. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? - (a) Neither 1 nor 2 - (b) Both 1 and 2 - (c) 1 only - (d) 2 only **Answer: (c)** — India imports more edible oil than it produces — the quantity of imports has exceeded domestic production for years (statement 1 is right). The Government does levy customs duty on edible-oil imports and changes the rate often to balance farmers' and consumers' interests, so statement 2 is wrong. ### Mains Practice Questions Use these to frame full-length answers. You don't have to answer one exactly — they show the angles UPSC tests, so let them guide which points you cover. - Explain the post-independence 'revolutions' in Indian agriculture and how they helped food security and poverty reduction. - How can micro-irrigation and better groundwater management raise water-use efficiency in Indian agriculture? - Why does India's agricultural productivity lag the world and what role do allied sectors play in raising farm incomes? - Examine the imbalance in fertiliser use (NPK ratio) and policy options to correct it. - Discuss the role of irrigation and PMKSY in agricultural development, including inter-crop disparities. - Evaluate the trade-off between ethanol-driven crop diversification and food security. ### UPSC Mains — Previous Years’ Questions on this topic (last 10 years) These are the **actual GS Mains questions** UPSC has asked on this theme — real proof of how, and when, it is tested. Try to write a full answer to each. - 2026 (GS-III): Describe the various Technology Missions initiated in Indian agriculture and examine their role in food security. - 2026 (GS-III): How Indian agriculture has been transformed from food scarcity to food surplus level? Explain the various government policies implemented for diversification of Indian agriculture. - 2025 (GS-III): Explain the factors influencing the decision of the farmers on the selection of high value crops in India. - 2024 (GS-III): What are the major challenges faced by Indian irrigation system in recent times? State the measures taken by the government for efficient irrigation management. - 2024 (GS-III): Explain the role of millets for ensuring health and nutritional security in India. - 2023 (GS-III): Explain the changes in cropping pattern in India in the context of changes in consumption pattern and marketing conditions. - 2023 (GS-III): How does e-Technology help farmers in production and marketing of agricultural produce? Explain it. - 2022 (GS-III): What is Integrated Farming System? How is it helpful to small and marginal farmers in India? - 2021 (GS-III): How and to what extent would micro-irrigation help in solving India's water crisis? - 2021 (GS-III): What are the present challenges before crop diversification? How do emerging technologies provide an opportunity for crop diversification ? - 2020 (GS-III): Suggest measures to improve water storage and irrigation system to make its judicious use under depleting scenario. - 2020 (GS-III): What are the major factors responsible for making rice-wheat system a success? In spite of this success how has this system become bane in India? - 2019 (GS-III): How far is Integrated Farming System (IFS) helpful in sustaining agricultural production? - 2018 (GS-III): How has the emphasis on certain crops brought about changes in cropping patterns in recent past? Elaborate the emphasis on millets production and consumption. - 2018 (GS-III): Assess the role of National Horticulture Mission (NHM) in boosting the production, productivity and income of horticulture farms. How far has it succeeded in increasing the income of farmers? - 2018 (GS-III): Sikkim is the first 'Organic State' in India. What are the ecological and economical benefits of Organic State? - 2017 (GS-III): What are the major reasons for declining rice and wheat yield in the cropping system? How crop diversification is helpful to stabilise the yield of the crops in the system? - 2016 (GS-III): What is water-use efficiency? Describe the role of micro-irrigation in increasing the water-use efficiency.