Subject details

Description

Trend Analysis of Agriculture 

The Civil Services (Main) Examination Syllabus is mentioned as: 

•   Major crops cropping patterns in various parts of the country

•   Different types of irrigation and irrigation systems storage

•   Transport and marketing of agricultural produce and issues and related constraints

•   E-technology in the aid of farmers

•   Issues related to direct and indirect farm subsidies and minimum support prices

•   Public Distribution System objectives, functioning, limitations, revamping; issues of buffer stocks and food security

•   Technology missions

•   Economics of animal-rearing.

•   Food processing and related industries in India- scope and significance, location, upstream and downstream requirements, supply chain management.

•   Land reforms in India.

However, the above topics are defined broadly and students sometimes fail to understand the sub-topics need to be read while preparing for the subject. 

Hence, hereby providing the list of sub-topics:

1.   Introduction

•   Agriculture: An overview

•   Status of Agriculture in India

•   Agricultural revolutions in India

•   Role of Agriculture in Indian Economy

2.   Cropping Pattern in India

•   Factors effecting cropping pattern

•   Cropping pattern of food grains

•   Government policies and its impact

3.   Irrigation Systems 

•   Surface Irrigation Method

•   Sprinkler Irrigation System   

•   Drip Irrigation System   

•   Issues related to irrigation

•   Present Irrigation Scenario   

•   Salient features of Prime Minister’s Krishi Sinchayee Yojana   

4.   Agricultural Marketing

•   Special features of agricultural marketing

•   Marketing Information System

•   Marketing Structure in India

•   Problems and Shortcomings

•   Role of FCI

•   PDS and Shanta Kumar Committee

•   APMC

•   Model APMC Act

•   Alternate Marketing Models

•   Contract Farming and its case studies

•   Agricultural Pricing Policy

5.   Agricultural Credit Institutions

•   Introduction

•   Commercial Bank

•   Lead Bank Scheme

•   Multi Agency Approach

•   Regional Rural Banks

•   National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD)

•   Reserve Bank of India

•   Kisan Credit Card Scheme

•   Self Help Group (SHG) Bank Linkage Programme

•   Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF)

•   Government Policy for Agricultural Credit

6.   Resource Management in Agriculture

•   Land

•   Land-leasing

•   Soil

•   Labour

•   Capital

•   Agricultural Productivity

7.   Food Processing

•   Processed Foods Scenario with respect to Specific Sectors

•   Policy Initiatives 

•   Infrastructure Development in Food Processing Sector

•   Government Initiatives

•   Issues in Food Processing Sector

•   FDI Policy in Food Processing

•   E-Technology in Aid of Farmers    

•   Some applications of IT in Agriculture

8.   Animal Rearing 

•   Rashtriya Gokul Mission    

•   Gokul Gram

•   National Mission on Bovine Productivity

•   National Dairy Plan-I

9.   Issues and Constraints in Agriculture Sector   

•   Productivity and Income   

•   Feminization of Agriculture    

•   Declining State of Landholdings in India    

•   State of Marginal Farmers in India   

10.   Land Reforms in India   

•   Britishers Land Settlement systems   

•   Land Reforms in India    

•   Economic, Social and Political dimension of Land Reform   

•   Land Record Management system in India   

•   Model Act of Land Leasing    

•   Land lease agreement

11.   Food Security in INDIA   

•   Government initiatives for managing Food security since Independence   

•   National Food Security Act: critical analysis   

•   Chattisgarh model of PDS   

Trend Analysis of Agriculture

How to Prepare:

If you analyse the previous year papers, maximum questions have been asked from the Agriculture productivity issues, food processing industry, technology in agriculture, etc.

Hence for preparation of this topic, alongwith the traditional sources, student need to refer the government reports, economic survey and latest updates.

Some of such Traditional Sources are:

1.   Indian Economy by Ramesh Singh

2.   Indian Economy by Dutt and Sundaram

3.   Indian Economy Misra and Puri

The reports which are important for UPSC: 

1.   Economic Survey (Volume 1 and 2)

2.   NITI Aayog Recommendations on Doubling Farmer’s Income

3.   Roadmap for Resilient Agriculture

4.   Agriculture subsidies report of Finance Commission

Alongwith the reports, student should refer to the sources such as:

•   Editorials from Newspapers 

•   Videos of government sources as Rajya Sabha TV

•   PIB, Government institutes documents, etc.

Note: In IASHELPDESK we are providing the books, reports, videos, editorials and questions at one stop so that a student may concentrate in the attainment of knowledge rather than busy accessing the different sources.