With reference to pulse production in India, consider the following statements: 1) Black gram can be cultivated as both kharif and rahi crop. 2) Green-gram alone accounts for nearly half of pulse production. 3) In the last three decades, while the production of kharif pulses has increased, the production of rabi pulses has decreased. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

The correct answer is A (1 only). The core concept is the seasonal cropping pattern of pulses in India, which is a standard Agriculture and Food Security topic.

• Statement 1 is correct. Black gram (urad) is grown as a kharif crop across most states and as a rabi or winter crop in parts of the south and in some northern areas with irrigation. Its wide adaptability is why it appears in both seasons.
• Statement 2 is wrong. Chana (gram) is the largest pulse by share, roughly 35 to 40 percent of output. Tur is next, and green gram is only about 10 to 12 percent. No single pulse accounts for half of production.
• Statement 3 is wrong. Over the last three decades rabi pulses, led by gram, have risen markedly and not declined. Kharif pulses have also grown, so the claim reverses the trend.

For Mains, connect this to the pulse mission, the MSP and procurement debate, and the push for self-sufficiency in pulses, which has made the rabi gram expansion a policy focus.

Trap: Aspirants often assume green gram dominates because it is widely consumed and frequently mentioned. In production terms, gram is the anchor crop.