From 4th July 2018 the Minimum Support Price (MSP) during 2018 -19 for paddy per quintal is

The answer is C) Rs. 1,750 per quintal. On 4 July 2018 the Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister, approved the Kharif MSP for 2018-19 on the basis of the CACP's recommendations. Common paddy was raised by Rs 200 from Rs 1,550 in 2017-18, an increase of about 13%. Grade A paddy got Rs 1,770.

• A) Rs 1,550 was the common paddy MSP for the previous year, 2017-18. It is the base the increase is measured from, which is why it is a tempting wrong answer.
• B) Rs 1,650 is not the announced figure for common paddy in 2018-19.
• D) Rs 1,950 is also not the announced figure for common paddy in 2018-19.

The core concept is the Kharif MSP cycle: CACP recommends, the CCEA approves, and the government announces it before sowing. The government framed the hike as 1.5 times the A2+FL cost, a formula that links MSP policy to farm incomes and the debate on the C2 cost basis. That is a frequent Mains theme.

Trap: Candidates confuse the previous year's MSP (Rs 1,550) with the revised figure, or mix up common and Grade A paddy (Rs 1,770).