UPSC Mains Agriculture PYQs, 2016-2026

Agriculture questions in GS Paper 3 2026

1. 3

   Describe the various Technology Missions initiated in Indian agriculture and examine their role in food security.

   150 words · 10 marks

2. 4

   Explain the factors responsible for inefficiency of agri-produce marketing. How e-commerce helps to reduce inefficiency of agri-produce marketing? Explain.

   150 words · 10 marks

3. 13

   How Indian agriculture has been transformed from food scarcity to food surplus level? Explain the various government policies implemented for diversification of Indian agriculture.

   250 words · 15 marks

4. 14

   Discuss the different types of subsidies and supports provided by the Government of India to agricultural sector. Examine the related issues pertaining to Agreement on Agriculture of World Trade Organisation (WTO).

   250 words · 15 marks

Agriculture questions in GS Paper 3 2025

1. 3

   Explain the factors influencing the decision of the farmers on the selection of high value crops in India.

   150 words · 10 marks

2. 4

   Elaborate the scope and significance of supply chain management of agricultural commodities in India.

   150 words · 10 marks

3. 13

   Examine the factors responsible for depleting groundwater in India. What are steps taken by the government to mitigate such depletion of groundwater?

   250 words · 15 marks

4. 14

   Examine the scope of the food processing industries in India. Elaborate the measures taken by the government in the food processing industries for generating employment opportunities.

   250 words · 15 marks

Agriculture questions in GS Paper 3 2024

1. 3

   What were the factors responsible for the successful implementation of land reforms in some parts of the country? Elaborate.

   150 words · 10 marks

2. 4

   Explain the role of millets for ensuring health and nutritional security in India.

   150 words · 10 marks · Model answer & what aspirants miss

3. 13

   What are the major challenges faced by the Indian irrigation system in recent times? State the measures taken by the government for efficient irrigation management.

   250 words · 15 marks

4. 14

   Elucidate the importance of buffer stocks for stabilizing agricultural prices in India. What are the challenges associated with the storage of buffer stock? Discuss.

   250 words · 15 marks · Model answer & what aspirants miss

Agriculture questions in GS Paper 3 2023

1. 3

   How does e-Technology help farmers in production and marketing of agricultural produce? Explain it.

   150 words · 10 marks

2. 4

   State the objectives and measures of land reforms in India. Discuss how land ceiling policy on landholding can be considered as an effective reform under economic criteria.

   150 words · 10 marks

3. 13

   Explain the changes in cropping pattern in India in the context of changes in consumption pattern and marketing conditions.

   250 words · 15 marks

4. 14

   What are the direct and indirect subsidies provided to farm sector in India? Discuss the issues raised by the World Trade Organization (WTO) in relation to agricultural subsidies.

   250 words · 15 marks

Agriculture questions in GS Paper 3 2022

1. 3

   What are the major challenges of Public Distribution System (PDS) in India? How can it be made effective and transparent?

   150 words · 10 marks

2. 4

   Elaborate the scope and significance of the food processing industry in India.

   150 words · 10 marks

3. 13

   What are the main bottlenecks in upstream and downstream process of marketing of agricultural products in India?

   250 words · 15 marks

4. 14

   What is Integrated Farming System? How is it helpful to small and marginal farmers in India?

   250 words · 15 marks

Agriculture questions in GS Paper 3 2021

1. 3

   How did land reforms in some parts of the country help to improve the socio-economic conditions of marginal and small farmers?

   150 words · 10 marks

2. 4

   How and to what extent would micro-irrigation help in solving India's water crisis?

   150 words · 10 marks

3. 13

   What are the salient features of the National Food Security Act, 2013? How has the Food Security Bill helped in eliminating hunger and malnutrition in India?

   250 words · 15 marks

4. 14

   What are the present challenges before crop diversification? How do emerging technologies provide an opportunity for crop diversification?

   250 words · 15 marks

Agriculture questions in GS Paper 3 2020

1. 3

   What are the main constraints in transport and marketing of agricultural produce in India?

   150 words · 10 marks

2. 4

   What are the challenges and opportunities of food processing sector in the country? How can income of the farmers be substantially increased by encouraging food processing?

   150 words · 10 marks

3. 13

   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?

   250 words · 15 marks

4. 14

   Suggest measures to improve water storage and irrigation system to make its judicious use under depleting scenario.

   250 words · 15 marks

Agriculture questions in GS Paper 3 2019

1. 3

   How far is Integrated Farming System (IFS) helpful in sustaining agricultural production?

   150 words · 10 marks

2. 4

   Elaborate the impact of National Watershed Project in increasing agricultural production from water-stressed areas.

   150 words · 10 marks

3. 13

   What are the reformative steps taken by the Government to make food grain distribution system more effective?

   250 words · 15 marks

4. 14

   Elaborate the policy taken by the Government of India to meet the challenges of the food processing sector.

   250 words · 15 marks

Agriculture questions in GS Paper 3 2018

1. 3

   What do you mean by Minimum Support Price (MSP)? How will MSP rescue the farmers from the low income trap?

   150 words · 10 marks

2. 4

   Examine the role of supermarkets in supply chain management of fruits, vegetables and food items. How do they eliminate number of intermediaries?

   150 words · 10 marks

3. 8

   Sikkim is the first 'Organic State' in India. What are the ecological and economical benefits of Organic State?

   150 words · 10 marks

4. 13

   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?

   250 words · 15 marks

5. 14

   How has the emphasis on certain crops brought about changes in cropping patterns in recent past? Elaborate the emphasis on millets production and consumption. 45 EG T= = ST aD 3 P.T.O.

   250 words · 15 marks

Agriculture questions in GS Paper 3 2017

1. 4

   Explain various types of revolutions, took place in Agriculture after independence in India. How these revolutions have helped in poverty alleviation and food security in India?

   150 words · 10 marks

2. 5

   What are the reasons for poor acceptance of cost-effective small processing unit? How the food processing unit will be helpful to uplift the socio-economic status of poor farmers?:.

   150 words · 10 marks

3. 14

   What are the major reasons for declining tice and wheat yield in the cropping system? How crop diversification is helpful to stabilise the yield of the crops in the system?

   250 words · 15 marks

4. 15

   How do subsidies affect the cropping pattern, crop diversity and economy of farmers? What __is the significance of crop insurance, minimum support price and food processing for small and marginal farmers?

   250 words · 15 marks

Agriculture questions in GS Paper 3 2016

1. 7

   Whal is water-usee éfficiency? Describe the role of micro-irrigation in increasing the water-use efficiency.

   200 words · 12½ marks

2. 8

   What is allelopatliy? Discuss ils role in major cropping systems of irrigated agriculture.

   200 words · 12½ marks

3. 9

   Discuss the role of land reforms in agricultural development. Identify the factors that were responsible for the success of land reforms in India.

   200 words · 12½ marks

4. 10

   Given the vulnerability of Indian agriculture to vagaries of nature, discuss the need for crop insurance and bring out the salient features of the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY).

   200 words · 12½ marks

Other GS Paper 3 topics

Indian Economy · Science & Technology · Environment · Disaster Management · Internal Security