Question 44 from UPSC CSE 2018 - Current Affairs/Gener al awareness

Question

As per the NSSO 70th Round 'Situation Assessment Survey of Agricultural Households', consider the following statements:
1. Rajasthan has the highest percentage share of agricultural households among its rural households.
2. Out of the total agricultural households in the country, a little over 60 percent belong to OBCs.
3. In Kerala, a little over 60 percent of agricultural households reported having received maximum income from sources other than agricultural activities.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

IASCODEX · Accepted Answer

Correct Option: C. 1 and 3 only

Strategy: The strategy focused on comparing statewise agricultural compositions and social group data. Key observations included Rajasthan's high agricultural population among rural households and Kerala's agricultural households primarily deriving income from non-agricultural sources, confirming statement 3. For statement 2, the OBC share was recalled to be lower than 60%. Therefore, statements 1 and 3 are deemed correct.

Key Info: NSSO 70th Round: 'Situation Assessment Survey of Agricultural Households' (2012-13) was a comprehensive nationwide survey assessing the economic and social status of agricultural households.

- **Rajasthan**: In the reference period (July 2012-June 2013), Rajasthan had the highest percentage of agricultural households among its rural households (78.4%), followed by Uttar Pradesh (74.8%) and Madhya Pradesh (70.8%). This highlights Rajasthan's heavy agrarian base within rural demographics.
- **Social Category (OBC, SC, ST)**: The survey reported that about 45% of agricultural households belonged to Other Backward Classes (OBCs), 16% to Scheduled Castes (SCs), and 13% to Scheduled Tribes (STs). Less than half were OBCs, making the figure 'a little over 60%' clearly inaccurate.
- **Kerala's Income Sources**: Kerala stood out as an exception where a majority (about 61%) of agricultural households relied on income sources other than agriculture. This included income from government jobs, remittances, trade, and services, reflecting Kerala's distinct diversification of rural income. In most major states, agriculture remained the principal income for rural households.
- **General Context**: The NSSO Situation Assessment Surveys are periodically conducted to inform agricultural policy, track income diversification, and analyze the socioeconomic profile of farmers across states and social categories.

IASCODEX · Answer

Option A: 2 and 3 only

IASCODEX · Answer

Option B: 2 only

IASCODEX · Answer

Option D: 1, 2, and 3