Question 32 from UPSC CSE 2020 - GEOGRAPHY

Question

With reference to pulse production in India, consider the following statements:
1. Black gram can be cultivated as both kharif and rabi 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?

IASCODEX · Accepted Answer

Correct Option: A. 1 only

Strategy: Focus on statement-wise assessment:
*   Black gram's adaptability is well-known, making Statement 1 plausible.
*   Statement 2 exaggerates green gram's share--Gram (chickpea) dominates pulse production, not green gram.
*   Statement 3 suggests a rabi production decline, but data shows the opposite--both kharif and rabi pulses increased.
*   Eliminate Statements 2 and 3; only Statement 1 remains correct.

Key Info: Pulse crops are a vital source of protein in Indian diets. Major pulses grown include Chickpea (Gram), Pigeon Pea (Arhar/Tur), Moong Bean (Green Gram), Urad (Black Gram), Lentil (Masoor), and several others.

Black gram (Vigna mungo), also called urad dal, is grown both as a kharif (rainy season, July-October) and rabi (winter, November-March) crop, especially in southern and southeastern India, where it is often cultivated in rice fallows after the paddy harvest.

Chickpea (Gram/Desi chana) accounts for nearly 40% of India's total pulse production and is the most widely cultivated and consumed pulse, followed by Tur (Arhar) and then Moong and Urad, each accounting for about 8-10% share. Green gram (Moong) is an important pulse, but its share is much less than half of the country's total pulse output.

India experiences two major pulse-growing seasons: Kharif (monsoon) and Rabi (winter). Traditionally, rabi pulses account for over 60% of total output--thanks to chickpea and lentil grown in winter. Over the past three decades, both kharif and rabi pulse productions have shown an overall upward trend, driven by policy interventions, better seed varieties, and area expansion. For example, kharif pulses production rose from about 44.5 lakh tonnes in 2000-01 to over 55 lakh tonnes in 2016-17, and rabi pulses increased from about 66 lakh tonnes to more than 108 lakh tonnes in the corresponding period.

The Government of India provides Minimum Support Price (MSP) for major pulses and has special programs like the National Food Security Mission-Pulses to enhance area, production, and productivity.

IASCODEX · Answer

Option B: 2 and 3 only

IASCODEX · Answer

Option C: 2 only

IASCODEX · Answer

Option D: 1, 2, and 3