PIB · Government of India ·

Rainfed areas must be developed with a fresh vision through robust institutions, digital public infrastructure, and community action: DoLR Secretary

Distilled Policy Brief

  • Rainfed agriculture in India spans approximately 6.139 crore hectares, representing 43 percent of the country's net sown area and contributing nearly 40 percent of total food production.

🎯 Prelims High-Yield Examination Points

Key metrics of rainfed agriculture in India (percentage of net sown area and food production) and the institutional implementation of WDC-PMKSY.

⚖️ Mains Analytical & Syllabus Linkages

Analyze how integrating Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) and community-led watershed management can transform India's dryland agriculture into climate-resilient landscapes.

🎯 UPSC Prelims Practice Drill

Economy

With reference to rainfed agriculture and dryland management in India, consider the following statements: 1. Rainfed agriculture in India spans approximately 6.139 crore hectares, accounting for 43 percent of the country's net sown area. 2. Rainfed agricultural regions contribute nearly 40 percent of the total food production in the country. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  • [A] 1 only
  • [B] 2 only
  • [C] Both 1 and 2
  • [D] Neither 1 nor 2
▶ Reveal Official Answer & Analytical Explanation
✓ Correct Option: [C] Both 1 and 2

According to the Department of Land Resources (DoLR) data, rainfed agriculture in India spans approximately 6.139 crore hectares, representing 43 percent of the country's net sown area. Furthermore, these dryland areas contribute nearly 40 percent of the country's total food production. Hence, both statements are correct.

Tark High-Yield Question Bank ⚡ Practice Full Test in Testing Arena ↗

🏛️ Historical Twin PYQ Anchor (2021)

UPSC Prelims 2021

Consider the following statements regarding the "National Clean Air Programme (NCAP)": 1. It is implemented by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. 2. Central Pollution Control Board acts as the sole regulatory executive body.

Forensic Anchor: Cabinet Allocation of Business Rules & NCAP Framework
Examiner Trap Takeaway: UPSC swapped Central Pollution Control Board role with State Pollution Control Boards for state-level monitoring.

📚 Static Syllabus & Constitutional Linkages

Watershed Management: NCERT Class 11 India: Physical Environment (Chapter on Water Resources) - concepts of watershed development, Haryali, Neeranchal, and PMKSY.
Dryland Farming: Geography of India - classification of arid, semi-arid, and dryland farming zones, and their ecological challenges.