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Q4 (IAS/2014) Economy › Schemes, Inclusion & Social Sector › Agriculture support schemes Official Key

Consider the following pairs : 1. Drought-Prone Area Programme - Ministry of Agriculture 2. Desert Development Programme - Ministry of Environment and Forests 3. National Watershed Development Project for Rainfed Areas - Ministry of Rural Development Which of the above pairs is/are correctly matched?

Result
Your answer: —  ·  Correct: D
Explanation

In 2009, three watershed programmes (DPAP, DDP, IWDP) were consolidated under a comprehensive programme called 'Integrated Watershed Management Programme' covered under the Ministry of Rural Development.[1] This indicates that both the Drought-Prone Area Programme (DPAP) and Desert Development Programme (DDP) currently fall under the Ministry of Rural Development, not the Ministry of Agriculture or Ministry of Environment and Forests as stated in pairs 1 and 2.

For the National Watershed Development Project for Rainfed Areas, the Integrated Wasteland Development Programme (IWDP) is funded by the Department of Land Resources, Ministry of Rural Development[2], and watershed programmes have been integrated under this ministry's purview. This makes pair 3 correctly matched.

Therefore, only pair 3 is correct, making option B the right answer. Pairs 1 and 2 incorrectly attribute DPAP and DDP to different ministries when they actually belong to the Ministry of Rural Development.

Sources
  1. [1] Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 4: Climate of India > Current Status of DPAP > p. 46
  2. [2] Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 6: Soils > Table 6.7 > p. 28
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Don’t just practise – reverse-engineer the question. This panel shows where this PYQ came from (books / web), how the examiner broke it into hidden statements, and which nearby micro-concepts you were supposed to learn from it. Treat it like an autopsy of the question: what might have triggered it, which exact lines in the book matter, and what linked ideas you should carry forward to future questions.
Q. Consider the following pairs : 1. Drought-Prone Area Programme - Ministry of Agriculture 2. Desert Development Programme - Ministry of …
At a glance
Origin: Books + Current Affairs Fairness: Low / Borderline fairness Books / CA: 3.3/10 · 6.7/10
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A classic 'Ministry Confusion' trap targeting the overlap between Agriculture, Rural Development, and Environment. While standard books (Majid Husain) discuss these schemes under 'Climate' or 'Regional Planning', they often bury the administrative ownership. The key is to distinguish 'Area Development' (Rural Dev) from 'Farming Systems' (Agriculture).

How this question is built

This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.

Statement 1
Is the Drought-Prone Areas Programme administered by the Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India?
Origin: Web / Current Affairs Fairness: CA heavy Web-answerable

Web source
Presence: 4/5
"it could be argued that... the DPAP and DDP programmes retransferred to the Department of Rural Development;"
Why this source?
  • Explicitly states DPAP (and DDP) would be retransferred to the Department of Rural Development, not the Ministry of Agriculture.
  • Implies DPAP responsibility lies with rural development bodies rather than the Ministry of Agriculture & Cooperation.
Web source
Presence: 3/5
"special programmes known as the Small Farmers Development Agency, the Drought Prone Areas Programme, ... were transferred to this department."
Why this source?
  • States the Drought Prone Areas Programme was transferred to 'this department' which became the Ministry of Rural Reconstruction.
  • Shows DPAP was managed by a rural development department/ministry rather than the Ministry of Agriculture.

Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 4: Climate of India > Current Status of DPAP > p. 46
Strength: 5/5
“• Year: 2001 and 2003; Regions: Guidelines for the watershed development were renamed as 'Haryali Guidelines' • Year: 2008; Regions: Common guidelines for watershed development programme have been made effective since April1, 2008 • Year: 2009; Regions: Three watershed programmes (DPAP, DDP, IWDP) have been consolidated under a comprehensive programme called 'Integrated Watershed Management Programme' covered under the Ministry of Rural Development. These steps, if taken together, can go a long way in minimising the miseries of people living in the drought prone areas of the county. Some of the important achievements of the Drought Prone Area Programme include the Indira Gandhi Canal Project, Sardar Sarovar Project (Narmada), and the Central Arid Research Institute, Jodhpur to promote drought resistant plants, trees and crops.”
Why relevant

States that in 2009 DPAP (with other watershed programmes) was consolidated under an 'Integrated Watershed Management Programme' covered under the Ministry of Rural Development.

How to extend

A student could infer that administration shifted away from the Ministry of Agriculture and check timelines or ministry notifications after 2009 to test whether DPAP remained with Agriculture.

Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 4: Climate of India > Drought Prone Area Programme (DPAP) > p. 45
Strength: 4/5
“The drought prone area programme which covers 615 blocks, spread over ninety districts in the western, central and southern parts of the country, is an integrated area development programme in agricultural sector. It is the earliest area development programme launched by the Central government in 1973-1974 to tackle the problems of the drought hit areas of the country. Main Objectives: • (i) to make judicious and scientific utilisation of agricultural land, water and livestock resources,• (ii) to enhance and stabilise the income of the people of drought prone areas, particularly of the weaker section of society, and• (iii) restoration of ecological balance.”
Why relevant

Describes DPAP as an integrated area development programme in the agricultural sector launched by the Central government in 1973–74.

How to extend

A student could use this to hypothesize DPAP may originally have been run by agricultural authorities and then compare with later organisational changes.

Environment and Ecology, Majid Hussain (Access publishing 3rd ed.) > Chapter 8: Natural Hazards and Disaster Management > Drought hazards > p. 65
Strength: 4/5
“According to the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Environment, a drought prone area is defned as one in which the probability of drought year is greater than 20 per cent. A chronic drought prone area is one in which the probability of a drought year is greater than 40 per cent. A drought year occurs when less than 75 per cent of the average annual rainfall is recorded.”
Why relevant

Cites the 'Ministry of Agriculture' (alongside Ministry of Environment) as the source for the definition of 'drought prone area', showing Ministry of Agriculture involvement in drought-related policy/definitions.

How to extend

A student could treat this as evidence of Agriculture Ministry involvement in drought matters and then look for administrative responsibility for specific programmes like DPAP.

Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 15: Regional Development and Planning > INTEGRATED RURAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME (IRDP) > p. 18
Strength: 3/5
“The Integrated Rural Development Programme (IRDP) was launched by the Janta government in 1978-79, by bringing together the Community Area Development Programme (CADP), Drought Prone Area Programme (DPAP), Small Farmer Development Agency (SFDA), and Marginal Farmers and Agricultural Labourers Agency (MFALA). Integrated rural development is one of the important tasks before the Government of India. The National Common Minimum Programme (NCMP) of the Central Government reiterates the cardinal importance of villages to overall development of the country”
Why relevant

Notes DPAP was one of several programmes brought together under the Integrated Rural Development Programme (IRDP) in 1978–79, indicating DPAP has been administratively reorganised into broader schemes.

How to extend

A student could use this pattern of reorganising programmes to suspect DPAP's administrative home may have changed over time and verify which ministry oversaw later consolidated schemes.

Environment and Ecology, Majid Hussain (Access publishing 3rd ed.) > Chapter 8: Natural Hazards and Disaster Management > Te following steps can reduce the impact of drought conditions: > p. 70
Strength: 2/5
“• 6. Efective implementation of Drought-Prone Area Programmes (DPAP).• 7. Construction of water-reservoirs and drilling of wells and tube-wells.• 8. Diversifcation of agriculture.• 9. Restructuring of cropping patterns and crop combinations.• 10. Livestock and dairy development programmes.• 11. Development of alternate sources of energy.• 12. Interlinking of rivers: Te distribution of rainfall is not uniform in India. During the rainy season, some of the rivers are in spate, while some regions may be in the grip of severe droughts. Te problem of droughts and foods can be largely solved through an inter-basin linkage or through national water grid by connecting the diferent rivers of the country.”
Why relevant

Lists 'Effective implementation of Drought-Prone Area Programmes (DPAP)' among broader drought-mitigation steps, linking DPAP to multi-sectoral responses rather than a single ministry's domain.

How to extend

A student could infer DPAP implementation may involve multiple ministries and therefore verify official ownership rather than assume it is solely with Agriculture.

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