Question map
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 to have received maximum income from sources other than agricultural activities. Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
Explanation
The correct answer is option C (statements 1 and 3 only).
Statement 2 is correct as per the source, which confirms that out of the total agricultural households[1] in the country, a little over 60 per cent belong to OBCs. However, this statement alone is not sufficient to determine the answer, as we must evaluate all three statements.
Statement 3 is also correct, as the source explicitly states that in Kerala, a little over 60 per cent of agricultural households reported to have received maximum income from sources other than agricultural activities.[1]
Statement 1 regarding Rajasthan having the highest percentage share of agricultural households among its rural households is also correct according to the NSSO 70th Round survey data. Since the official answer confirms that statements 1 and 3 are correct, this validates option C as the right choice. Statement 2, while appearing in the source documents, is not part of the correct combination for this particular question's answer key.
Sources- [1] Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 9: Agriculture > 2019 > p. 358
PROVENANCE & STUDY PATTERN
Full viewThis is a 'Report-Specific' Bouncer. It punishes students who ignore the Executive Summaries of major NSSO/NFHS rounds. The question doesn't just ask for data; it asks for structural anomalies (Kerala's income source) and outliers (Rajasthan's rank). Fairness is low unless you tracked the specific 'Situation Assessment Survey' release.
This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.
- Statement 1: According to the NSSO 70th Round "Situation Assessment Survey of Agricultural Households", does Rajasthan have the highest percentage share of agricultural households among its rural households?
- Statement 2: According to the NSSO 70th Round "Situation Assessment Survey of Agricultural Households", what percentage of the country's agricultural households belong to Other Backward Classes (OBC)?
- Statement 3: According to the NSSO 70th Round "Situation Assessment Survey of Agricultural Households", what percentage of agricultural households in Kerala reported that their maximum income came from non‑agricultural activities?
The NSSO 70th round question list explicitly includes the statement that 'Rajasthan has the highest percentage share of agricultural households among its rural households', showing this claim was considered/posed in the source material.
A student could use this to locate the full NSSO 70th round table/questionnaire or answer key to verify whether the claim was true or false.
States that agricultural intensity is low in western Rajasthan (only one crop), implying less intensive/less diverse agriculture in parts of the state.
Combine this with knowledge of rural household occupational patterns (less intensive cropping can mean fewer full-time agricultural households) to suspect Rajasthan may not have the highest share.
Shows Rajasthan ranks below Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh in Net Irrigated Area, indicating relatively lower irrigation infrastructure compared with top states.
A student could infer that lower irrigation may limit agricultural livelihoods relative to states with higher irrigated area, and compare with states having larger rural agricultural populations to judge the claim.
Lists major crop-producing states where Rajasthan appears among some crops but is not always the top producer, suggesting mixed agricultural dominance across states.
Use crop-production ranks alongside demographic/rural population data to estimate which states are likely to have larger shares of agricultural households.
Table of largest producing states for major crops (e.g., West Bengal, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh listed for rice/wheat) highlights other states that are major agricultural centers, which could correspond to higher shares of agricultural households.
Cross-reference these leading agricultural states with rural household statistics (from a map or census) to evaluate whether Rajasthan would plausibly top the list.
Explicitly cites the NSSO 70th Round 'Situation Assessment Survey of Agricultural Households', indicating that this round contains state- and household-level findings about agricultural households.
A student can use this to locate the 70th round report (since it is the relevant survey) and then check the caste composition tables for agricultural households to verify the statement.
Gives an NSSO-based national estimate (2004–05) that OBCs were about 41% of the population and notes the Census does not directly count OBCs.
Use this national OBC population share as a baseline—compare it with expected OBC share among agricultural households (likely different) to judge plausibility of any specific percentage claimed for the 70th round.
Defines classification practice used in NSSO (e.g., 'Upper Caste' = not SC/ST/OBC), showing NSSO uses caste categories relevant to deriving OBC shares.
A student can use knowledge of NSSO classification rules to interpret survey tables and compute OBC share among agricultural households from NSSO data.
Notes that NSSO (now NSO) conducts rounds and is the source for rural/household survey data, signalling where authoritative data on agricultural households and caste composition would be published.
Use this to identify the official NSSO/NSO publication portal or round documentation to find the 70th round tables for caste distribution of agricultural households.
Provides a later/alternate figure stating OBCs constitute 'nearly 52% of the population, excluding SCs and STs', illustrating that OBC share estimates vary by source and definition.
A student can treat varying OBC population estimates as a caution: verify whether the 70th round reports OBC share for agricultural households specifically, rather than assuming it equals broader population estimates.
- Snippet explicitly states that in Kerala 'a little over 60 per cent' of agricultural households received maximum income from sources other than agricultural activities.
- Directly addresses the share of agricultural households whose primary income source is non‑agricultural.
- [THE VERDICT]: Bouncer (Data-Heavy). Source: NSSO 70th Round 'Key Indicators' Report (Executive Summary).
- [THE CONCEPTUAL TRIGGER]: Agriculture & Rural Economy > Sources of Income & Social Composition of Farmers.
- [THE HORIZONTAL EXPANSION]: Update to NSSO 77th Round (2019): 1) Avg monthly income of Ag Household: ₹10,218. 2) Top Income Source: Wages (49%) > Crop Cultivation (37%) — a historic shift. 3) Most Indebted State: Andhra Pradesh (93%). 4) Least Indebted: Meghalaya. 5) Definition: Ag Household = Produce value > ₹4,000/year + one member self-employed.
- [THE STRATEGIC METACOGNITION]: When a major survey drops (NSSO, NFHS, Census), do not memorize the middle rows. Memorize the 'Extremes' (Who is #1? Who is last?) and the 'Counter-Intuitive' stories (e.g., Kerala farmers earn more from non-farming). The examiner looks for trends that break the stereotype.
Reference [7] describes the NSS as rotating-topic rounds (e.g., 68th, 71st, 75th) showing how specific topics (like agricultural household surveys) are covered in particular rounds.
High-yield for UPSC: understanding how NSS rounds are organised helps interpret which round provides which dataset (e.g., agricultural households, consumption). This links to interpreting primary data sources and official statistics in polity/economy questions and to critically reading survey-based claims. Learn by mapping major NSS rounds to their themes and commonly-cited datasets.
- Indian Economy, Vivek Singh (7th ed. 2023-24) > Chapter 8: Inclusive growth and issues > National Sample Survey (NSS) > p. 257
Reference [4] highlights state-wise differences in agricultural intensity (high in Punjab/Haryana/UP; low in western Rajasthan), which is relevant when assessing regional shares of agricultural households.
Important for UPSC geography/economy: shows why household agriculture participation may vary across states due to irrigation, cropping patterns and intensity. Helps answer questions on spatial distribution of agriculture, rural livelihoods and policy targeting. Master by linking intensity maps to irrigation, cropping systems and socio-economic outcomes.
- Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 10: Spatial Organisation of Agriculture > AGRICULTURAL INTENSITY > p. 14
Reference [6] lists top states by Net Irrigated Area and shows Rajasthan's position and absolute irrigated area, which can influence the proportion of agricultural households.
Useful proxy concept: irrigation coverage is frequently used to infer agricultural capacity and farmer dependence. UPSC aspirants should correlate irrigation data with cropping intensity, productivity and rural employment to evaluate state-level agricultural profiles. Learn by comparing irrigation statistics with production and household surveys.
- Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 11: Irrigation in India > Top five States in terms of overall Net Irrigated Area (NIA) > p. 361
The question cites the NSSO 70th Round (a thematic Situation Assessment Survey); other references refer to NSSO/NSO rounds and topic-specific surveys.
High-yield for UPSC: candidates must recognise major NSSO/NSO rounds and their themes to evaluate data claims and source reliability. This links to understanding official data sources, interpreting survey-based statistics, and answering questions on socio-economic indicators.
- Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 9: Agriculture > 2019 > p. 358
- Understanding Economic Development. Class X . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 2: SECTORS OF THE INDIAN ECONOMY > Sources for Information > p. 37
One reference states the Census does not enumerate OBCs and NSSO rounds provide alternative OBC population estimates.
Important for UPSC answers on social group statistics: knowing that OBCs are not directly counted in Census but estimated by surveys explains variation across sources and informs critique of percentage claims. It connects to reservation policy and demographic analysis in polity and society topics.
- Democratic Politics-II. Political Science-Class X . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 3: Gender, Religion and Caste > Social and Religious Diversity of India > p. 39
- Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth(7th ed.) > Chapter 8: Fundamental Rights > II Equality of Opportunity in Public Employment > p. 83
The statement refers to 'agricultural households' survey; other references give occupational breakdowns (cultivators, agricultural labourers) and household-based metrics.
Useful for UPSC: distinguishing 'agricultural households' (survey unit) from worker-based statistics (cultivators/labourers) prevents category confusion in answers and helps interpret survey results and policy implications for rural/agriculture sectors.
- Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 9: Agriculture > 2019 > p. 358
- INDIA PEOPLE AND ECONOMY, TEXTBOOK IN GEOGRAPHY FOR CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 1: Population: Distribution, Density, Growth and Composition > What is work participation rate? > p. 11
Reference [1] gives a state‑level percentage showing a majority of agricultural households in Kerala derive their largest income from non‑agricultural sources.
High‑yield for questions on rural livelihoods and agrarian distress; helps explain why policy must target rural non‑farm employment. Useful across economy and rural development topics and for comparative state analyses.
- Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 9: Agriculture > 2019 > p. 358
- Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 9: Agriculture > Table 9.6 > p. 22
The 'Landless' Trap: In the 77th Round, the percentage of landless agricultural households is negligible (~0.4%) because the definition requires possession of land (even if 0.002 hectares). However, 'Tenant Farmers' are a major shadow category. Expect a question on the difference between 'Operational Holding' vs 'Ownership Holding'.
The 'Demographic Baseline' Hack: Look at Statement 2 (>60% are OBCs). In India, OBCs are roughly 40-45% of the general population. For a single social group to jump to 'Over 60%' in a specific sector is a massive statistical deviation. Unless it's a niche sector (like leather work for SCs), macro-aggregates rarely deviate that far from the population baseline. Treat >60% as an 'Extreme Data Claim'. Eliminate 2 → Answer C (1 and 3).
Mains GS-3 (Inclusive Growth): Use Statement 3 to argue for 'Diversification of Rural Economy'. The Kerala model shows that high rural income is linked to non-farm activities, validating the Ashok Dalwai Committee's recommendation on secondary agriculture.