UPSC Mains 2018 GS3 Q14 — Cropping Patterns
How has the emphasis on certain crops brought about changes in cropping patterns in recent past? Elaborate the emphasis on millets production and consumption. (Answer in 250 words)
Question Decoded — examiner's intent
- Directive verbs
- How hasElaborate
- Scope keywords
- emphasis on certain cropschanges in cropping patternsrecent pastmillets production and consumption
- Implicit sub-parts
- Identification of specific crops (e.g., rice, wheat, sugarcane) that have dominated the cropping pattern due to policy incentives.
- Analysis of the consequences of this concentration on soil health, water tables, and biodiversity.
- The policy-driven shift towards millets through initiatives like IYM 2023 and NFSM.
- Dual-track elaboration on the supply side (production) and the demand side (consumption) of millets.
- Common pitfalls
- Focusing only on Millets and forgetting to discuss the initial 'emphasis on certain crops' like the Green Revolution's legacy on Rice-Wheat monoculture.
- Describing millets generally (nutri-cereals) without linking them to the 'change in cropping pattern' context.
- Ignoring the 'consumption' aspect of the question, which requires mentioning dietary shifts, processing, and urban demand.
- Failing to mention specific government interventions like MSP for millets or the PM-POSHAN inclusion.
- Dimensions required
- Economic (MSP and market incentives)Ecological (Water stress and climate resilience)Nutritional (Food security vs. nutritional security)Policy/Governance (International Year of Millets, National Food Security Mission)
- Marks allocation hint
Allocate roughly 100 words to the first part, detailing how MSP and subsidies led to rice-wheat dominance and its issues. Use the remaining 150 words to elaborate on millets, splitting them equally between production incentives (seed hubs, climate adaptation) and consumption drivers (health benefits, value-added products, and public distribution).
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