UPSC Mains 2017 GS1 Q7 — Agriculture
Mention the advantages of the cultivation of pulses because of which the year 2016 was declared as the International Year of Pulses by the United Nations. (150 words)
Question Decoded — examiner's intent
- Directive verbs
- Mention
- Scope keywords
- advantages of the cultivation of pulsesyear 2016International Year of PulsesUnited Nations
- Implicit sub-parts
- Why specifically pulses were chosen for a UN designation (global challenges context).
- Agricultural and ecological benefits of pulse cultivation.
- Nutritional and food security advantages for human health.
- Economic and sustainability benefits for smallholder farmers.
- Common pitfalls
- Writing a general essay on Indian agriculture or MSP for pulses instead of global advantages.
- Ignoring the 'cultivation' aspect and focusing only on consumption/protein.
- Failing to mention nitrogen fixation or soil health benefits which are core to pulse cultivation.
- Overlooking the climate-resilience factor (low water footprint) which was a key reason for the UN declaration.
- Providing a generic history of the UN instead of focusing on the 2016 theme's objectives.
- Dimensions required
- Ecological/EnvironmentalNutritional/BiologicalEconomic/AgrarianClimate Change Resilience
- Marks allocation hint
Spend 20 words on the 2016 UN context and the 'Sustainable Development Goals' link. Devote 100 words to a multi-dimensional breakdown of advantages (soil health, water efficiency, protein security). Use the final 30 words to conclude on their role in future food security.
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