UPSC Mains 2018 · GS III · Q14 · 15 marks · 250 words

How has the emphasis on certain crops brought about changes in cropping patterns in recent past? Elaborate the emphasis on millets production and consumption.

हिन्दी में

गत वर्षों में कुछ विशेष फसलों पर जोर ने सस्यन पैटर्नों में किस प्रकार परिवर्तन ला दिए हैं? मोटे अनाजों (मिलटों) के उत्पादन और उपभोग पर बल को विस्तारपूर्वक स्पष्ट कीजिए।

How a topper answered the closest question

Toppers wrote this one in a test series: “Analyse the regional shifts in the cropping patterns of India. Discuss the long-term implications of this shift on nutritional security and water sustainability.”

Dev DudejaAIR 152 · CSE 2025 · 118 wordsTheir whole copy

Opening

India has highest arable land in the world having different climatic zones having significant role in cropping pattern. Long term impact of this shift

Body · points and prose

in cropping pattern

  • North and North West India
    • (i) Promotion of Rice-Wheat Culture
    • (ii) shift towards high value crops such as Cotton
    • (iii) decline in mustard (eg western UP)
  • Central and Deccan Region
    • (i) Dominance of sugarcane and cotton
    • (ii) emphasis on Pulses, cereals
    • (iii) promotion of Millets (eg Jowar in MP and Maharashtra)
  • Southern States
    • (i) Horticulture crops
  • North Eastern Region
    • tea, coffee, Jute in West Bengal

Long term impact of this shift

  • (1) Nutritional Security

    • (i) Promotion of millets can help in nutritional security
    • (ii) Over reliance on Wheat Rice system creates long term nutritional issues
    • (iii) Emphasis on pulses
  • (2) Water Sustainability

    • (i) Sugarcane in water deficit Deccan raises issues
    • (ii) Need for promotion of millets in Central India
    • (iii) Rice wheat system has low water use efficiency

Way forward

  1. PM-AASHA
  2. National mission for Pulses (Budget 2017)
  3. PDS and procurement for Pulses and Millets

Close · a framework

Thus, achievement of SDG-2 and SDG-6 demands upon cropping pattern

How toppers approach this question, and more on its topic: open the question.

Toppers’ answers to other close questions

Source: UPSC, Civil Services (Main) Examination 2018, General Studies Paper III, Q14. The paper on upsc.gov.in. Themes and links to toppers’ answers are by UPSC Grade, not by UPSC.