UPSC Prelims 2004 · General Studies
Question 15: Geography
Consider the following crops:
- 1.Cotton
- 2.Groundnut
- 3.Maize
- 4.Mustard
Which of the above are Kharif crops?
AnswerThe answer is (b).
Cotton, groundnut and maize are Kharif crops: sown with the south-west monsoon in June-July and harvested in autumn. Mustard is a Rabi crop, sown in October-November and harvested in spring. Remember: Kharif has rice, maize, jowar, bajra, cotton, groundnut; Rabi has wheat, barley, gram, mustard.
- 1. Cotton is a Kharif crop.
- 2. Groundnut is mainly a Kharif crop.
- 3. Maize is a Kharif crop.
- 4. Mustard is a Rabi crop.
How you could have got this
- If you were sure statement 3 is correct, (a) goes: it leaves 3 out.
What you needed to know: Maize is a Kharif crop.
- Then, if you were sure statement 4 is not correct, (c) and (d) go: each of them includes 4.
What you needed to know: Mustard is a Rabi crop.
Only (b) is left. You didn’t need statements 1 or 2.
This follows an unofficial answer: UPSC has not published its key for this year, and if that answer is wrong, so is this path.
Which options go is worked out from UPSC’s key and the options, not by a model.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Leaves out maize, which is also a Kharif crop.
- (b) Correct: cotton, groundnut and maize are Kharif crops.
- (c) Mustard is a Rabi crop, and this leaves out cotton and groundnut.
- (d) Mustard is a Rabi crop, so not all four are Kharif.
Explanation: written by UPSC Grade, not by UPSC.
Source: UPSC, Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 2004, General Studies. UPSC's own paper isn't online; the words are from a published compilation. The paper on upsc.gov.in.