UPSC CSE Prelims
Question 39
With reference to the cultivation of Kharif crops in India in the last five years, consider the following statements :
- Area under rice cultivation is the highest.
- Area under the cultivation of jowar is more than that of oilseeds.
- Area of cotton cultivation is more than that of sugarcane.
- Area under sugarcane cultivation has steadily decreased.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
View correct answer and explanation
Correct answer: A
Correct Option: A
Explanation:
Around the 2014–2019 reference period, rice occupied the greatest kharif area among the listed crops and cotton occupied substantially more land than sugarcane. Jowar acreage was less than oilseeds and sugarcane did not decline every year.
Statement / Pair Analysis:
1 (Correct): Rice was the largest kharif crop by sown area over the referenced period.
2 (Incorrect): Total kharif oilseed area exceeded jowar area.
3 (Correct): Cotton covered more area than sugarcane.
4 (Incorrect): Sugarcane acreage fluctuated rather than falling continuously.
Option-wise Analysis:
A (Correct): Includes all and only the true statements/pairs.
B (Incorrect): It includes false item 2 (Total kharif oilseed area exceeded jowar area); includes false item 4 (Sugarcane acreage fluctuated rather than falling continuously); omits true item 1 (Rice was the largest kharif crop by sown area over the referenced period).
C (Incorrect): It includes false item 2 (Total kharif oilseed area exceeded jowar area); includes false item 4 (Sugarcane acreage fluctuated rather than falling continuously); omits true item 1 (Rice was the largest kharif crop by sown area over the referenced period); omits true item 3 (Cotton covered more area than sugarcane).
D (Incorrect): It includes false item 2 (Total kharif oilseed area exceeded jowar area); includes false item 4 (Sugarcane acreage fluctuated rather than falling continuously).
Review Note:
Historical crop-area comparison should be interpreted for the five years before the 2019 exam.