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GeographyMediumAsked in: CDS · CDS-II 2018, GK

Which one of the following was not a part of the strategies followed by the Government of India to increase food grain production in India immediately after Independence?

  1. A.Intensification of cropping over already cultivated land
  2. B.Increasing cultivable area by bringing cultivable and fallow land under plough
  3. C.Using high-yielding varieties (HYV) seeds
  4. D.Switching over from cash crops to food crops

Correct answer

C. Using high-yielding varieties (HYV) seeds

Explanation

The correct answer is C, Using high-yielding varieties (HYV) seeds. High-yielding variety seeds came only in the mid-1960s with the Green Revolution, not immediately after Independence.

After Partition, India lost much of its irrigated wheat and rice land to Pakistan and faced food shortages. The first answer was to switch land from cash crops to food crops, to grow more crops on land already farmed, and to bring cultivable waste and fallow land under the plough. The Intensive Agriculture District Programme followed in 1960. Only in 1966-67 did HYV seeds of wheat and rice, with fertilisers and irrigation, start the Green Revolution in Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh.

A is wrong because intensive cropping of existing farmland was one of the first steps taken. B is wrong because extending cultivation to cultivable and fallow land was also part of that early plan. D is wrong because moving land from cash crops such as jute and cotton to food crops was the very first measure.

Exam tip: Early strategy (1947-60): cash to food crops, intensification, extension of area; IADP 1960; HYV and Green Revolution from 1966-67.

Practice Questions

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Q2.GeographyAsked in: CDS · CDS-I 2023, GKEasy

Which one of the following Indian States has the longest coastline?

  1. A.Tamil Nadu
  2. B.Gujarat
  3. C.Maharashtra
  4. D.Andhra Pradesh
Show answer
Correct answer: B. Gujarat

Gujarat has the longest coastline of any Indian state. Its coast runs from the Rann of Kachchh in the north, around the Gulf of Kachchh and the Saurashtra (Kathiawar) peninsula, into the Gulf of Khambhat and down to the border with Maharashtra near Daman.

Q3.GeographyAsked in: CDS · CDS-II 2016, GKMedium

Which of the following statements regarding soil is/are correct?

1. Alluvial soils are rich in nitrogen content.

2. Black soils are rich in iron and lime but deficient in nitrogen.

3. Laterite soils are rich in iron and aluminium but deficient in nitrogen and potassium.

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

  1. A.1 and 2 only
  2. B.3 only
  3. C.2 and 3 only
  4. D.1, 2 and 3
Show answer
Correct answer: C. 2 and 3 only

Statement 1 is wrong: alluvial soils, the most widespread soils of India, are generally rich in potash and lime but poor in nitrogen and phosphorus, which is why farmers on the northern plains add nitrogen fertiliser.

Q4.GeographyAsked in: CDS · CDS-I 2017, GKMedium

The Gulf Stream is a poleward flowing current in the Atlantic Ocean. Which one of the following statements with regard to this is not correct?

  1. A.It is similar to the Kuroshio current in the North Pacific Ocean.
  2. B.It transports warm, tropical water towards polar region.
  3. C.This current is a major factor in weather along the east coast of the USA.
  4. D.The warm water of the Gulf Stream sustains the coral reefs of West Pacific Coast.
Show answer
Correct answer: D. The warm water of the Gulf Stream sustains the coral reefs of West Pacific Coast.

The Gulf Stream is a warm current of the North Atlantic. It starts in the Gulf of Mexico, passes through the Florida Strait, flows north along the east coast of the USA and then turns north-east across the Atlantic as the North Atlantic Drift, keeping the ports of north-western Europe…