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Prelims 2020 · Q86 · Crops & farming practices

With reference to pulse production in India, consider the following statements :

  1. 1.Black gram can be cultivated as both kharif and rabi crop.
  2. 2.Green-gram alone accounts for nearly half of pulse production.
  3. 3.In the last three decades, while the production of kharif pulses has increased, the production of rabi pulses has decreased.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?

Show answer

Answer: A. Statement 1 is correct: black gram (urad) is grown in both kharif and rabi seasons. Statement 2 is wrong: gram (chickpea), not green gram, accounts for nearly half of pulse output. Statement 3 is wrong: rabi pulse production, led by gram, has also risen. So only 1.

Watch for: Students confuse 'gram' (chickpea) with 'green gram' (moong).

Why the other options are wrong
  • B. Wrong because green gram is not half of pulse output and rabi pulses have not fallen.
  • C. Wrong because gram (chickpea), not green gram, is the largest pulse.
  • D. Wrong because statements 2 and 3 are false.

Source to check: Directorate of Pulses Development, Ministry of Agriculture (dpd.gov.in); Agricultural Statistics at a Glance

Answer from the official UPSC key. Written and fact-checked by AI against the official key. Spotted a mistake? Report it.