Ans: A

Exp:

Indirect farm subsidies: These are the farm subsidies which are provided in the form of cheaper credit facilities,  farm  loan  waivers,  reduction  in  irrigation  and  electricity  bills,  fertilizers subsidy,  seeds  and pesticides subsidy as well as the investments in agricultural research, environmental assistance, farmer training, etc.

These subsidies are also provided to make farm products more competitive in the global market. The  subsidies  provided  on  the  fertilizers  as  ‘input’  subsidies  are  in  the  form  of  indirect subsidies. But if the government does not incentivize the farmer by an effective cost reduction in prices of the fertilizers, but provides direct cash incentives after the produce, is known as a direct subsidy.

Direct farm subsidies: These are the kinds of subsidies in which direct cash incentives are paid to the farmers in order to make their products more competitive in the global markets. Ex: PM KISAN Scheme. The developed countries (USA and Europe) spend huge amounts of their annual budgets on agriculture, farm and  fisheries subsidies.  Direct  farm  subsidies  are  helpful  as  they  provide  the  right  levels  of purchasing power to the farmer and can significantly help in raising the standards of living of the rural  poor.  They  also  help  in  checking  the  misuse  of  public funds as they help in the proper identification of the beneficiaries.

Ans: D
Exp:

The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2023 is published by the FAO(Food and Agriculture Organisation), IFAD, UNICEF, WFP and WHO. Every year, this most intensely scrutinized of FAO’s reports. It presents the headline number of undernourished people around the world while advocating for strategies against hunger and malnutrition. This report provides an update on global progress towards the targets of ending hunger (SDG Target 2.1) and all forms of malnutrition (SDG Target 2.2) and estimates on the number of people who are unable to afford a healthy diet.

The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2023  provides a comprehensive overview of various complexities. This report captures the state of global hunger, malnutrition, and the rapidly changing dynamics of food security. Urbanization, once thought to blur the lines between rural and urban food accessibility, is now drastically reshaping food systems and affecting the availability and affordability of healthy diets.

Ans: D

Exp:

Though the issue of ‘food security’ in the household is continuously being addressed by the Government for a long, through the Public Distribution System and the Targeted Public Distribution System, the enactment of the National Food Security Act, (NFSA) 2013 on July 5, 2013, marks a paradigm shift in the approach to food security from welfare to rights-based approach. 

Statement 1 is incorrect: NFSA covers upto 75% of the rural population and 50% of the urban population under under Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) and priority households.

Statement 2 is incorrect: While AAY households, which constitute the poorest of the poor, are entitled to 35 kg of foodgrains per family per month, priority households are entitled to 5 kg per person per month. The State-wise coverage under NFSA was determined by the erstwhile Planning Commission (now NITI Aayog) by using the NSS Household Consumption Survey data for 2011-12.

Statement 3 is incorrect: Within the coverage under TPDS determined for each State, the work of identification of eligible households is to be done by States/UTs. It is the responsibility of the State Governments/UTs, to evolve criteria for identification of priority households and their actual identification. Section 10 of the Act provides that within the number of persons determined for coverage under TPDS, the State Government shall identify the households under AAY as per guidelines applicable to the said scheme and the remaining households as priority households to be covered under TPDS in accordance with such guidelines as the State Government may specify.

Ans: A

Exp:

Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) for the Sugarcane are approved by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by the Prime Minister. It has approved prices for sugar season 2023-24 (October – September). The FRP approved shall be applicable for the purchase of sugarcane from the farmers in the sugar season 2023-24 (starting w.e.f. 1st October 2023) by sugar mills. The sugar sector is an important agro-based sector that impacts the livelihood of about 5 crore sugarcane farmers and their dependents and around 5 lakh workers directly employed in sugar mills, apart from those employed in various ancillary activities, including farm labour and transportation.

Ans: C

Exp:

National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA) has been formulated for enhancing agricultural productivity especially in rainfed areas focusing on integrated farming, water use efficiency, soil health management and synergizing resource conservation.

NMSA has the following four major programme components or activities:

• Rainfed Area Development (RAD): RAD adopts an area-based approach for the development and conservation of natural resources along with farming systems. This component has been formulated in a ‘watershed plus framework’, i.e., to explore potential utilization of natural resources base/assets available/created through watershed development and soil conservation activities /interventions under MGNREGS, NWDPRA, RVP&FPR, RKVY, IWMP etc.

• On Farm Water Management (OFWM): OFWM focuses primarily on enhancing water use efficiency by promoting efficient on – farm water management technologies and equipment. This not only focuses on application efficiency but, in conjunction with the RAD component, also emphasises the effective harvesting & management of rainwater.

• Soil Health Management (SHM): SHM aims at promoting location as well as crop-specific sustainable soil health management, including residue management, organic farming practices etc.

Climate Change and Sustainable Agriculture Monitoring, Modeling and Networking (CCSAMMN): It provides creation and bidirectional (land/farmers to research/scientific establishments and vice versa) dissemination of climate change-related information and knowledge by way of piloting climate change adaptation/mitigation research/model projects in the domain of climate-smart sustainable management practices and integrated farming system suitable to local agro – climatic conditions.