Question Discussion & Solution

The correct answer is Revenue and Forest Department.

• Revenue and Forest Department will be the nodal agency in the Ghar-Ghar Aushadhi Yojana.

Key Points

• Ghar-Ghar Aushadhi Yojana:
  • The scheme aims for medicinal plant distribution by the district administration.
  • It was launched on 29 June 2021.
  • Under this, nurseries of medicinal plants like Tulsi, Giloy, Ashwagandha, etc. will be developed.
  • The plants will be made available to the interested persons.
  • The Forest Department will be the nodal department of the scheme.
  • For the implementation of the scheme, a district-level task force will be constituted under the chairmanship of the District Collector.
  • Whereas, a monitoring committee will be constituted at the Rajasthan state level under the chairmanship of the Chief Secretary.
    • This committee will review the plan every third month.

The correct answer is Sales tax.

Key Points

• The principal source of State's own tax revenues is a sales tax which accounts for about 60 percent of the total.
• The taxation system in India is such that the taxes are levied by the Central Government and the State Governments. Some minor taxes are also levied by the local authorities such as the Municipality and the Local Governments.
• To run the government and manage the affairs of a state, money is required. So the government imposes taxes in many forms on the incomes of individuals and companies.
• Broadly taxes are divided into two categories:
  • Direct Taxes
  • Indirect Taxes
• Indirect Taxes:
  • The term indirect tax has more than one meaning. In the colloquial sense, an indirect tax such as sales tax, a specific tax, value-added tax (VAT), or goods and services tax (GST) is a tax collected by an intermediary (such as a retail store) from the person who bears the ultimate economic burden of the tax (such as the consumer).
  • The intermediary later files a tax return and forwards the tax proceeds to the government with the return. In this sense, the term indirect tax is contrasted with a direct tax which is collected directly by the government from the persons (legal or natural) on which it is imposed.
  • Excise duty, value-added tax, and sales tax are included under the GST.

The correct answer is 1, 2 and 3.

Key Points

• Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research (CGIAR)
  • The international agricultural research system, mainly the Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) has been a useful ally of the
    national system. Hence statement 1 is correct.
  • However, it has undergone significant change, in terms of funding, organization and research thrusts. 
• Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)
  • It was established on 16 July 1929 as a registered society under the Societies Registration Act, 1860.
  • It is an autonomous organization under the Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE), Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India. Hence statement 2 is correct.
  • It is headquartered in New Delhi. With 102 ICAR institutes and 71 agricultural universities spread across the country, this is one of the largest national agricultural systems in the world.
  • It is the apex body for coordinating, guiding and managing research and education in agriculture including horticulture, fisheries and animal sciences in the entire country.
• Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK)
  • KVK is an integral part of the National Agricultural Research System (NARS). The first KVK was established in 1974 at Puducherry. Hence statement 3 is not correct.
  • The mandate of KVK is technology assessment and demonstration for its application and capacity development.
  • It aims at assessment of location-specific technology modules in agriculture and allied enterprises, through technology assessment, refinement and demonstrations.
  • KVKs also produce quality technological products (seed, planting material, bio-agents, livestock) and make them available to farmers.

The correct answer is 2 only.

Key Points

• Indian Agriculture:
  • ​The share of agriculture in the gross domestic product (GDP) has reached almost 20 per cent for the first time in the last 17 years, making it the sole bright spot in GDP performance during 2020-21, according to the Economic Survey 2020-2021.​ Hence statement 1 is not correct.
  • The resilience of the farming community in the face of adversities made agriculture the only sector to have clocked a positive growth of 3.4 per cent at constant prices in 2020-21 when other sectors slid.
  • The share of agriculture in GDP increased to 19.9 per cent in 2020-21 from 17.8 per cent in 2019-20. The last time the contribution of the agriculture sector in GDP was at 20 per cent was in 2003-04.
• Dependence on monsoon:
  • Reliance on seasonal rainfall hampers productivity. Additionally, change in climatic conditions and erratic weather patterns such as cyclones and droughts can impact the yields of agricultural crops.
  • The growth of India’s agriculture sector has been dependent on monsoons, and as a result, it has been volatile. Hence statement 1 is correct.
  • The government is now encouraging micro-irrigation to improve water usage/efficiency.
• Government initiatives:
  • Improve soil fertility on a sustainable basis through the soil health card scheme.
  • Provide improved access to irrigation and enhanced water efficiency through Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY).
  • Support organic farming through Paramparagat Krishi VikasYojana (PKVY).
  • Creation of a unified national agriculture market to boost the income of farmers.
  • To mitigate risk in the agriculture sector, “Pradhan Mantri Fasal BimaYojana (PMFBY) has been launched for implementation from Kharif 2016.

The correct answer is Kota.

Key Points

• Takli irrigation cum drinking water supply project is on river Takli.
• It is a tributary of Ajmer River as well as Kalisindh River.
• The dam site is located near village Dhankya in the Kota district.
• The project would provide an irrigation facility in an area of 7,386 hectares.
• It provides a drinking water facility to 4 villages and 2 towns of Ramganjmandi Tehsil, Kota district.
• The estimated cost of the project is Rs. 51.81 crores.