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Organic Farming

Last updated on October 28, 2022 by ClearIAS Team

Sikkim becomes the first truly organic state of India in 2016.

However, area-wise among all states, Madhya Pradesh has the largest area under organic farming followed by Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan.

Table of Contents

What is Organic Farming Technique?

Organic farming techniques include crop rotation, green manure, and biological pest control with the help of organic wastes and other biological materials along with bio-fertilizers, to provide sufficient nutrients to the crops and sustainable production of the crops without harming the environment, soil, and nutritional value.

The term “organic food” is only used to refer to foods produced without using chemical pesticides, fertilizers, or genetically modified raw materials and processed without using chemical additives or other synthetic substances.

Moreover, meat, poultry, and dairy products produced without the use of antibiotics or synthetic growth hormones are also included in the definition.

One of the most mesmerizing features is that organic products produced in India include a variety of food products namely sugarcane, tea, fruit, spices, vegetables, etc

Organic Farming: Products and Certification

India’s Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) handles the regulation of organic food.

In November 2017, the FSSAI announced organic food laws that govern the production, marketing, distribution, and import of organic foods into India.

Any food that wants to be labeled as “organic” in India must be certified under one of the two systems-

• National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP), and
• Participatory Guarantee System for India (PGS-India)

PGS India is a self-certification system meant for the domestic market only which comes under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.

This organic regulation was created to address the issue of fraud and mislabeling in foods marketed as “organic,”.

It permits the import of organic food into India without re-certification in India if the organic standards of the exporting nation have been recognized as being similar to NPOP.

National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP) is a third-party certification program run under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry since 2001. This program laid down the norms and guidelines governing the production of organic food.

Farmers and enterprises involved in producing organic fruits, vegetables, grains, and processed foods must follow these standards.

For instance, for a honey production business to be certified as organic, every farm within a 5 km radius of the bee box and the farmer’s land on which the bee box is maintained must comply with organic standards.

The certification under the NPOP program is mainly done by the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) and National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

Apart from a number of private certification organizations like the Indian Organic Certification Agency (INDOCERT) , Natural Organic Certification Pvt. Ltd., and State government organizations like Uttarakhand State Organic Certification Agency, a central government agency like FSSAI also certifies organic products.

Advantages of Organic Farming and Products

In India, organic farming is a fundamental method of agriculture. Crop rotation and natural compost, which improve soil fertility and crop health, are among the best farming practices that have been used since ancient times.

Crop quality and soil fertility have both significantly declined with the increased usage of chemical fertilizers, herbicides, and insecticides. These modifications may be reversed via organic farming.

• Organic farming increases the nutritional content of food.
• It helps in maintaining the fertility of the soil.
• Discourages the use of chemical products such as pesticides and fertilizers that makes the crop free from poisonous contents.
• Toxin-free food reduces health issues earlier caused by the absorption of toxins by crops.
• Organically produced food serves a better nutrition quotient and better taste.
• Organic farming enables the storage of organic food for a longer time as organic plants have greater metabolic and structural integrity in their cellular structure.

Challenges Faced in Organic Farming

• It involves a significant investment of manpower and financial resources.
• An underdeveloped supply chain and small and mid-size farmers located in the hilly region could face a problem to access the market.
• Lack of infrastructure, cold storage, etc could lead to spoilage.
• Farmers under a self-certification program like the PGS system for India are not allowed to export. In fact, APEDA has made it mandatory a third-party certification for the export of organic products.
• segregation of organic products from conventional products to avoid cross-contamination.
• Chances of loss in yield while changing the technique from conventional chemical-based farming to organic farming.
• A shortage of good-quality organic inputs increases the loss of yield.
• The most important issue faced by the market is ‘Greenwashing’ as many products in the market is claiming to be organic products but in practice are not complying with the government guidelines.
• Due to lower productivity, farmers are forced to sell the products at premium prices, making it unbearable for the common man.

Scopes/Benefits

The green revolution and excess use of fertilizers and pesticides are creating multiple health and lifestyle-related issues and environmental problems. Organic farming can be used as a method to solve soil and contamination problems.

Organic farming makes the soil healthy and filled with helpful organisms. These beneficial bacteria, fungi, and microorganisms keep the pathogenic bacteria and fungi in check.

Disease Management

In organic and low-input production systems, plant diseases are a major factor in crop yield and quality losses.

Crop rotation and proper fertility management, which include supplying crops with a balanced amount of macro and micronutrients, have been demonstrated to increase crops’ resilience to specific diseases.

Weed Management

Herbicides, made of chemicals are prohibited in organic farming. So, to control weeds, many cultural techniques like tillage, floods, and mulching can be applied.

In addition, biological (pathogen) methods can be applied to control weed-related loss. Utilizing drip irrigation, which restricts the flow of water to the plant line, can also help to reduce the growth of weeds.

Large-scale organic farming may not be feasible for supplying a 130-crore-person nation with the food it needs. India’s population makes up 16% of the world’s population, while its arable land makes up 2.4% of the world’s total arable land. India will need to adopt a well-rounded strategy that carefully integrates both science and technology and organic techniques.

Article Written By: Priti Raj

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ORGANIC FARMING

Disclaimer: Copyright infringement not intended.

• Vice President, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu underlined the importance of organic farming for sustainable and stable development. 
• In a world with the emergence of numerous diseases,  food safety is a major concern as well as a necessity.
• Extensive usage of chemical fertilizers and pesticides stands as an impediment towards the maintenance of a proper health profile of the population.
• Therefore, the practice of organic farming opens up a  sustainable doorway to prevent various health hazards originating from the agro-based products that we consume .
• This would bring down the usage of pesticides and chemical fertilizers in agriculture.
• The road to transform the agricultural practices in India to absolutely an organic one, is accompanied by challenges that require expert intervention and a proper discussion.

About Organic Farming

• The  FAO defines organic farming as a unique production management system that promotes and enhances agro-ecosystem health, biodiversity, biological cycles and soil biological activity.
• According to  FSSAI , ’organic farming’ is a  system of farm design and management to create an ecosystem of agriculture production without the use of synthetic external inputs such as chemical fertilisers, pesticides and synthetic hormones or genetically modified organisms .
• Organic farm produce means the produce obtained from organic agriculture, while organic food means food products that have been produced in accordance with specified standards for organic production.

  Principles of Organic Farming in India

• Organic agriculture grows and develops with these principles. These can contribute to improving organic agriculture for the world.

There are four principles of organic farming are as follow:-

• Principles of Health – The health of the ecosystem, people, and communities.
• The Principles of Ecology – The right balance between ecosystem and environment or nature.
• Principles of Fairness – Good human relationships and quality of life.
• Principles of Care – The considerations about the environment and environment of the future.

Organic Farming in India

• India  ranked 1st in terms of the number of organic farmers and 5th in terms of certified organic area.
• India  ranks 8th in the world’s total organic agricultural land .
• There has been a  51% increase in the production of organic products in 2020-21 .
• So far,  Sikkim is the only state to be considered fully organic . Besides, the states of Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka and the union territory of Jammu & Kashmir are ahead in the promotion and adoption of organic farming.
• North East India has traditionally been organic and the consumption of chemicals is far less than the rest of the country.
• Similarly the  tribal and island territories have been traditionally practicing organic farming .
• The  major organic exports from India have been flax seeds, sesame, soybean, tea, medicinal plants, rice and pulses.
• There was an  increase of nearly 50% in organic exports in 2018-19, touching Rs. 5151 crore .
• Commencement of  exports from Assam, Mizoram, Manipur and Nagaland to UK, USA, Eswatini and Italy have proved the potential by increasing volumes and expanding to new destinations as the demand for health foods increases.

Important Government Initiatives

• Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana: promotes cluster based organic farming with PGS (Participatory Guarantee System) certification. Cluster formation, training, certification and marketing are supported under the scheme.
• Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana :  Assistance for promotion of organic farming on different components are also available with the approval of State Level Sanctioning Committee
• One District - One Product: The programme aims to encourage more visibility and sale of indigenous and specialized products/crafts of Uttar Pradesh, generating employment at the district level.
• National Mission on Oilseeds and Oil Palm: Financial assistance is being provided for different components including bio-fertilizers, supply of Rhizobium culture/Phosphate Solubilising Bacteria (PSB)/Zinc Solubilising Bacteria (ZSB)/ Azatobacter/Mycorrhiza and vermin-compost.
• The Organic Farming Action Programme :  The objective is to promote and significantly develop organic farming by means of priority measures
• Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is the food regulator in the country and is also responsible for regulating organic food in the domestic market and imports.
• Participatory Guarantee System (PGS): PGS is a process of certifying organic products, which ensures that their production takes place in accordance with laid-down quality standards. PGS Green is given to chemical free produce under transition to ‘organic’ which takes 3 years. It is mainly for domestic purpose.
• National Program for Organic Production (NPOP) : NPOP grants organic farming certification through a process of third party certification for export purposes.
• Agri-export Policy 2018: Focus on clusters and Marketing and promotion of “Produce of India” have positively impacted the organic farming in India
• Zero Budget Natural Farming : is a method of chemical-free agriculture drawing from traditional Indian practices.

Challenges in Organic Farming

• Shortage of Biomass: experts are not sure whether all the nutrients with the required quantities can be made available by the organic materials. Even if this problem can be surmounted, they are of the view that the available organic matter is not simply enough to meet the requirements
• Disparity of Supply and Demand: Non-perishable grains can be grown anywhere and transported to any location but this is not the case with fruits and vegetables.
• Time: organic farming requires greater interaction between a farmer and his crop for observation, timely intervention and weed control for instance.
• High MRP: It is almost obvious that due to the extreme care taken to go along with organic farming, the results would be kept at a high price.
• Lack of special infrastructure : Most large organic farms still operate in an industrialized agriculture style, including industrial transportation of the food from field to plate. Unfortunately, this involves the adoption of the same environmentally harmful practices as those of factory farms which are however hidden under the cover of being organic
• Marketing of organic produce is also not properly streamlined . There are a number of farms in India which have either never been chemically managed / cultivated or have converted back to organic farming because of farmers’ beliefs or purely for reason of economics.

Benefits of organic farming:

• Better Taste and More Nutrition :  This is due to the fact that they are given a much longer time to develop and are not pumped with artificial things.
• Reduces pesticide and chemical residue in soil :  ensures the health of soil, water, air and flora and fauna.
• Promotion of Biodiversity :  Crop rotation to build soil fertility and raising animals naturally helps promote biodiversity, which promotes greater health across all living species. As organic farms provide safe havens to wildlife, local ecosystems also improve.
• Consumes Less Energy :  This is because manufacturing synthetic fertilizers consumes a significant amount of energy.
• Long-term sustainability:  Organic farming takes a proactive, preventative approach instead of dealing with problems after they emerge which can be too late.
• Reduced erosion and better water management
• Familiarity with the techniques : Organic farming is like going back to the roots before mechanization hit the lands. Thus the farmers can easily understand and adapt to the techniques of organic farming that deploys traditional knowledge.

Way Forward- the avenues for future development

• Experts construe that the  upgrading of technology and empowering research in agriculture will provide an impetus to the development of organic farming.
• This would  assure income generation resulting in the  reduced dependence on external products.
• Therefore, the experts recommend  integrating the natural way in the farming system as nature stands out as the best model to be scaled and replicated by active collaboration with the international community and proper government interventions.
• This would be an enabler in  connecting organic farmers with the global supply chain .
• The experts envisaged a  roadmap to exploit the entire domestic market of organic products in a holistic manner.
• With  greater awareness and capacity building of the producers in compliance with international standards, Indian organic farmers will soon be reinforcing their rightful place in global Agri-trade.
• India needs the  introduction of structural changes through policy interventions and technological deployment in organic farming and make it resilient, sustainable and profitable.
• Agricultural universities need to focus more on organic and natural farming and promote innovation and agri-entrepreneurship among the youth.

Agriculture is not just farmers’ concern, rather all of us are equal stakeholders in its development as food is a basic necessity for everyone.

Read: https://www.iasgyan.in/daily-current-affairs/community-managed-natural-farming-apcnf

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Agriculture Questions in UPSC Mains GS-3

Agriculture is an important topic in UPSC Mains GS 3 of the Civil Services Examination (CSE.) This article will provide you with a set of Agriculture Questions asked in the Mains GS 3 of the IAS Exam over the years.

Candidates can get topic-wise GS 3 questions from the links provided in the table below:

GS 3 Agriculture Questions (Year-Wise)

The tables below will provide Agriculture questions for UPSC Mains GS 3 from the year 2013-2021. Candidates can refer to the detailed GS 3 Structure, Syllabus and Strategy in the linked article.

• How did land reforms in some parts of the country help to improve the socio-economic conditions of marginal and small farmers?
• How and to what extent would micro-irrigation help in solving India’s water crisis? (Answer in 150 words)
• What are the salient features of National Food Security Act, 2013? How has the Food Security Bill helped in eliminating hunger and malnutrition in India? (Answer 250 words)
• What are the present challenges before crop diversification? How do emerging technologies provide an opportunity for crop diversification?
• What are the main constraints in transport and marketing of agricultural produce in India?
• What are the challenges and opportunities of food processing sector in the country? How can income of the farmers be substantially increased by encouraging food processing?
• What are the major factors responsible for making rice-wheat system a success? In spite of this success how has this system become bane in India?
• Suggest measures to improve water storage and irrigation system to make its judicious use under depleting scenario.

• How far is the Integrated Farming System (IFS) helpful in sustaining agricultural production.
• Elaborate on the impact of the National Watershed Project in increasing agricultural production from water-stressed areas.
• How has India benefited from the contributions of Sir M. Visvesvaraya and Dr. M. S. Swaminathan in the fields of water engineering and agricultural science respectively?
• What are the reformative steps taken by the Government to make the food grain distribution system more effective?
• Elaborate on the policy taken by the Government of India to meet the challenges of the food processing sector.
• What do you mean by the Minimum Support Price (MSP)? How will MSP rescue the farmers from the low-income trap?
• Examine the role of supermarkets in supply chain management of fruits, vegetables, and food items. How do they eliminate the number of intermediaries?
• Assess the role of the National Horticulture Mission (NHM) in boosting the production, productivity, and income of horticulture farms. How far has it succeeded in increasing the income of farmers?
• How has the emphasis on certain crops brought about changes in cropping patterns in the recent past? Elaborate the emphasis on millet production and consumption.
• Explain various types of revolutions, took place in Agriculture after Independence in India. How these revolutions have helped in poverty alleviation and food security in India?
• What are the reasons for poor acceptance of cost-effective small processing units? How can the food processing unit be helpful to uplift the socio-economic status of poor farmers?
• What are the major reasons for declining rice and wheat yield in the cropping system? How crop diversification is helpful to stabilize the yield of the crop in the system? (Answer in 250 words)
• How do subsidies affect the cropping pattern, crop diversity and economy of farmers? What is the significance of crop insurance, minimum support price and food processing for small and marginal farmers?
• What is water-use efficiency? Describe the role of micro-irrigation in increasing water-use efficiency.
• Discuss the role of land reforms in agricultural development. Identify the factors that were responsible for the success of land reforms in India.
• Given the vulnerability of Indian agriculture to vagaries of nature, discuss the need for crop insurance and bring out the salient features of the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY).
• Livestock rearing has a big potential for providing non-farm employment and income in rural areas. Discuss suggesting suitable examples.
• In view of the declining average size of land holdings in India which has made agriculture non-viable for a majority of farmers, should contract farming and land leasing be promoted in agriculture? Critically evaluate the pros and cons.
• There is also a point of view that agriculture produce market committees (APMCs) set up under the state acts have not only impeded the development of agriculture but also have been the cause of food inflation in India. Critically examine.
• “In the villages itself, no form of credit organization will be suitable except the cooperative society.” – All Indian rural credit survey. Discuss this statement in the background of agriculture finance in India. What constraints and challenges do financial institutions supply agricultural finances? How can technology be used to better reach and serve rural clients?
• Food Security Bill is expected to eliminate hunger and malnutrition in India. Critically discuss various apprehensions in its effective implementation along with the concerns it has generated in WTO.
• What are the different types of agriculture subsidies given to farmers at the national and at state levels? Critically analyse the agricultural subsidy regime with reference to the distortions created by it.
• India needs to strengthen measures to promote the pink revolution in the food industry for ensuring better nutrition and health. Critically elucidate the statement.
• Establish relationships between land reforms, agricultural productivity and elimination of poverty in the Indian economy. Discuss the difficulties in designing and implementation of agriculture – friendly land reforms in India.

Candidates can get UPSC Previous Year Question Papers from the linked article.

Agriculture Questions for UPSC Mains GS 3:- Download PDF Here

To get the topic-wise GS 3 questions for UPSC Mains in one place, check the linked article.

GS 3 Agriculture Related Links:

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[WEEK 11] ESSAY 21: Farming has lost ability to be a source of subsistence for majority of farmers | BRAINSTORMING ON ETHICS & ESSAY (BEE) by Sunil Oberoi Sir

• July 31, 2021

Ethics and Essay

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As part of our new initiative, BRAINSTORMING ON ETHICS & ESSAY (BEE) , here we have come up with the Twenty-first  session .

BEE is a FREE ONLINE (YOUTUBE) initiative, exclusively for Essay and Ethics curated by IASbaba’s renowned faculty member, Shri Sunil Oberoi Sir (former IAS Officer) .

The Twenty-first essay focuses on the theme, ” .

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4MsBBE0yD4

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AI app scores 170 out of 200 in UPSC prelims-2024

Padhai took under seven minutes to solve the entire paper and its score put it in the top 10 nationally, if not rank 1, an official release said.

Updated - June 17, 2024 01:02 pm IST

Published - June 17, 2024 12:21 pm IST - New Delhi

Image used for representational purpose only. | Photo Credit: Reuters

An Artificial Intelligence based app, PadhAI, scored over 170 marks out of 200 in the UPSC preliminary exams 2024 solving the entire paper within seven minutes and qualifying above the general score which usually remains under 100.

The score places PadhAI's score in the top 10 nationally, if not rank 1, an official release said.

The app developed by a team of IITians took the exam in a public setting on Sunday, right after the UPSC preliminary exam in presence of guests from the education sector, UPSC community, and media professionals at Delhi's The Lalit hotel.

It took under seven minutes to solve the entire paper, the release said.

The event was live-streamed at livestream.padhai.ai and YouTube, where the questions and answers are publicly available, it added.

The AI's answers were also compared with broad AI models commercially available from big tech companies such as OpenAI, Microsoft, and Google by using answer keys released by top coaching institutes.

How does the UPSC Civil Services Exam work?

"This is the highest score achieved in the last 10 years of UPSC exams. We believe that while our event is first of its kind, in a few years, such events will become commonplace as several educational institutions race to solve papers quickly and precisely with AIs," PadhAI's CEO Karttikeya Mangalam said.

PadhAI is an AI X Education app for UPSC preparation available on the Google Play Store. It claims to offer several AI features, including news summaries, smart PYQ search, doubt clarification, interactive answer explanations, book summary.

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technology (general) / Artificial Intelligence / education

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Organic Farming in India

• 21 Aug 2020
• GS Paper - 1
• Agricultural Resources
• GS Paper - 2
• Government Policies & Interventions
• GS Paper - 3
• E-Technology in the Aid of Farmers

Why in News

India ranks 1 st in number of organic farmers and 9 th in terms of area under organic farming.

• Sikkim became the first State in the world to become fully organic in 2016.
• North East India has traditionally been organic and the consumption of chemicals is far less than the rest of the country.
• Similarly the tribal and island territories have been traditionally practicing organic farming.
• The major organic exports from India have been flax seeds, sesame, soybean, tea, medicinal plants, rice and pulses.
• There was an increase of nearly 50% in organic exports in 2018-19, touching Rs. 5151 crore.
• Commencement of exports from Assam, Mizoram, Manipur and Nagaland to UK, USA, Eswatini and Italy have proved the potential by increasing volumes and expanding to new destinations as the demand for health foods increases.
• Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North East Region (MOVCD-NER) is a Central Sector Scheme, a sub-mission under National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA)
• It was launched by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare in 2015 for implementation in the states of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura.
• The scheme aims to develop certified organic production in a value chain mode to link growers with consumers and to support the development of the entire value chain.
• Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana, launched in 2015 is an elaborated component of Soil Health Management (SHM) of major project National Mission of Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA).
• Under PKVY, Organic farming is promoted through adoption of organic villages by cluster approach and Participatory Guarantee System (PGS) certification.
• Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is the food regulator in the country and is also responsible for regulating organic food in the domestic market and imports.
• Participatory Guarantee System (PGS): PGS is a process of certifying organic products , which ensures that their production takes place in accordance with laid-down quality standards. PGS Green is given to chemical free produce under transition to ‘organic’ which takes 3 years. It is mainly for domestic purpose.
• National Program for Organic Production (NPOP): NPOP grants organic farming certification through a process of third party certification for export purposes.
• Soil Health Card Scheme has led to a decline of 8-10% in the use of chemical fertilizers and also raised productivity by 5-6%.
• Focus on clusters and Marketing and promotion of “Produce of India” have positively impacted the organic farming in India
• The programme aims to encourage more visibility and sale of indigenous and specialized products/crafts of Uttar Pradesh , generating employment at the district level.
• The presence of aggregators is imperative to bring about economies of scale for the small and marginal farmers.
• The Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) launched the PM FME scheme as a part of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan’.
• It aims to bring in new technology, apart from affordable credit to help small entrepreneurs penetrate new markets.
• Zero budget natural farming is a method of chemical-free agriculture drawing from traditional Indian practices.

Organic Farming

• According to FSSAI,’organic farming’ is a system of farm design and management to create an ecosystem of agriculture production without the use of synthetic external inputs such as chemical fertilisers, pesticides and synthetic hormones or genetically modified organisms.
• Organic farm produce means the produce obtained from organic agriculture, while organic food means food products that have been produced in accordance with specified standards for organic production.

Way Forward

• Natural farming is not a new concept in India, with farmers having tilled their land without the use of chemicals - largely relying on organic residues, cow dung, composts, etc. since time immemorial. This is also in sync with the Sustainable Development Goal 2 targeting ‘end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture’.
• Hence with greater awareness and capacity building of the producers in compliance with international standards, Indian organic farmers will soon be reinforcing their rightful place in global agri trade.

Source: PIB

Current Affairs 14th June 2024 for UPSC Prelims Exam

StudyIQ offers Daily Current Affairs and Important News for UPSC Exam 2024. Check here Current Affairs of 14th June 2024 for UPSC Exam and State PSC Exam.

Table of Contents

Grey Zone Warfare

Context: Since Lai Ching-te (Taiwan’s new president) was elected, China has employed various sophisticated and non-traditional warfare tactics, often referred to as ‘grey-zone’ warfare, to exert pressure on Taiwan.

About Grey Zone Warfare

• Grey-zone warfare is a concept used to describe military and non-military actions that fall below the threshold of traditional warfare.
• Unlike conventional wars with open fighting and clear declarations of conflict, grey-zone activities operate in a grey area, often below the level that would trigger a full-blown military response.
• These actions manifest in the form of disinformation campaigns, proxy wars, economic pressure through sanctions or trade manipulation, technological espionage to steal intellectual property and support for insurgencies or non-state actors without openly declaring war.

International Examples

• Russia’s Annexation of Crimea (2014) : This is often cited as a classic example of grey zone warfare, where “little green men” or soldiers without insignia took control of the region, effectively seizing territory without engaging in open warfare.
• The growth of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in the Levant threatens global energy markets and regional stability.
• The Boko-Harim terror incursion into West Africa.
• The Houthi rebellion in Yemen and Iran used subversion and proxy warfare to destabilise adversaries and shift the balance of power in the region.

India to Remain Fastest Growing Economy

Context: Moody’s Ratings reported that India will continue to be the fastest-growing economy in the Asia-Pacific region in 2024, maintaining its domestically driven momentum from the previous year.

More In News

• In the report titled “Credit Conditions – Asia-Pacific H2 2024 Credit Outlook,” Moody’s highlighted that India, along with Indonesia and the Philippines, led growth in the first half of 2024.
• These countries are expected to outperform pre-COVID growth levels due to rising exports, local demand, and government spending on infrastructure.
• India’s growth is driven by increased exports, strong domestic demand, and significant government infrastructure spending.
• The report anticipates continued policy stability post-general election and a sustained focus on infrastructure development and encouraging private sector investment.
• The continuation of domestically driven growth momentum is expected, with a particular emphasis on infrastructure and private sector investments supporting this trend.

Examples, Data and Case Studies

• The government reports that urea imports decreased from 91.36 lakh tonnes to 75.8 lakh tonnes in 2022–2023.
• The fertiliser subsidy skyrocketed to Rs 2.55 lakh crore in 2022–2023.
• The ‘PM Programme for Restoration, Awareness, Nourishment and Amelioration of Mother Earth’ (PM-PRANAM) initiative was also introduced by the government to encourage states and Union Territories (UTs) to use chemical fertilisers sparingly and to encourage the use of alternative fertilisers.

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Upsc prelims 2024 answer keys [ paper 1 – gs].

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UPSC Prelims 2024 Question Paper [ Paper 1 – GS]

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