Agricultural Revolutions — Set 5

Correct Answer: B. Village cooperative, district union, state federation

The three-tier Amul/NDDB cooperative structure consists of: village-level primary milk producer cooperative societies (collecting and chilling milk), district-level milk unions (processing and marketing), and state-level milk federations (coordinating and branding). This structure, designed by Verghese Kurien, ensures maximum returns to producers while maintaining quality and scale. It became the template for Operation Flood and India's dairy revolution.

Correct Answer: B. Lal Bahadur Shastri

Lal Bahadur Shastri gave strong political support to the agricultural transformation that led to the Green Revolution, famously coining the slogan 'Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan' in 1965. Agriculture Minister C. Subramaniam played a key role in implementing HYV seeds and inputs. The programme gained momentum under Indira Gandhi who continued and expanded support through the late 1960s-1970s.

Correct Answer: B. It developed and distributed improved crop varieties central to the Green Revolution

The Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) at Pusa, New Delhi, played a central role in India's Green Revolution by adapting and developing HYV wheat varieties suited to Indian conditions. IARI scientists including M.S. Swaminathan worked on crossing Mexican dwarf wheat varieties with Indian lines to develop varieties like Sonara 64 and Lerma Rojo. IARI also developed high-yielding rice varieties and continues to be India's premier agricultural research institution.

Correct Answer: B. Both marine and inland fisheries including aquaculture

India's Blue Revolution Mission encompasses both marine fisheries (sea fishing, deep-sea fishing) and inland fisheries (rivers, lakes, reservoirs) along with aquaculture (fish farming, shrimp farming, freshwater fish culture). This integrated approach targets maximum sustainable use of all water-based food production systems. India has a long coastline of 8,118 km and vast inland water resources, providing enormous potential for fisheries development.

Correct Answer: B. It benefited mainly large farmers with irrigation access, widening rural inequality

A major social criticism of the Green Revolution was that it primarily benefited large, resource-rich farmers who could afford HYV seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, and irrigation. Small and marginal farmers, especially in rain-fed areas, were largely excluded from its benefits. This created widening rural inequality, with large farmers becoming prosperous while small farmers and landless laborers saw limited improvements or were displaced by mechanization.

Correct Answer: B. Semi-dwarfing Rht gene from Norin 10 wheat

The semi-dwarfing Rht (Reduced height) gene derived from the Japanese Norin 10 wheat variety was responsible for the dwarf phenotype in Green Revolution wheat. Norman Borlaug crossed Norin 10 with other varieties to create the semi-dwarf wheats used in the Green Revolution. These genes inhibit gibberellin signaling, resulting in shorter, stronger stems that resist lodging under heavy fertilization.

Correct Answer: C. About 5%

India's fisheries sector contributes approximately 5% of agricultural GDP and 1% of total GDP, supporting the livelihoods of over 28 million people directly in fishing and allied activities. The sector has grown significantly under Blue Revolution policies. India is among the world's top five fish producing nations, with annual production exceeding 14 million tonnes from marine and inland sources combined.

Correct Answer: B. 1998

India crossed the 100 million tonnes milk production milestone in 1998, a historic achievement of the White Revolution. This landmark was celebrated as vindicating the Operation Flood strategy of dairy cooperative development. Since then, India has continued to grow and currently produces over 220 million tonnes annually, maintaining its position as the world's largest milk producer for several consecutive decades.

Correct Answer: C. 22 million tonnes

The Neel Kranti (Blue Revolution) Mission set a target of 15 million tonnes of fish production (later revised upward). The mission includes financial assistance for infrastructure, fishing vessels, aquaculture ponds, processing facilities, and cold chain development. India's fish production has been growing steadily, and the government aims to make India a major fish-exporting nation while ensuring food and nutritional security domestically.

Correct Answer: B. Use of genetic engineering and biotechnology to improve crop varieties

The 'gene revolution' refers to the use of genetic engineering, marker-assisted breeding, and genomics to develop improved crop varieties with higher yields, pest resistance, drought tolerance, and nutritional enhancement. This goes beyond conventional plant breeding used in the first Green Revolution. GM crops like Bt cotton in India and debates about Bt brinjal and herbicide-tolerant crops represent this technological shift in agricultural development strategy.