Official UPSC Format

Which among the following is/are the objective(s) of the Rainfed Area Development (RAD) initiative under the National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA)?
1. Encouraging monoculture in rainfed areas
2. Increasing rice cultivation in irrigated regions
3. Enhancing productivity and minimising climatic risks through Integrated Farming Systems (IFS)
Select the answer using the code given below:

1. Encouraging monoculture in rainfed areas

2. Increasing rice cultivation in irrigated regions

3. Enhancing productivity and minimising climatic risks through Integrated Farming Systems (IFS)

⚡ Quick Recall Snippet

The Rainfed Area Development (RAD) scheme under the National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture focuses on building climate resilience in unirrigated zones. It achieves this by promoting Integrated Farming Systems (IFS)—combining crops with livestock and forestry—which actively mitigates the risks of monoculture and protects farmers against drought.

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Detailed Solution & Authority Citations

Correct Answer is Option D
Let us evaluate the core philosophy of the Rainfed Area Development (RAD) scheme:
  • Statement 1 is Incorrect: The entire basis of sustainable agriculture is risk diversification. Monoculture (relying on a single crop) is financially and ecologically disastrous in rainfed areas prone to drought. The government actively discourages it.

  • Statement 2 is Incorrect: By definition, RAD targets "rainfed" (unirrigated, water-scarce) regions. It makes no logical sense for this specific scheme to focus on expanding water-guzzling crops like rice inside already well-irrigated zones.

  • Statement 3 is Correct: The explicit, central objective of RAD is to safeguard farmers against climatic variability. It does this by aggressively promoting Integrated Farming Systems (IFS)—a method where farmers blend multi-cropping with allied activities (like dairy, poultry, fisheries, and agro-forestry) on the same plot. This ensures that if the monsoon fails and the primary crop dies, the farmer still has alternative, resilient income streams.
    • Conclusion: Only statement 3 accurately reflects the scheme's sustainable methodology.

    🚨 The Examiner's Trap

    The examiner uses ecologically harmful practices (monoculture, planting water-heavy rice in inappropriate regions) as distractors. A candidate with a basic understanding of 'sustainability' can logically eliminate statements 1 and 2 as being contrary to environmental resilience.

    Active Recall Flashcard

    Tap to Flip

    What specific agricultural strategy does the Rainfed Area Development (RAD) scheme promote to minimize the risk of crop failure due to climate variability?

    Integrated Farming Systems (IFS).

    Concept Flow Mapping

    Rainfed Area Development
    Promotes
    Integrated Farming Systems
    Integrated Farming Systems
    Minimizes
    Climatic Risks
    Rainfed Area Development
    Discourages
    Monoculture

    Logic Quest

    "Why does the RAD scheme explicitly oppose monoculture?"

    Not analyzing core concepts like Climate-Resilient Agrarian Strategies through the lens of Previous Year Questions is a serious miss-out. This PYQ engine is specifically designed to help you decode the examiner's mindset and master highly probable Social Issues & Schemes questions for your upcoming Prelims.