Official Question UPSC 2026
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:
Solution & Analysis
Answer: 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.