This is Day 44 | 90 Days RAS Mains 2025 Answer Writing, We will cover the whole RAS Mains 2025 with this 90-day answer writing program
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GS Answer Writing – Agriculture – growth and productivity trends in Indian agriculture. Food processing sector and food management. Agricultural reforms and challenges। Trends in the Industrial Sector – Industrial Policy and Industrial Finance। Liberalization, Globalization, Privatization, and economic reforms । Infrastructure and economic growth । Comprehension
India’s agriculture plays a crucial role in ensuring national food security, maintaining affordable food prices for a significant low-income population, and providing employment for almost 55% of the country’s workforce. However, the sector faces various challenges that adversely impact its development and threaten the livelihoods of farmers.
| Factors | Challanges | Reforms taken |
| Land | The average size of household ownership holdings declined (1.08 hectares) in 2015-16 Disguised unemployment – 47 percent of the population is dependent on agriculture for livelihood 86% of farmers are small and marginalized – Poor economy of scale, poor bargaining power, low productivity, etc Degrading land – Salinization, Water Logging, soil erosion, Overuse of fertilizers, etc | Women – More than 75 percent of rural female workers are employed in the agricultural sector, SHGsSmall and marginal farmers – Cooperative farming, Contract farming , InsuranceFarmer produce organizations Subhash Palekar – Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF) |
| Input | Already minimal resources in agri Treadmill effect Low replacement rate of seeds (<20%) Middlemen Costly HYV seeds, Poor R&D Black marketing of fertilizers | Farmers produce organization and cooperatives to distribute seeds SATHI (SEED TRACEABILITY, AUTHENTICATION AND HOLISTIC INVENTORY) PORTALNeam coated ureaProtection of Plant Varieties and Farmers Rights Act, 2001 |
| Fund | 52% of agri household are indebted (NABARD) Avg farmer income is less avg Indian KCC benefits only big farmers | Kisan Credit Card Scheme (KCC)GoI extended the KCC facility to fisheries and animal husbandry farmers in 2018-19Agri Infrastructure Fund (AIF)MSPModified Interest Subvention Scheme (MISS)To provide short-term credit to farmers at subsidised interest rates.Under this scheme, short-term agriculture loan up to ₹3 lakh is available at 7 per cent per annumTo farmers engaged in Agriculture and other Allied activities, including Animal HusbandryPSL norms |
| Water use | Monsoon-dependent agriculture – Vulnerable to climate change Water-guzzling crops – Rice, Sugarcane, etc Outdated techniques – Flood irrigation Regional imbalance | PM krishi Sinchai yojanaPer drop more cropHar Khet Ko PaniAccelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (AIBP)Watershed Development |
| Mechanization | Only 40-45% mechanization in India (USA – 95%) Lack of multi-crop thrasher Lack of hand-operated machines Gender bias in machines | Custom hiring centers (CHCs)R&D – hand operated and general neutral machines Multi crop thrasher |
| Market | Dominance of middlemen Distress selling Information asymmetry Cartelization of traders | Model APMC Act e-NAM [Pan India Agri Market] Bhavantar Bhugtaan Yojana [Price defiency payment scheme] Mechanisms like e-NWR to avoid distress selling |
| Poor Logistic | Poor infra-cold storage, Road network, Grading and sorting facility, etc 92500 crore post-harvest losses | Write all food processing related schemes like PM Kisan Sampada scheme |
| Other | Monocropping Faulty govt policies – Green Revolution – Regional imbalance Indiscriminate use of Urea Free electricity – Wastage of water Suicide (NCRB report – More than 11000 farmers suicide in 2022) | Use of MSP to promote crop diversification M S Swaminathan committee and Shanta kumar committee for overall agri and food reform |
In conclusion, advancing the recommendations of the Ashok Dalwai committee, which include conceptualizing agriculture as an enterprise, strengthening agricultural marketing, enhancing infrastructure, refining price dissemination strategies, and expanding the network of FPOs and FPCs, offers a promising pathway towards achieving the ambitious objective of doubling farmer income.
India initiated the LPG (Liberalization, Privatization, Globalization) reforms in 1991 in response to a severe economic crisis. This crisis was characterized by a balance of payments crisis, low GDP growth, high inflation, and burgeoning fiscal deficits.
Measures taken –
- Liberalization –
- Import licensing was abolished except in case of hazardous and environmentally sensitive industries
- Dismantling of quantitative restrictions on imports and exports
- Reduction of taxes
- The rupee was made fully convertible on the current account and partially on the capital account
- Market-determined exchange rate regime with occasional intervention by RBI
- Narsimhan committee – Recommended privatization of bank and deregulation of RBI
- Privatization –
- Dilution of the role of the public sector through strategic disinvestment, Complete privatization or token privatization
- In 1991-92, it was targeted to mobilise Rs 2500 crore through disinvestment. The government was able to mobilise 3,040 crore more than the target.
- Privatisation of Air India
- Privatisation of airports – Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad etc
- Disivestment of LIC, ONGC, Coal India etc
- Globalization –
- Free entry to foreign investment and technology
- Signing FTAs, joining Economic blocks
Impact on the Indian Economy
- India’s GDP growth rate increased.
- India is 5th largest economy [In 1991 – 17th position]
- Today, third-largest by purchasing power parity
- Remittances constitues Kerala’s 36% GSDP
- There was a strong flow of FDIs – Better use of resources
- In 1990 – $ 97 million
- Crossed $ 85 billion [Almost 1000 times]
- Decline in unemployment
- IBM has more employees in India than in the United States
- Per capita income increased
- Tax revenue as a % of GDP increased
- Exports increased
- Poverty rate declined – From almost 50% to 21% [Suresh Tendulkar committee]
- Helped to bring 600 million people out of poverty
- Better service delivery and better choices
- In 1991, it took two years for anyone to get a telephone landline connection. N. R. Narayana Murthy, head of top software company Infosys, recalls that in the 1980s, it took him three years to get permission to import a computer and over one year to get a telephone connection
- IT Sector boom Infosys, Wipro, and HCL
- Specialization of labour – Global value chain
- Peace – When trade stops, War happens [Jack Ma]
The LPG reforms have changed India’s economy, making it more open, competitive, and resilient. While they’ve delivered notable advantages like increased growth and global connections, there are also issues like income inequality and environmental harm that require attention.
Paper 4 (Comprehension part) – Translation
Day 44 | 90 Days RAS Mains 2025 Answer Writing
Day 44 | 90 Days RAS Mains 2025 Answer Writing
