Q1 · UPPSC PCS Mains 2022 · GS III · 8 marks · ~125 words in the hall · 1 min read

Q2 →

What do you understand by digital agriculture? Comment on its benefits.

Topic: Agriculture, irrigation and marketing. Syllabus: Major Crops, different types of irrigation and irrigation systems, storage, transport and marketing of agricultural produce. Issues in Agriculture, Horticulture, Forestry and Animal Husbandry. Same official PYQ from year-wise 2022 and Agriculture, irrigation and marketing.

Revision summary

Digital agriculture uses data, sensors, satellites, and public IDs to farm and sell. AgriStack, Digital Agriculture Mission, NeGP-A, and e-NAM are the named rails. PM-KISAN DBT and insurance claims cut leakage when accounts exist. Advice and traceability help yield and export where lots and logistics run. The comment: tools help; incomplete land, power, and last mile cap the gain.

Model answer

Introduction

Digital agriculture is the use of data, sensors, satellites, and public digital rails to plan, grow, sell, and insure crops. A short comment must name the tools and say what they actually give the farmer.

Body

What digital agriculture is

  • It means farm advice and records on phones, satellite and drone crop maps, soil and weather sensors, and digital public infrastructure such as AgriStack unique farmer IDs.
  • e-NAM, the Digital Agriculture Mission, NeGP-A, and PM-KISAN Direct Benefit Transfer are the named Union rails that turn that data into a market or a payment.
  • Kisan Call Centre, mKisan, and Soil Health Card apps sit on the same stack so the farmer is not only a census name.

Benefits to comment on

  • Timely weather, pest, and irrigation advice cuts input waste and can raise yield where last-mile extension still works.
  • e-NAM and electronic warehouse receipts widen the mandi beyond the local trader, if lots, assaying, and logistics actually run.
  • Direct Benefit Transfer of PM-KISAN and crop-insurance claims reduces leakage compared with cash queues.
  • Traceability and FSSAI-linked lots help export and organised retail; the benefit is weaker where phones, power, and land records are incomplete.

Flow diagram

flowchart TD
  D[Digital agriculture] --> A[AgriStack sensors satellite]
  D --> E[e-NAM market]
  D --> P[PM-KISAN DBT]
  A --> B[Better farm decision]
  E --> B
  P --> B
  G[Last mile land logistics] --> B

Conclusion

Digital agriculture is data-led farming on public rails, not only an app. Benefits are real in advice, e-NAM trade, and DBT, but they stop where connectivity, land titles, and physical logistics fail.

Quick related

Students also ask

PYQ trend

When UPSC asked this

Related PYQs from other years, newest first. Open a question to read it.

  1. 2025 · Q7 · UPGS3 · 8 marks

    Examine how the recent developments in biotechnology, particularly genome editing, are reshaping India's agricultural productivity and climate resilience, citing specific examples from 2024–2025.

    View answer →

  2. 2024 · Q13 · UPGS3 · 12 marks

    Assess the role of States and Central Government in developing irrigation infrastructure in India. How has Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (P.M.K.S.Y.) helped in improving irrigation access across the country?

    View answer →

  3. 2022 · Q16 · UPGS3 · 12 marks

    Define nanoscience and nanotechnology. Explain in detail their potential in different fields of science and agriculture.

    View answer →

  4. 2021 · Q5 · UPGS3 · 8 marks

    What is Technology Mission in agriculture? State its usefulness.

    View answer →

  5. 2021 · Q7 · UPGS3 · 8 marks

    ‘Uttar Pradesh has a prominent position in the production of food crops in the country.’ Evaluate the statement.

    View answer →

  6. 2020 · Q5 · UPGS3 · 8 marks

    What are the causes of low agricultural productivity in India?

    View answer →

  7. 2020 · Q6 · UPGS3 · 8 marks

    What is 'S-CNG'? Describe its different uses.

    View answer →

  8. 2019 · Q18 · UPGS3 · 12 marks

    Evaluate in brief the agriculture marketing reforms in India. Are they adequate?

    View answer →

More from this paper

Q2 · UPSC Mains 2022 · UPGS3 · 8 marks

What is supply chain management? Highlight its importance in the context of food processing industry in India.

Food processing

Supply chain management coordinates farm lot, process, store, and delivery as one system. Food processing is perishable, so cold chain and contracts decide utilisation. PMKSY, PMFME, Operation Greens, and e-NAM are the named Union tools. FSSAI and APEDA lots need reefer and labs, not only a park notification. Without the chain, waste stays high and plants idle.

Q3 · UPSC Mains 2022 · UPGS3 · 8 marks

Explain the pillars of PM Gati Shakti Yojana. Do you think that it will create competitiveness and better connectivity? Discuss.

Economic planning and NITI Aayog

PM Gati Shakti is a 2021 National Master Plan GIS layer for multi-modal infrastructure. Six pillars: comprehensiveness, prioritization, optimization, synchronization, analytical, dynamic. Bharatmala, Sagarmala, DFCs, and NIP are the named build programmes it tries to align. Connectivity and competitiveness improve if last-mile rail, power, and clearances join the map. A GIS platform without execution does not cut logistics cost by itself.

Q4 · UPSC Mains 2022 · UPGS3 · 8 marks

Financial inclusion is a critical part of the development process to achieve social justice. Comment.

Poverty, unemployment and inclusive growth

Financial inclusion is affordable accounts, credit, insurance, and payments for the excluded. It is a social-justice tool because DBT and fair credit need an identity and an account. PMJDY, JAM, UPI, PMJJBY, PMSBY, and Atal Pension Yojana are the named safety rails. MUDRA and Stand-Up India add micro and SC/ST/women credit. Justice fails where KYC, branches, and literacy still keep the tout in the middle.

Toppers' copies

Toppers' copies for this question will be uploaded soon.