Which one of the following is not a feature of agriculture in India?
- (a)Subsistence agriculture
- (b)Pressure of population on agriculture
- (c)Dependence upon Monsoon
- (d)Predominance of cash crops
Correct — D, predominance of cash crops. Indian agriculture is dominated by food crops — above all cereals such as rice and wheat — grown largely for subsistence, not by cash crops. So 'predominance of cash crops' is NOT a feature of Indian agriculture. Its genuine features are subsistence farming, heavy pressure of population on the land, and a strong dependence on the monsoon for water — the other three options.
- (a)Subsistence agriculture — This IS a feature: much Indian farming is carried on to meet the farming household's own needs.
- (b)Pressure of population on agriculture — This IS a feature: a very large share of the population depends on farming, fragmenting land holdings.
- (c)Dependence upon Monsoon — This IS a feature: most cropland is rain-fed and relies heavily on the monsoon rains.
Indian agriculture is broadly subsistence in character: it is dominated by food-grain cultivation, spread over many small and fragmented holdings, and is heavily dependent on the monsoon because a large part of the cropped area is rain-fed. Cash (commercial) crops such as cotton, sugarcane and tea are important but do not dominate the cropping pattern.
Three options are textbook features of Indian farming; the task is to spot the odd one out. Cash crops exist but do not predominate, so that statement is the exception.
- Indian farming is largely subsistence and dominated by food grains.
- It is heavily monsoon-dependent, with a large rain-fed area.
- High population pressure leads to small and fragmented holdings.
- Cash/commercial crops are significant but do not predominate over food crops.
- Assuming cash crops dominate because of well-known exports like tea and cotton.
- Overlooking that subsistence food-grain farming still characterises most of Indian agriculture.
Asked as which is NOT a feature of Indian agriculture — the predominance of cash crops (food crops actually dominate).
Which of the following is the chief characteristic of 'mixed farming'?
- (a) Cultivation of both cash crops and food crops
- (b) Cultivation of two or more crops in the same field
- (c) Rearing of animals and cultivation of crops together
- (d) None of the above
Answer(c) Rearing of animals and cultivation of crops together
Tests the same family of ideas — types and features of farming (subsistence, commercial, mixed). Knowing what characterises each system is what lets you judge which traits truly describe Indian agriculture.
In which one of the following countries is intensive subsistence agriculture not predominantly practised?
- (a) India
- (b) Japan
- (c) Canada
- (d) Indonesia
Answer(c) Canada
Directly about the subsistence character of farming: India is grouped with the monsoon-Asian countries where intensive subsistence agriculture predominates, unlike commercial-farming Canada — the very feature at issue here.
- practice — not a real PYQ
Indian agriculture is described as largely 'subsistence' in nature mainly because
- (a)it is fully mechanised
- (b)most produce is exported
- (c)much of it is grown to meet the farmer's own needs
- (d)it is dominated by plantation crops
Answer(c) much of it is grown to meet the farmer's own needs — the essence of subsistence farming.
- practice — not a real PYQ
The heavy dependence of Indian agriculture on the monsoon is mainly because
- (a)the soil is infertile
- (b)a large part of the cropped area is rain-fed
- (c)farmers avoid irrigation
- (d)only cash crops are grown
Answer(b) a large part of the cropped area is rain-fed — so the monsoon largely decides the harvest.