🏛️ Legacy IAS – Bangalore | UPSC Civil Services Coaching
Climate-Resilient Agriculture (CRA)
GS Paper III – Environment & Agriculture | BioE3 Policy · NICRA · NMSA · Digital Agriculture · Yield Projections | Updated Current Affairs 2024-25 | PYQs + MCQs
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Concept
Why India Needs CRA
Govt Initiatives
BioE3 Policy
Challenges
Current Affairs
Global Models
Way Forward
PYQs
MCQs
51%
India's net sown area is rainfed — produces 40% food
47%
Projected rainfed rice yield loss by 2080 (no adaptation)
448
Climate-Resilient Villages under NICRA (151 vulnerable districts)
2,900
Crop varieties released by ICAR in 10 years (2014-2024)
30%
India's land is degraded — reduces CRA effectiveness
$195 Bn
India's bioeconomy 2025 (from $10 Bn in 2014)
1. What is Climate-Resilient Agriculture (CRA)?
📖 Definition
Climate-Resilient Agriculture (CRA) is an approach to farming that strengthens the ability of crops, soils, and farming systems to withstand climate variability and extreme events, while sustaining productivity and environmental health. It integrates biotechnology, bio-inputs, and digital tools to sustainably increase productivity, enhance climate adaptation, reduce emissions, and improve long-term food security.
1.1 Key Strategies of CRA
🌾 Climate-Adapted Crops
Varieties bred to survive high temperatures, salinity, or prolonged droughts. Examples: Scuba Rice (survives 14+ days underwater); Sahbhagi Dhan (drought-tolerant); Swarna-Sub1 / CR Dhan 801 (flood-tolerant).
💧 Water Stewardship
Drip irrigation, rainwater harvesting, SRI (System of Rice Intensification), direct-seeded rice, aerobic rice. PMKSY-PDMC provides 55% subsidy for micro-irrigation. Agriculture consumes ~80% of India's freshwater.
🌱 Soil Health Management
No-till farming, cover cropping, organic inputs, in-situ rice residue incorporation. ICAR's Soil Health Cards — 254 million issued; 3rd testing cycle underway 2024. Prevents erosion and enhances moisture retention.
🌳 Agroforestry Systems
Integration of trees with crops and livestock for shade, wind protection, improved microclimate, and carbon sequestration. National Agroforestry Policy (2014); ICAR-CAFRI (Jhansi) leads research. Especially valuable in Bundelkhand and semi-arid zones.
🥬 Crop Diversification
Moving from monoculture (rice-wheat) to multiple crop systems. Spreads climate risk, stabilises income. Millets Mission, Pulses Mission, NMEO-Oilseeds all push diversification. CDP (Crop Diversification Programme) at 7.2 lakh ha.
📱 Digital & Early Warning Tools
AI-based advisories, weather forecasts, climate risk alerts. AgriStack, Krishi DSS, Kisan Suvidha App, Meghdoot App (weather), 1,000+ Agritech startups. Namo Drone Didi enables precision nano-fertiliser application.
2. Why India Needs CRA — The Imperative
2.1 Projected Crop Yield Losses Without Adaptation (NICRA/ICAR)
🌾 Rainfed Rice
▼ 47%
By 2080 (no adaptation)
🌾 Irrigated Rice
▼ 5%
By 2080
🌿 Wheat
▼ 40%
By 2080
🌽 Kharif Maize
▼ 23%
By 2080
⚠️ Structural Vulnerabilities
- 51% rainfed area — produces 40% of national food output; highly climate-sensitive
- 30% land degraded — weakens resilience to climate stress
- 60%+ districts face groundwater stress (CGWA Report) — agriculture consumes ~80% of freshwater
- 86% small & marginal farmers — least capacity to absorb climate shocks
- Food inflation crossed 10% in multiple months post-2023 extreme weather events
🌡️ Strategic Imperatives
- India supports ~18% of global population on ~11% of global arable land
- Rice yields projected to fall 3-22% by 2100, exceeding 30% under high-emission scenarios
- Climate shocks raise cereal import vulnerability — food security strategic autonomy at risk
- Input-intensive farming increasingly unsustainable — rising costs + environmental degradation
- CRA reduces dependence on food imports, protects farmer livelihoods, and reduces agricultural GHG emissions
The Triple Threat: India faces simultaneous pressure from rising climate stress (erratic monsoons, heat waves, flooding), declining resource base (degraded land, over-exploited groundwater), and growing demand (1.4 billion people, rising incomes). Conventional farming cannot address all three — CRA is not optional but existential for India's food security.
3. Key Government Initiatives for CRA
| Initiative | Key Features | CRA Contribution |
|---|---|---|
| NICRA National Innovations in Climate Resilient Agriculture (ICAR, 2011) |
448 Climate-Resilient Villages in 151 vulnerable districts; zero-till wheat, direct-seeded rice, climate-tolerant varieties; 298 varieties demonstrated to 11,835 farmers | India's flagship CRA research + demonstration programme; covers drought, flood, heat, cyclone-prone regions; 21 ICAR institutes in network |
| NMSA National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture |
Integrated farming, soil health management, water-use efficiency, resource conservation — focus on rainfed areas (~60% of cultivated land) | Key pillar under National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC); promotes conservation agriculture and micro-irrigation |
| ICAR Variety Release | 2,900 varieties in 10 years (2014-2024); 2,661 tolerant to biotic/abiotic stress; 109 varieties specifically for field and horticultural crops | Sahbhagi Dhan (drought); Swarna-Sub1 / CR Dhan 801 (flood); MACS-6222 (heat-tolerant wheat); Pusa 1121 (water-efficient Basmati) |
| Digital Agriculture Mission (₹2,817 Cr, Sept 2024) |
AgriStack (11 crore Farmer IDs), Krishi DSS, DGCES; 1,000+ Agritech startups; Kisan Suvidha App; Meghdoot App for weather | Real-time climate alerts, AI-based crop advisories, precision input management — enables data-driven CRA decisions |
| PKVY & MOVCDNER | Organic farming via biofertilisers, biopesticides, microbial soil enhancers; Paramparagat Krishi Vikash Yojana clusters | Reduces chemical input dependency; improves soil health; reduces agricultural GHG emissions (N₂O from excess urea) |
| National Mission on Natural Farming (NMNF) (₹2,481 Cr, Nov 2024) |
1 crore farmers; 15,000 clusters; 10,000 Bio-Input Resource Centres (BRCs); women SHGs as BRC operators | ZBNF principles reduce input costs; soil biology improvement enhances drought tolerance; low-carbon farming model |
| PM-PRANAM (2023-26) |
Incentivises states to reduce chemical fertiliser use; promotes nano fertilisers, biofertilisers, organic alternatives | Reduces N₂O emissions from urea overuse; restores N:P:K balance; improves soil carbon sequestration |
| Namo Drone Didi (₹1,261 Cr) |
15,000 Women SHGs with agricultural drones; 80% CFA; precision spraying of pesticides, nano fertilisers | Precision application reduces chemical overuse; disease early detection via drone imaging; reduces post-flood crop loss through targeted intervention |
4. BioE3 Policy — Biotechnology for CRA August 2024
Source: PIB India
🧬 BioE3 — Biotechnology for Economy, Environment & Employment
Cabinet approval: August 2024 | Implemented by: Department of Biotechnology (DBT) | Financial outlay: ₹9,197 crore (15th Finance Commission period, 2021-22 to 2025-26, via Bio-RIDE scheme)
CRA is one of 6 strategic thematic sectors under BioE3, alongside: high-value bio-based chemicals; smart proteins & functional foods; precision biotherapeutics; carbon capture & utilisation; marine and space research.
- R&D: Innovation-driven support to research and entrepreneurship across thematic sectors including CRA
- Technology: Establishing Biomanufacturing & Bio-AI hubs and Biofoundry to accelerate technology commercialisation
- Green Growth: Prioritising regenerative bioeconomy; climate-resilient crops; carbon capture
- Job Creation: Skilled workforce expansion in biotech and agri-biotech sectors
- Net Zero: Aligns with India's Net Zero 2070 target and LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment) initiative
- Circular Economy: Promoting 'Circular Bioeconomy'; steering India toward Green Growth
- Future: Fostering sustainable, innovative, globally responsive agriculture
- Viksit Bharat: Laying down the Bio-vision for Viksit Bharat 2047
India's Bioeconomy grew from US$10 Bn (2014) → US$195.3 Bn (2025) — nearly 20-fold growth in a decade, contributing ~5% of GDP (BIRAC India Bioeconomy Report 2026).
BioE3 & CRA Convergence: Under BioE3, Climate-Resilient Agriculture is explicitly listed as a priority sector — enabling: genome-edited drought/heat/flood-tolerant crop development; bio-input quality assurance systems; smart protein development from pulse crops; carbon capture through biological means. The first BioE3 proposal call attracted 2,000+ submissions, with climate-resilient crops among top participation areas. On its first anniversary (September 2025), ICGEB commemorated by hosting Institute-Industry interaction specifically on CRA and Clean Energy.
4.1 BioE3-Enabled CRA Technologies
🧬 Genome-Edited Crops (ICAR)
- India amended regulations to fast-track Site-Directed Nuclease 1 & 2 (SDN-1, SDN-2) genome-edited crops — not considered GMOs
- ICAR developed 109+ climate-tolerant varieties; genome editing now at regulatory stage
- Target traits: drought tolerance, heat tolerance, disease resistance, salt tolerance
- Challenge: Stress-tolerant varieties still account for small share of total seed adoption — dissemination gap
- BioE3 fast-tracks: Lab-to-land pipeline for genome-edited climate-resilient crops
🦠 Bio-Inputs for CRA
- Biofertilisers and biopesticides: double-digit market growth; India emerging as major bio-input hub
- Rhizobium (nitrogen-fixing); Trichoderma (biocontrol); Mycorrhiza (stress-tolerance in crops)
- Challenge: 15-20% of biofertiliser samples fail prescribed quality standards (recent inspections)
- PM-PRANAM incentivises bio-input adoption by reducing subsidy burden on chemical fertilisers
- BioE3 mandates QR-coded batch-wise traceability for bio-inputs — similar to neem-urea monitoring
5. Key Challenges in Scaling CRA
- 86% of Indian farm holdings are small and marginal (< 2 ha) — CRA technologies often require upfront capital investment
- Awareness gap: most small farmers have not heard of genome-edited varieties, precision irrigation, or AI-based advisories
- Credit gap: CRA technology adoption requires credit — 41% rural households lack formal institutional credit (AIDIS 2023)
- Risk aversion: farmers prefer known varieties over improved climate-tolerant varieties, especially without procurement guarantee
- Way forward: FPO-led adoption, MKSP extension, KVK demonstrations, convergence with PM-KISAN for technology transition support
- 95.15% of villages have 3G/4G connectivity — but only 38% of households are digitally literate
- AI-based crop advisories, Krishi DSS, and Kisan Suvidha App remain inaccessible to most small farmers due to literacy gap
- Digital divide is rural-urban AND gender-linked — rural women (76.95% in agriculture) have even lower smartphone access
- Bhashini (multilingual AI platform) is the government's proposed solution — voice-based advisory in local languages
- Private sector: Project FarmVibes (Microsoft-ICAR) provides data-driven advisories — but adoption geographically uneven
- 30% of India's land is degraded (soil erosion, salinisation, waterlogging, nutrient depletion) — reduces baseline CRA effectiveness
- 60%+ districts face groundwater stress (CGWA); many groundwater blocks in Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan are "overexploited"
- Agriculture consumes 80% of India's freshwater — irrigation is the largest groundwater consumer
- CRA interventions (drought-tolerant varieties, precision irrigation) need healthy soil-water base to deliver results
- Policy response: Atal Bhujal Yojana (₹6,000 crore, 81 blocks); PMKSY watershed development; Soil Health Card programme
- Despite rapid growth in biofertiliser and biopesticide markets, 15-20% of samples fail prescribed quality standards in recent inspections
- Farmer trust in bio-inputs eroded when spurious products deliver no results — reverting to chemical fertilisers
- No mandatory QR-based batch traceability system exists for bio-inputs (unlike neem-coated urea)
- BioE3 policy mandates strengthening quality control; DBT to establish testing and certification infrastructure
- Bio-RIDE scheme (component of BioE3): supports Biofoundry infrastructure for quality-assured bio-input production
- CRA efforts spread across multiple departments: Agriculture (NMSA, NICRA), Biotechnology (BioE3, DBT), Environment (NAPCC), Digital (Digital Agriculture Mission)
- No single unified national CRA roadmap — overlaps and gaps slow implementation and scaling beyond pilot projects
- State-level implementation varies widely; climate adaptation plans not mandated for state agriculture departments
- BioE3 proposes a National CRA Roadmap under its framework — to align biotechnology, climate adaptation, and agriculture policy
- SDG alignment: SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), SDG 12 (Responsible Production), SDG 13 (Climate Action) — currently handled by separate ministries
6. Current Affairs 2024–25 High Priority
🧬 BioE3 Policy — Cabinet Approval August 2024
- Cabinet approved August 2024 — Biotechnology for Economy, Environment and Employment (BioE3) Policy
- Implemented by Department of Biotechnology (DBT); financial outlay ₹9,197 crore via Bio-RIDE scheme
- Climate Resilient Agriculture is one of 6 strategic thematic sectors: climate-tolerant crop development, bio-based agricultural inputs, carbon capture in soil
- Bioeconomy grew: US$10 Bn (2014) → US$130 Bn (2024) → US$195.3 Bn (2025) — ~5% of GDP
- First anniversary (September 2025): ICGEB hosted Institute-Industry interaction specifically on CRA and Clean Energy
- 8 Salient Features (from PIB infographic): R&D, Technology, Green Growth, Job Creation, Net Zero, Circular Economy, Future, Viksit Bharat
- First BioE3 proposal call: 2,000+ submissions; climate-resilient crops among top participation areas
🌾 ICAR's CRA Progress — February 2025 (Lok Sabha)
- ICAR released 2,900 varieties in 10 years (2014-2024); 2,661 tolerant to one or more biotic/abiotic stresses (PIB, February 11, 2025)
- NICRA: 298 climate-resilient varieties demonstrated in 448 villages across 151 vulnerable districts, involving 11,835 farmers
- 5,278 tribal and smallholder farmers in 72 drought-prone districts received tolerant seeds under NICRA
- Climate-resilient technologies: SRI (System of Rice Intensification), aerobic rice, direct seeding, zero-till wheat, in-situ rice residue incorporation — all demonstrated at scale
- IPCC-protocol-based vulnerability assessment conducted for 651 predominantly agricultural districts
📱 Digital Agriculture Mission — CRA's Digital Backbone (September 2024)
- ₹2,817 crore approved for Digital Agriculture Mission (September 2024)
- AgriStack: Farmer Registry with 11 crore Farmer IDs; crop sown registry; real-time farm data
- Krishi DSS (Decision Support System): AI-based crop advisories incorporating climate and soil data
- DGCES: Digital General Crop Estimation Survey using satellite imagery — climate-risk assessment at field level
- Namo Drone Didi: 15,000 Women SHGs with drones — precision spraying enables CRA at grassroots
- Private sector convergence: Project FarmVibes (Microsoft-ICAR), 1,000+ agritech startups — AI advisory ecosystem
- Challenge: Bhashini (multilingual AI) critical to bridge 62% digital literacy gap in rural areas
🌱 National Mission on Natural Farming — CRA Link
- NMNF approved November 2024 — ₹2,481 crore; 1 crore farmers; 15,000 clusters; 10,000 Bio-Input Resource Centres
- CRA relevance: Natural farming reduces chemical input costs (reducing farmer climate-risk exposure); improves soil biology (enhances drought-tolerance); low-carbon farming model aligns with Net Zero 2070
- Women SHGs as BRC operators — convergence of gender empowerment + CRA + MKSP
- States preparing Natural Farming roadmaps — HP, AP, Gujarat lead in adoption; 2026 target: expand to all states
7. Global CRA Models — Lessons for India
🇺🇸 USDA Climate-Smart Agriculture & Forestry Initiative
Large-scale investment in climate-smart farming; voluntary carbon markets for farmers; precision agriculture with farm-level digital twins; research network connecting land-grant universities to farmers. India Lesson: Carbon market incentives for farmers and public-private R&D linkage.
🇪🇺 EU Green Deal — Farm to Fork Strategy
Targets: 50% pesticide reduction, 20% fertiliser reduction, 25% organic farming by 2030 under Farm to Fork. CRA embedded in Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) — farmers receive "eco-scheme" payments for climate-friendly practices. India Lesson: Performance-linked payments (PM-PRANAM model) for CRA adoption.
🇨🇳 China's Coordinated CRA Mission
Centrally coordinated climate-agriculture mission; focus on climate-tolerant crops (saline-tolerant rice, drought-tolerant wheat), water-saving irrigation (drip in arid regions), and digital agriculture (BeiDou GPS for precision farming). India Lesson: Unified national CRA roadmap (BioE3 model) with central-state coordination.
FAO Global Alliance for Climate-Smart Agriculture (GACSA): Launched at UN Climate Summit 2014 (not Paris 2015 — common UPSC trap). Membership creates no binding obligations (UPSC 2018 answer: option b is correct). India was NOT instrumental in creating GACSA (USA led). FAO's Climate-Smart Agriculture programme — key global knowledge-transfer partner for India's CRA scaling.
8. Way Forward
🗺️ National CRA Roadmap under BioE3
Develop a coherent national CRA roadmap under BioE3 framework — aligning ICAR research, DBT biotechnology, NMSA climate adaptation, and Digital Agriculture Mission into one unified implementation architecture. Ensures policy coherence across ministries and states; enables scaling of NICRA pilots beyond 448 villages to district-level.
🌾 Fast-Track Climate-Tolerant Varieties
Accelerate lab-to-field pipeline for genome-edited crops; SATHI portal (used for pulses) to be extended to climate-resilient seed traceability across all crops. Scale NICRA village model to 5,000 villages by 2030. Raise Seed Replacement Rate (SRR) for climate-resilient varieties through KVK demonstrations and free seed kit programmes.
🧪 Bio-Input Quality Enforcement
Enforce strict quality control with batch-wise QR verification for all biofertilisers and biopesticides — similar to neem-coated urea monitoring (Aadhaar-linked PoS). Bio-RIDE (BioE3 component) to fund Biofoundry infrastructure for quality-assured production. Farmer trust is the critical variable for bio-input CRA adoption.
📱 Scale Precision Agriculture with Bhashini
Expand AI-based advisories in local languages via Bhashini — voice-based advisory accessible without literacy barrier. AgriStack integration with Krishi DSS for farmer-specific climate risk alerts. Expand Namo Drone Didi and precision irrigation to all 489 pulse cluster districts as CRA demonstration zones.
💧 Restore Soil & Water Base
CRA technologies cannot deliver if soil is degraded and groundwater is overexploited. Scale Atal Bhujal Yojana; expand PMKSY watershed development; make Soil Health Card the mandatory trigger for input subsidy allocation — precision-linked subsidy for precision agriculture.
💰 Climate Risk Finance for Farmers
Expand PMFBY to explicitly cover heatwaves, floods, and dry spells (not just crop cutting experiments). Carbon market access for small farmers through FPOs — India's Green Credit Programme can provide framework. De-risk CRA technology adoption through insurance + transition support: farmers need 2-3 seasons to trust new varieties.
9. UPSC PYQs — CRA & Climate-Smart Agriculture
UPSC Prelims 2021 (Answer: d — 1, 2 and 3 all correct): Climate-Smart Village approach is part of CCAFS (led by Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security — Statement 1 ✅); CCAFS is under CGIAR headquartered in France — Statement 2 ✅ (Note: CGIAR HQ is in Montpellier, France); ICRISAT in India is one of CGIAR's research centres — Statement 3 ✅. All three correct → (d).
UPSC Prelims 2018 (Answer: b — Statement 2 only): GACSA is NOT an outcome of Paris Climate Summit 2015 — it was launched at UN Climate Summit in New York, 2014 → Statement 1 ❌. Membership of GACSA creates NO binding obligations → Statement 2 ✅. India was NOT instrumental in creating GACSA (USA and FAO led) → Statement 3 ❌. Only Statement 2 is correct → (b).
15 Marks
⏱ ~18 minutes | 200 words
GS Paper IIIDrishti IAS QuestionCRA
"Climate-Resilient Agriculture is central to India's food security and climate adaptation strategy." Discuss.
Introduction: CRA = farming systems that withstand climate variability while sustaining productivity. With 51% rainfed area, projected 47% rainfed rice yield loss by 2080, and growing population (18% of global on 11% arable land), CRA is India's existential agricultural imperative.
Why CRA is Central to Food Security:
Way Forward — National CRA Roadmap under BioE3:
Why CRA is Central to Food Security:
- Yield protection: Climate change threatens 40% wheat yield loss, 47% rainfed rice loss by 2080 (NICRA) — only adaptation can prevent food deficit
- Rainfed dependency: 51% rainfed area produces 40% of food — climate variability directly hits national food supply
- Population pressure: India must feed 1.4 billion people on shrinking arable land under intensifying climate stress
- Import vulnerability: Climate shocks raise cereal import dependence — food inflation crossed 10% post-2023 extreme events
- Resource base: 30% land degraded; 60%+ districts face groundwater stress — CRA protects the agricultural resource base
- NICRA (2011): 448 climate-resilient villages in 151 districts; 2,900 stress-tolerant varieties released (2014-24); zero-till wheat, direct-seeded rice, SRI
- NMSA: Soil health, water-use efficiency, integrated farming — rainfed area focus
- BioE3 (August 2024): CRA as priority sector; genome-edited climate-tolerant crops; bio-input quality; Biofoundry for CRA solutions
- Digital Agriculture Mission (₹2,817 Cr, 2024): AgriStack, Krishi DSS, AI-based advisories, DGCES for real-time climate risk assessment
- NMNF (₹2,481 Cr, 2024): Natural farming — soil carbon, reduced chemical inputs, low-emission agriculture
Way Forward — National CRA Roadmap under BioE3:
- Fast-track climate-tolerant variety dissemination (SATHI model from pulses)
- Expand PMFBY to cover heatwaves and dry spells explicitly
- Digital precision agriculture via Bhashini (voice-based, multilingual) + Krishi DSS
- Bio-input quality enforcement with QR traceability (like neem-coated urea)
- Converge with FAO Climate-Smart Agriculture programme for knowledge transfer
10 Marks
⏱ ~12 minutes | 150 words
GS Paper IIIUPSC 2019 Mains (related)
How far is the Integrated Farming System (IFS) helpful in sustaining agricultural production in the context of climate variability? (UPSC 2019)
Introduction: IFS integrates crop cultivation with allied sectors (livestock, fisheries, horticulture, poultry) in a synergistic, resource-efficient system. With 51% rainfed area and rising climate variability, IFS offers structural resilience through income diversification and biological resource cycling.
How IFS Sustains Production Under Climate Stress:
How IFS Sustains Production Under Climate Stress:
- Income diversification: When one component (crop) fails due to drought/flood, others (livestock, poultry, fisheries) compensate — risk spreading across multiple income streams
- Nutrient cycling: Livestock waste → organic manure → crop nutrition; reduces chemical fertiliser dependence; improves soil organic carbon (key for drought resilience)
- Water efficiency: Integrated aquaculture-agriculture reuses irrigation water; crop residues fed to livestock — reduces external input needs
- Climate buffering: Agroforestry + IFS reduces microclimate temperature; tree cover reduces evapotranspiration; improves soil moisture retention
- NICRA evidence: IFS demonstrated in climate-resilient villages shows 30-60% higher net income and 250-350 person-days/ha/yr employment vs monoculture
- ICAR-IIFSR (apex body): 45 IFS models tested in 23 states + 1 UT; AICRP on IFS with 25 main centres
- Capital-intensive: Small/marginal farmers (86%) may lack resources for multi-component IFS
- Knowledge-intensive: Requires skills across multiple domains — extension capacity gap
- Market linkages: IFS produces diverse outputs needing diverse markets — not always available in rural areas
10. Practice MCQs — Climate-Resilient Agriculture
Q 1
As per NICRA (National Innovations in Climate Resilient Agriculture), which of the following correctly states India's projected crop yield losses by 2080 in the absence of adaptation measures?
NICRA/ICAR projections: Without adaptation measures — Rainfed rice: 47% decline by 2080; Wheat: 40% decline by 2080; Kharif Maize: 23% decline by 2080; Irrigated rice: 5% decline. These figures are from Drishti IAS and Drishti Mains materials, derived from ICAR's NICRA modelling. The rainfed rice figure (47%) is the most dramatic — reflecting the near-total climate dependence of rainfed paddy. Wheat at 40% reflects terminal heat stress during grain-filling stage (February-March warming trend). Maize at 23% reflects heat stress during pollination. These yield loss projections are frequently cited in UPSC answers on food security and climate adaptation. Correct answer: (b).
Q 2
The BioE3 Policy (2024) identifies which of the following as one of its strategic thematic sectors?
1. Climate Resilient Agriculture
2. Carbon Capture and Utilisation
3. Smart Proteins and Functional Foods
4. Conventional Chemical Fertiliser Manufacturing
1. Climate Resilient Agriculture
2. Carbon Capture and Utilisation
3. Smart Proteins and Functional Foods
4. Conventional Chemical Fertiliser Manufacturing
Statement 4 is WRONG: Conventional chemical fertiliser manufacturing is NOT a BioE3 thematic sector. BioE3 is a biotechnology policy focused on bio-based alternatives, not conventional chemicals. The six strategic thematic sectors under BioE3 (official Cabinet approval, August 2024, PM India website) are: (1) High-value bio-based chemicals, biopolymers & enzymes; (2) Smart proteins & functional foods; (3) Precision biotherapeutics; (4) Climate Resilient Agriculture; (5) Carbon capture & utilisation; (6) Marine and space research. Statements 1 ✅ (CRA — a priority sector), 2 ✅ (Carbon capture — sector 5), 3 ✅ (Smart proteins — sector 2). All three are confirmed BioE3 thematic sectors. Correct answer: (c).
Q 3
NICRA (National Innovations in Climate Resilient Agriculture) was launched by ICAR in 2011. Which of the following is correctly stated about NICRA?
NICRA was launched by ICAR directly in February 2011 — NOT under NMSA (option d wrong). It covers 448 villages in 151 climatically vulnerable districts (not 1,000 villages in all 28 states — option a wrong). NICRA's four components are: Strategic Research, Technology Demonstration, Capacity Building, and Sponsored/Competitive Grants. It covers crops, horticulture, livestock, natural resource management, AND fisheries (option c wrong — NICRA is comprehensive, not crop-only). NICRA involves 21 ICAR institutes in network mode. The 448 villages figure and 151 districts are from official ICAR/PIB data and should be memorised for UPSC. Correct answer: (b).
Q 4
In the context of India's preparation for Climate-Smart Agriculture (UPSC 2021 style), consider the following:
1. The 'Climate-Smart Village' approach in India is part of a project led by CCAFS (Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security).
2. CCAFS is carried out under CGIAR headquartered in France (Montpellier).
3. ICRISAT in India is one of CGIAR's research centres.
Which are correct?
1. The 'Climate-Smart Village' approach in India is part of a project led by CCAFS (Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security).
2. CCAFS is carried out under CGIAR headquartered in France (Montpellier).
3. ICRISAT in India is one of CGIAR's research centres.
Which are correct?
This is a direct reproduction of UPSC Prelims 2021 (the answer was d — all three correct). Statement 1 ✅: Climate-Smart Village approach IS part of CCAFS (Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security) — an international research programme. Statement 2 ✅: CCAFS is carried out under CGIAR, which is headquartered in Montpellier, France — correct. Statement 3 ✅: ICRISAT (International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics), based in Hyderabad, India, IS one of CGIAR's 15 international research centres. Other CGIAR centres relevant to India: IRRI (Philippines, rice), CIMMYT (Mexico, wheat/maize), IFPRI (USA, food policy), CIP (Peru, potato). All three statements are correct → (d). Correct answer: (d).
Q 5
Consider the following statements about 'Scuba Rice':
1. It is a climate-resilient rice variety that can survive underwater submergence for up to 14–17 days.
2. It was developed by ICAR and is commercially available under the name 'Swarna-Sub1'.
3. It is relevant for climate adaptation in flood-prone Kharif paddy cultivation areas.
1. It is a climate-resilient rice variety that can survive underwater submergence for up to 14–17 days.
2. It was developed by ICAR and is commercially available under the name 'Swarna-Sub1'.
3. It is relevant for climate adaptation in flood-prone Kharif paddy cultivation areas.
Statement 2 needs clarification: "Scuba Rice" is a popular name for flood-tolerant rice varieties generally. Swarna-Sub1 is a specific flood-tolerant variety developed through a collaboration between IRRI (International Rice Research Institute, Philippines) and ICAR — not solely by ICAR. The Sub1 gene (from a traditional variety) was introgressed into Swarna by IRRI researchers. It can survive 2+ weeks of complete submergence. The document's source describes Scuba Rice as "a variety that can survive underwater for weeks" — this is essentially Swarna-Sub1/CR Dhan 801. Statement 2 is partly wrong because "Scuba Rice" = Swarna-Sub1 was developed through IRRI-ICAR collaboration (IRRI led), not solely by ICAR. Statement 1 ✅ (survives 14-17 days submergence). Statement 3 ✅ (critical for flood-prone Kharif paddy areas — Odisha, West Bengal, Bihar, eastern UP). Correct answer: (c).
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