Mention the advantages of the cultivation of pulses because of which the year 2016 was declared as the International Year of Pulses by the United Nations.
Approach · directive: “mention”
What it asks · List the nutritional, agronomic, environmental and economic advantages of pulses that led the UN to give them a dedicated year.
The question has 2 parts — answer each
- Mention the advantages of pulse cultivation: nutrition and health, soil and climate, farm economy and food security
- Link these advantages to the UN's declaration of 2016 as the International Year of Pulses
Open with · The UN General Assembly declared 2016 the International Year of Pulses, with the FAO leading, under the slogan “nutritious seeds for a sustainable future”.
Cover
- Nutrition: pulses are rich in protein, fibre, iron, folate and other micronutrients, and are low in fat, giving affordable protein where animal foods are costly.
- Health: a low glycaemic index and high fibre help manage diabetes, heart disease and obesity, and support diets for vegetarian populations.
- Soil fertility: root nodule bacteria fix atmospheric nitrogen, so pulses in rotation or intercropping cut fertiliser need and improve the yield of the following crop.
- Climate and water: most pulses need less water than cereals, tolerate drought and have a low carbon footprint, which suits rainfed farming under climate stress.
- Farm economy: short-duration crops fit cropping systems, crop residues serve as fodder, and pulses give small farmers extra income and a hedge against cereal risk.
- Storage and trade: dry pulses keep for long periods, aiding food security; India is the largest producer and consumer but still imports to meet demand.
Close with · Pulses combine nutrition, soil health and climate resilience, which is why they are central to both food security and sustainable farming.
Add value (verified)
- FAO's account of the International Year of Pulses highlights that nitrogen fixation by pulses improves soil fertility and reduces dependence on synthetic fertilizers. From butter beans to pigeon peas: UN launches International Year of Pulses - FAO ↗“The FAO Director-General particularly highlighted how the nitrogen-fixing properties of pulses can improve soil fertility, which extends the productivity of farmland, and eliminates dependency on synthetic fertilizers.”
Question: UPSC's CS (Main) 2017, GS Paper I — paper ↗. Approach: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify) — UPSC publishes no model answers. ·
Model answer · 208 words (UPSC limit 150) · Minimalist IAS
The UN General Assembly declared 2016 the International Year of Pulses, with FAO as lead agency, under the slogan 'nutritious seeds for a sustainable future', because pulses serve nutrition and sustainability at once.
Nutritional and health advantages
- Pulses are rich in protein, fibre, iron and folate and low in fat, giving affordable protein where animal foods are costly.
- A low glycaemic index and high fibre help manage diabetes, heart disease and obesity, and suit vegetarian diets.
Agronomic and environmental advantages
- Root-nodule bacteria fix atmospheric nitrogen, so pulses in rotation or intercropping cut fertiliser need and raise the yield of the following crop; FAO highlighted this as a way to reduce dependence on synthetic fertilisers.
- Most pulses need less water than cereals, tolerate drought and have a low carbon footprint, which suits rainfed farming under climate stress.
Economic and food-security advantages
- Short-duration crops fit cropping systems, residues serve as fodder, and pulses give small farmers extra income and a hedge against cereal risk.
- Dry pulses store for long periods, aiding food security; India is the largest producer and consumer yet still imports to meet demand.
By joining nutrition, soil health and climate resilience in one crop group, pulses earned a dedicated year and remain central to sustainable food systems.
Written by Minimalist IAS from facts checked at source (how we verify) — a little fuller than exam length, so every part of the question is covered; in the hall, keep the structure and trim the detail. UPSC publishes no model answers: compare your structure and coverage with this, then write your own.