GS Paper III 2026 · Q3
10 marks · 150 words Farm subsidies, MSP, PDS & food security X-Ray · Core #44Describe the various Technology Missions initiated in Indian agriculture and examine their role in food security.
🧭 How to think about this question · directive: “describe / examine”
Decode the demand
- Two directives, two parts: 'describe' the various technology missions (names, dates, crops, what each bundled) and 'examine' their role in food security (gains, gaps, a verdict). Both need their own heading.
- The idea in one line: a technology mission is a time-bound, single-crop drive that joins research, seed, inputs, extension and markets under one command; keep each description to that pattern.
- The trap: listing missions as a chronology and stopping. The examiner wants the link to food security: availability, stability, nutrition and self-reliance, each with a number.
- Carry data: record foodgrain output, the edible-oil import share, outlay and target of the newest missions.
Think in a structure
- Open with the definition and a paradox: record grain, yet imported oil. That paradox is the 'examine' part in seed form.
- Describe as a timeline from 1986 to 2025, one crisp point per mission with its distinctive feature; examine with a table that maps each food-security pillar to a mission and its result, then points on gains and gaps.
- End positively: three measures a policymaker can act on, with the pulses mission's assured procurement as the model, then an SDG anchor.
Facts checked at source (5)· open
- NMEO–Oilseeds runs for seven years (2024-25 to 2030-31) with an outlay of ₹10,103 crore.PIB — Cabinet approves NMEO-Oilseeds (3 October 2024) ↗“The Mission will be implemented over a seven-year period, from 2024-25 to 2030-31, with a financial outlay of Rs 10,103 crore.”
- Foodgrain production reached a record 357.73 million tonnes in 2024-25 (Final Estimates), up from 332.30 million tonnes in 2023-24.PIB — Record foodgrain output breaks all previous highs (Final Estimates 2024-25) ↗“Foodgrain production rises to 357.73 million tonnes in 2024-25, up from 332.30 million tonnes in 2023-24”
- Imports meet 57% of India's domestic demand for edible oils (background to NMEO-Oilseeds, 2024).PIB — Cabinet approves National Mission on Edible Oils–Oilseeds (October 2024) ↗“The country is heavily reliant on imports which account for 57% of its domestic demand for edible oils.”
- The Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses (approved 1 October 2025) carries ₹11,440 crore and targets 350 lakh tonnes of pulses by 2030-31.PMO — Union Cabinet approves Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses for 2025-26 to 2030-31 ↗“Pulses Mission to drive production to 350 lakh tonnes by 2030-31 Rs.11,440 crore investment push to achieve self-sufficiency in pulses”
- The pulses mission assures procurement of tur, urad and masoor under PM-AASHA's Price Support Scheme through NAFED and NCCF.PMO — Union Cabinet approves Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses for 2025-26 to 2030-31 ↗“A major feature of the Mission will be assured maximum procurement of Tur, Urad, and Masoor under Price Support Scheme (PSS) of PM-AASHA. NAFED and NCCF will undertake 100% procurement in participating states for the next four years”
Question: UPSC's CS (Main) 2026, GS Paper III — paper ↗. Guidance: Minimalist IAS, checked 8 Nov 2026 (how we verify). ·
Model answer· 352words · Minimalist IAS
A technology mission is a time-bound, single-crop drive that bundles research, seed, inputs, extension and markets under one command. Foodgrain output touched a record 357.73 million tonnes in 2024-25, yet imports still meet 57% of edible-oil demand (PIB), so the missions' record on food security is mixed.
The Technology Missions initiated in Indian agriculture
- 1986: Oilseeds
- 2000: Cotton
- 2001-02: North-East Horticulture
- 2007: NFSM
- 2021-25: NMEO-Oil Palm, NMEO-Oilseeds, Pulses Mission
- Oilseeds (1986): the first of the Pitroda-era missions; pulses, oil palm and maize joined later, driving the Yellow Revolution and near self-sufficiency by the 1990s.
- Cotton (2000): four mini-missions on research, extension, market yards and ginning modernised fibre quality and raised yields.
- Horticulture (2001-02): the North-East mission grew into MIDH (2014), covering fruits, vegetables, spices and post-harvest chains.
- NFSM (2007): area expansion and productivity in rice, wheat, pulses and later coarse cereals through demonstrations and seed subsidy.
- New generation: NMEO-Oilseeds (2024, ₹10,103 crore, 2024-25 to 2030-31) and the Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses (2025, ₹11,440 crore, 350 lakh tonnes by 2030-31).
Their role in food security
| Pillar | Mission lever | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | NFSM, Oilseeds mission | Record 357.73 million tonnes |
| Stability | Pulses Mission | PM-AASHA assured procurement |
| Nutrition | MIDH, millets under NFSM | Diversified diets |
| Self-reliance | NMEO | 57% of edible oil still imported |
- Availability: NFSM crops feed the PDS and buffer stocks that carry the National Food Security Act, 2013.
- Price stability: assured procurement of tur, urad and masoor through NAFED and NCCF cushions pulse price spikes.
- Nutrition security: pulses, oilseeds, horticulture and millets move the diet beyond rice and wheat.
- Gaps: edible-oil and pulse imports persist; rain-fed districts lag; intensive cereals strain groundwater and soil; seed replacement stays low.
Way forward
- Technology with a market: replicate PM-AASHA-type assured procurement for every mission crop so farmers risk the switch.
- Rain-fed first: target dryland districts with short-duration pulses and oilseeds, not only irrigated belts.
- Converge missions: link seed, digital and natural-farming missions so one farmer meets one plan.
SDG 2 seeks zero hunger and sustainable agriculture by 2030; India's missions have secured the grain, and their next task is to secure oils, pulses and nutrition on rain-fed land.
Prepared by Minimalist IAS to the answer standard of Shivam Singh (mentor, 7 years) · facts checked against official sources (how we verify) · updated 8 Nov 2026. UPSC publishes no model answers: compare your structure and coverage with this, then write your own.
