Why does the Government of India promote the use of 'Neem-coated Urea' in agriculture?
Answer & explanation
Answer: (b) Neem coating slows down the rate of dissolution of urea in the soil
A thin coat of neem oil makes urea release its nitrogen into the soil slowly, so more of it is taken up by the crop and less is lost; this raises nitrogen use efficiency and cuts the quantity of urea needed. Neem coating also makes subsidised urea hard to divert to industrial uses. The Centre made neem coating compulsory for all domestic urea from 1 September 2015 and for imported urea from 1 December 2015.
- ✓ (b) Neem coating slows the release of nitrogen from urea to the soil, which the Department of Fertilizers credits for higher nitrogen use efficiency and lower urea consumption.
- ✗ (a) Neem compounds act by slowing the conversion and release of nitrogen already supplied by urea; they are not promoted for boosting biological nitrogen fixation by soil microbes.
- ✗ (c) Slower release can reduce nitrogen losses, but no coating stops nitrous oxide emission from fields altogether; 'not at all released' overstates the effect.
- ✗ (d) Neem-coated urea is a fertiliser only; it contains no weedicide.
Remember · Neem-coated urea (100% mandatory from 2015): slow nitrogen release, higher nitrogen use efficiency, lower urea use, and no diversion of subsidised urea to industry.
Sources
- PIB: Availability of Urea in 45 Kg bags ... (Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers) ↗ “One of the primary benefits of Neem coating is the slow release of urea, which results in increased Nitrogen Use Efficiency (NUE).”
- PIB: Neem Coated Urea (document, November 2021) ↗ “Neem oil, a wholly organic product, had the quality that could both slow down nitrogen release from urea to soil thus increasing nutrient use efficiency, decreasing soil and water contamination”
Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2016, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). ·