Consider the following statements:
- 1.The Government of India provides Minimum Support Price for niger (Guizotia abyssinica) seeds.
- 2.Niger is cultivated as a Kharif crop.
- 3.Some tribal people in India use niger seed oil for cooking.
How many of the above statements are correct?
Answer & explanation
Answer: (c) All three
Nigerseed is one of the kharif crops for which the Centre announces a Minimum Support Price every year, and it is sown in the rainy season. UPSC's key counts all three statements as correct.
- ✓ 1. Nigerseed appears in the government's list of Minimum Support Prices for kharif crops; for 2022-23 the MSP was ₹7,287 per quintal.
- ✓ 2. Niger is sown in June–September as a kharif (and late-kharif) crop; official crop calendars list 'Niger (Kharif)' and 'Niger (Late Kharif)' seasons.
- ✓ 3. UPSC's official key counts this statement as correct; we could not confirm the detail from an official source, so we do not explain it here.
Remember · Nigerseed (Guizotia abyssinica): a kharif oilseed with an MSP notified every year.
Sources
- Agricultural Statistics at a Glance 2022, Table 2.71 Minimum Support Prices (Kharif Crops), DES, Ministry of Agriculture ↗ “12 Sesamum 5000^ 5300* 6249 6485 6855 7307 7830 13 Nigerseed 3825* 4050* 5877 5940 6695 6930 7287 14 Cotton Medium Staple … State Period Kharif-Soybean Niger(Kharif) Niger(Late Kharif) (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) Madhya Pradesh Sowing June(M)- July(M) June(M) – July(E) Aug(B)- Sept(B)”
- Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU Agritech Portal): Niger ↗ · reference work “NIGER (Guizotia abyssinica) CROP IMPROVEMENT I. SEASON AND VARIETIES DISTRICT/SEASON VARIETIES A. Rainfed 1. Adippattam (June- July)”
Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2023, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 1 Oct 2026 (how we verify). ·