Agriculture & Rural Current Affairs Quiz — Last 12 months
Daily news by your exam, state and topic — each with a short summary, key facts and MCQs.
Under the ICAR Special Task Force's framework (April 2026), the 'Mera Gaon Mera Gaurav' campaign will prioritise how many aspirational districts?
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Correct answer: A — 100
ICAR said the widened MGMG campaign will prioritise 100 aspirational districts.
The ICAR Special Task Force emphasised 'DSR' as a mechanical intervention. What does DSR stand for?
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Correct answer: D — Direct Seeding of Rice
The ICAR release refers to mechanical solutions including Direct Seeding of Rice (DSR).
Where is the 'Advanced Agriculture Festival 2026 – Exhibition and Training', announced on 5 April 2026, to be held?
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Correct answer: C — Dussehra Maidan, Raisen, Madhya Pradesh
The Agriculture Ministry said the festival will be held at Dussehra Maidan in Raisen.
Under which concept will stubble management be presented at the Raisen agriculture festival?
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Correct answer: A — Waste to Wealth
The release says technologies to turn stubble from 'waste to wealth' will be presented.
Where is the country's first dedicated Centre of Excellence for Millets, visited by Dr Jitendra Singh on 3 April 2026?
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Correct answer: A — CFTRI, Mysuru
The Science and Technology Ministry described the Centre of Excellence for Millets at CFTRI, Mysuru, as the country's first dedicated one.
Under which scheme is the 30 single-occupancy trainee hostel at CFTRI, Mysuru, being built?
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Correct answer: B — Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana
The release says the Bhoomi Pooja was for a hostel under the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY).
'Kalari', a cheese product on which CFTRI is developing new recipes, originates from:
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Correct answer: C — Udhampur, Jammu and Kashmir
The minister said Kalari is a popular cheese product originating from Udhampur in J&K.
How much central assistance has been released to Haryana under the Rashtriya Gokul Mission, as stated in Parliament on 1 April 2026?
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Correct answer: D — ₹113.60 crore
The Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying said central assistance of ₹113.60 crore has been released to Haryana.
Where has the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying set up an IVF lab in Haryana for genetic upgradation of indigenous breeds?
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Correct answer: B — Hisar
The reply says one IVF lab has been established at Hisar, including for the Hariana breed of cattle.
The indigenous bio-bitumen technology highlighted in March 2026 was developed by CSIR–Indian Institute of Petroleum, Dehradun, and which other CSIR lab?
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Correct answer: D — CSIR–Central Road Research Institute
The technology was developed by CSIR–Central Road Research Institute (CRRI), New Delhi, and CSIR–IIP, Dehradun.
Which ICAR institution was the only Indian university in the top 100 for Veterinary Science in the QS Subject Rankings 2026?
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Correct answer: D — ICAR-IVRI, Bareilly
ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Bareilly, entered the 51-100 band – the only Indian university in the Veterinary Science top 100.
Consider the following about the Agriculture & Forestry subject in the QS Rankings 2026: 1. ICAR-IARI, New Delhi debuted in the 151-200 band. 2. 10 Indian universities featured among 475 ranked globally. 3. CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar was placed in the 51-100 band. Which of the above is/are correct?
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Correct answer: B — 1 and 2 only
CCS HAU Hisar made its maiden entry in the 301-350 band, not 51-100; statements 1 and 2 are correct.
How many Farmer IDs had been generated under the AgriStack Farmers Registry as of 19 March 2026?
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Correct answer: A — More than 9.20 crore
More than 9.20 crore Farmer IDs had been generated, including 47.63 lakh in Bihar.
As cited by the Agriculture Ministry (March 2026), which state used AgriStack to transfer over ₹14,000 crore to 89 lakh farmers for Kharif 2025 crop losses within 5 days?
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Correct answer: B — Maharashtra
Maharashtra used AgriStack for this disaster-relief transfer; Chhattisgarh used Farmer ID for MSP paddy procurement covering 32 lakh+ farmers.
Rythu Bharosa, whose first tranche was released on 22 March 2026, is a scheme of which state?
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Correct answer: A — Telangana
Rythu Bharosa is Telangana's investment assistance for farmers; CM A. Revanth Reddy released the first tranche at Narmetta, Siddipet.
How much did the Telangana CM say would be released to farmers under Rythu Bharosa within 45 days?
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Correct answer: B — ₹9,000 crore
₹9,000 crore is to be credited to about 70 lakh farmers in three phases within 45 days.
Consider the following about the Telangana programme of 22 March 2026: 1. The entire Rythu Bharosa amount is to be paid in a single instalment. 2. An oil palm processing factory was inaugurated at Narmetta in Siddipet district. Which of the above is/are correct?
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Correct answer: B — 2 only
The funds are to be released in three phases within 45 days, so statement 1 is wrong; the oil palm factory at Narmetta, Siddipet, was inaugurated.
What is the MRP of a 45 kg bag of Neem Coated Urea, as stated in the Lok Sabha on 20 March 2026 (excluding neem coating charges and taxes)?
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Correct answer: D — ₹242
A 45 kg bag of Neem Coated Urea costs ₹242; ₹254 is the MRP of a 40 kg bag of Sulphur Coated Urea.
According to the Government, the main purpose of reducing urea bag size from 50 kg to 45 kg was to:
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Correct answer: A — Curb excessive urea use and promote balanced fertilisation
The Government said the smaller bag aims to curb excessive urea consumption and encourage judicious, balanced fertiliser use, with no price increase.
After the EPMC gas bidding of March 2026, total gas supply to urea plants rose from 32 MMSCMD to:
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Correct answer: B — 39.31 MMSCMD
An additional 7.31 MMSCMD of spot gas raised supply to urea plants by 23%, from 32 to 39.31 MMSCMD.
Consider the following about fertiliser supply as of 19 March 2026: 1. DAP stocks were lower than on the same date in 2025. 2. Domestic urea production is projected to rise from 54,500 to 67,000 tonnes a day. Which of the above is/are correct?
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Correct answer: B — 2 only
Statement 1 is wrong: DAP stocks more than doubled to 24.24 LMT from 11.85 LMT. Statement 2 is correct.
A ₹200-crore Banana Cluster approved in March 2026 will be developed in which district?
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Correct answer: D — Jalgaon
The Union Agriculture Minister announced that the long-pending Banana Cluster in Jalgaon, Maharashtra, has been approved at ₹200 crore.
Subsidies for facilities under the Jalgaon Banana Cluster will be provided under:
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Correct answer: A — MIDH and Agriculture Infrastructure Fund
Subsidies will be provided under the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) and the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF).
In March 2026 the CCEA approved MSP funding of ₹1,718.56 crore for the 2023-24 cotton season to:
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Correct answer: A — Cotton Corporation of India
The MSP funding of ₹1,718.56 crore was approved for the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI), the central nodal agency for cotton MSP operations.
Consider the following about MSP operations in cotton: 1. CCI procures Fair Average Quality cotton subject to a quantity ceiling per farmer. 2. The MSP for seed cotton (kapas) is fixed on the recommendations of the CACP. Which of the above is/are correct?
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Correct answer: B — 2 only
Statement 1 is wrong: CCI procures all FAQ cotton without any quantitative ceiling when prices fall below MSP. Statement 2 is correct.
As on 1 March 2026, how many FPOs registered under the 10,000 FPOs scheme have 100% women members?
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Correct answer: B — 1,175
1,175 FPOs are registered with 100% women members, and 23.55 lakh women farmers are registered under the scheme.
The scheme for 'Formation and Promotion of 10,000 Farmer Producer Organisations', which reached its target by 1 March 2026, is a:
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Correct answer: C — Central Sector Scheme
The Government is implementing a Central Sector Scheme for the Formation and Promotion of 10,000 FPOs.
According to the final estimates released in March 2026, India's total horticulture production in 2024-25 was:
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Correct answer: B — 3,707.38 lakh tonnes
Final estimates put 2024-25 production at 3,707.38 lakh tonnes; 3,547.44 was the 2023-24 figure and 3,708.46 is the 2025-26 first advance estimate.
Consider the following about the horticulture estimates released on 16 March 2026: 1. Onion production in 2024-25 rose by over 25% compared with 2023-24. 2. Tomato production in 2024-25 was higher than in 2023-24. Which of the above is/are correct?
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Correct answer: A — 1 only
Statement 1 is correct: onion output rose 26.79% to 307.67 lakh tonnes. Statement 2 is wrong: tomato output fell to 205.99 lakh tonnes from 213.23 lakh tonnes, though it is projected to rise in 2025-26.
From RMS 2026-27, the commission payable to Arthiyas for wheat procurement in Punjab and Haryana has been raised to:
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Correct answer: A — ₹50.75 per quintal
The Arthiya commission on wheat in Punjab and Haryana rises from ₹46.00 to ₹50.75 per quintal; ₹45.67 is for wheat in Rajasthan and ₹50.61 for paddy.
Under the revised procurement commission structure from RMS 2026-27, procurement carried out at modern silos will earn:
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Correct answer: B — 50% of the mandi rate
For procurement at modern silos, the commission payable will be 50% of the rate applicable in mandis.
In which district of Jammu and Kashmir was a ₹100-crore Integrated Aqua Park sanctioned on 14 March 2026?
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Correct answer: A — Anantnag
Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh announced the ₹100-crore Integrated Aqua Park for Anantnag district.
Which guidelines were released at the first National Conference on Cold Water Fisheries in Srinagar on 14 March 2026?
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Correct answer: B — Model Guidelines for the Development of Cold-Water Fisheries
The 'Model Guidelines for the Development of Cold-Water Fisheries' were released at SKICC, Srinagar.
The Delhi Declaration adopted at GCWAS-2026 on 14 March 2026 calls for establishing a:
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Correct answer: A — Global Alliance on Women in Agri-Food Systems
The Delhi Declaration calls for a Global Alliance on Women in Agri-Food Systems.
ICAR's planned national gender platform, announced at GCWAS-2026, will connect more than how many institutions?
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Correct answer: C — 900
Dr M. L. Jat said the platform will connect more than 900 institutions, including ICAR institutes, KVKs and agricultural universities.
From which city did PM Modi release the 22nd instalment of PM-KISAN on 13 March 2026?
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Correct answer: D — Guwahati
The 22nd instalment was released from the Jyoti-Bishnu International Cultural Centre in Guwahati, Assam.
About how much money was transferred under the 22nd instalment of PM-KISAN, and to how many farmers?
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Correct answer: B — ₹18,640 crore to 9.32 crore farmers
About ₹18,640 crore went to more than 9.32 crore farmers; ₹19,480 crore was the value of the Guwahati development projects launched the same day.
Consider the following statements about PM-KISAN: 1. Eligible farmer families receive ₹6,000 a year in three equal instalments of ₹2,000. 2. The Union Budget 2026–27 allocated ₹60,000 crore to the scheme. Which of the above is/are correct?
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Correct answer: C — Both 1 and 2
Both are correct: the scheme pays ₹6,000 a year in three instalments of ₹2,000 each through DBT, and Budget 2026–27 provided ₹60,000 crore for it, as per the PIB backgrounder.
Roughly how many women farmers benefited from the 22nd instalment of PM-KISAN?
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Correct answer: A — 2.15 crore
The PIB backgrounder says more than 2.15 crore of the 9.32 crore beneficiaries were women.
According to the PIB backgrounder on the 22nd instalment, how much has been disbursed under PM-KISAN since its launch?
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Correct answer: D — More than ₹4.27 lakh crore
The backgrounder put cumulative transfers at more than ₹4.27 lakh crore, making PM-KISAN one of the world's largest DBT schemes.
Under Odisha's CM-KISAN scheme, mentioned by CM Mohan Charan Majhi on 13 March 2026, how much extra do eligible farmers get each year?
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Correct answer: D — ₹4,000 in two instalments
Majhi said CM-KISAN gives eligible farmers an additional ₹4,000 a year in two instalments, on top of PM-KISAN's ₹6,000.
To which two countries was the first consignment of GI-tagged Joha rice from Assam exported on 12 March 2026?
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Correct answer: C — United Kingdom and Italy
The 25-tonne consignment went to the United Kingdom and Italy; earlier small shipments had gone to Vietnam and five Middle Eastern countries.
Which body facilitated the first export of Joha rice to the UK and Italy in March 2026?
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Correct answer: D — APEDA
APEDA, under the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, facilitated the export with Assam's Department of Agriculture.
Consider the following statements about Joha rice: 1. It is an indigenous aromatic rice of Assam that received a GI tag in 2017. 2. Majuli is among its major producing districts. Which of the above is/are correct?
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Correct answer: C — Both 1 and 2
Both are correct: Joha got its GI tag in 2017, and its major districts include Nagaon, Baksa, Goalpara, Sivasagar, Majuli, Chirang and Golaghat.
Under which scheme did the Centre approve MSP procurement of gram, urad, groundnut and sunflower worth over ₹894 crore in Telangana on 11 March 2026?
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Correct answer: A — Price Support Scheme
The procurement of 1,25,855 tonnes for Rabi 2026 will be done under the Price Support Scheme (PSS).
What is the estimated wheat production for 2025–26 according to the Second Advance Estimates released on 10 March 2026?
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Correct answer: B — 1,202.10 lakh tonnes
Wheat is estimated at 1,202.10 LMT, up 22.65 LMT from 1,179.45 LMT last year; 1,239.28 LMT is Kharif rice.
Which crop recorded record production in both the Kharif and Rabi seasons in the Second Advance Estimates for 2025–26?
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Correct answer: A — Maize
Kharif maize is a record 302.47 LMT and Rabi maize a record 159.03 LMT.
Which pulse has the largest estimated output in the Second Advance Estimates for 2025–26?
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Correct answer: D — Gram
Gram is estimated at 117.92 LMT, far above tur (34.55 LMT) and lentil (17.33 LMT).
Consider the following statements about the Second Advance Estimates of crop production for 2025–26: 1. They cover the Kharif, Rabi and summer seasons. 2. Yield estimates are based on Crop Cutting Experiments, previous trends and other factors. Which of the above is/are correct?
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Correct answer: B — 2 only
Statement 1 is wrong: the Second Advance Estimates cover only Kharif and Rabi; the summer season will be included in the Third Advance Estimates. Statement 2 is correct.
Under the Natural Gas (Supply Regulation) Order, 2026, fertilizer plants are assured at least what share of their average gas consumption of the last six months?
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Correct answer: C — 70%
Fertilizer plants, placed in 'Priority Sector-2', will get at least 70% of their average consumption over the last six months.
In which category have fertilizer plants been placed for natural gas supply, as announced on 10 March 2026?
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Correct answer: D — Priority Sector-2
The Department of Fertilizers said fertilizer plants have been categorised under 'Priority Sector-2' for natural gas supply.
The Tapi-Karjan Link Pipeline Lift Irrigation Scheme inaugurated in Gujarat on 7 March 2026 draws water from which reservoir?
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Correct answer: D — Ukai
The scheme is based on the Ukai reservoir project and lifts water through pipelines to tribal villages at higher elevations.
The Tapi-Karjan lift irrigation scheme mainly benefits tribal villages in which two talukas?
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Correct answer: A — Umarpada and Dediapada
It irrigates 53,750 acres in 73 tribal villages of Umarpada (Surat) and Dediapada (Narmada) talukas.
According to Shivraj Singh Chouhan at a post-Budget meeting in Chennai on 7 March 2026, about how many farmers in India are associated with coconut cultivation?
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Correct answer: C — 1.25 crore
He said nearly 1.25 crore farmers grow coconut, while about 3 crore people depend on the sector for their livelihood.
Who presented the Maharashtra Budget 2026-27 on 6 March 2026?
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Correct answer: B — Devendra Fadnavis
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who also holds the Finance portfolio, presented the budget.
What is the approximate total outlay of the Maharashtra Budget 2026-27?
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Correct answer: D — ₹7.69 lakh crore
The budget has an outlay of about ₹7.69 lakh crore; ₹11.02 lakh crore is the projected debt.
The farm loan waiver announced in the Maharashtra Budget 2026-27 is named after whom?
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Correct answer: A — Punyashlok Ahilyadevi Holkar
The scheme is the Punyashlok Ahilyadevi Holkar Shetkari Karjmafi Yojana.
Consider the following statements about the Punyashlok Ahilyadevi Holkar Shetkari Karjmafi Yojana: 1. It waives crop loans of up to ₹2 lakh for farmers with arrears as of 30 September 2025. 2. Farmers who repaid their loans regularly will receive an incentive of ₹50,000. Which of the above is/are correct?
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Correct answer: C — Both 1 and 2
Both are correct: the waiver covers crop loans up to ₹2 lakh in arrears as of 30 September 2025, and regular repayers get ₹50,000.
What wheat procurement estimate was fixed for Rabi Marketing Season 2026-27 at the State Food Secretaries' meeting on 6 March 2026?
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Correct answer: B — 303 LMT
The estimate for wheat procurement for RMS 2026-27 was fixed at 303 lakh metric tonnes.
In which state was a pilot to add QR code tags on foodgrain packaging bags successfully completed, as reported on 6 March 2026?
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Correct answer: A — Andhra Pradesh
The Department of Food and Public Distribution said the QR-code pilot was completed in Andhra Pradesh, with more pilots planned.
Through which platform, mentioned by the PM at the post-Budget webinar on 6 March 2026, is the government building digital public infrastructure for agriculture?
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Correct answer: B — AgriStack
The Prime Minister said the government is developing digital public infrastructure for agriculture through AgriStack.
At which institute did the International Conference ANVESH-2026 on healthy foods conclude on 28 February 2026?
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Correct answer: C — NIFTEM Kundli
ANVESH-2026 concluded at NIFTEM, Kundli, Sonipat, Haryana.
Which institute's study led the Centre to temporarily discontinue rice fortification in February 2026?
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Correct answer: D — IIT Kharagpur
The Government assigned IIT Kharagpur a study on the shelf life of fortified rice kernels and fortified rice under actual storage conditions.
Which of the following was cited as the main problem with fortified rice in the February 2026 decision?
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Correct answer: A — Micronutrient loss and shorter shelf life during prolonged storage
The study found fortified rice kernels and fortified rice lose micronutrients and shelf life during prolonged storage and handling, while rice stays in storage for two to three years.
Under the February 2026 decision on rice fortification, which of the following is correct?
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Correct answer: B — States/UTs may supply either fortified or non-fortified rice as a transitional measure
Entitlements are not reduced and PDS, ICDS and Mid-Day Meal are unaffected; States/UTs get flexibility to supply fortified or non-fortified rice.
Consider the following statements about India's rice fortification initiative: 1. It was announced by the Prime Minister in his Independence Day address on 15 August 2021. 2. Universal coverage of fortified rice in all government schemes was achieved by March 2024. Which of the above is/are correct?
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Correct answer: C — Both 1 and 2
Both are correct. PIB (October 2024) says the initiative followed the PM's 75th Independence Day address, the CCEA approved a phased rollout in April 2022, and universal coverage was achieved by March 2024.