Which among the following is/are the objective(s) of the Rainfed Area Development (RAD) initiative under the National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA)? 1. Encouraging monoculture in rainfed areas 2. Increasing rice cultivation in irrigated regions 3. Enhancing productivity and minimising climatic risks through Integrated Farming Systems (IFS)

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UPSC Prelims 2026 · Agriculture · Farming Green

Which among the following is/are the objective(s) of the Rainfed Area Development (RAD) initiative under the National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA)?

Encouraging monoculture in rainfed areas
Increasing rice cultivation in irrigated regions
Enhancing productivity and minimising climatic risks through Integrated Farming Systems (IFS)

Show the answer and explanation

Answer: (d) 3 only

Only integrated farming systems describe RAD.

1. ✗ WRONG — the opposite Monoculture concentrates risk: one bad monsoon ruins everything. RAD promotes diversified farming.

2. ✗ WRONG — wrong area and wrong crop RAD is for rainfed areas, and it does not push water-hungry rice.

3. ✓ CORRECT — this is RAD Crops + livestock + trees + fish + bees on one farm, so if one fails the others still earn.

(a) Monoculture is exactly what RAD avoids.

(b) Accepts monoculture and irrigated rice — both concentrate risk, the opposite of a rainfed-area programme.

(c) Rice in irrigated regions is not RAD’s job.

Statement 2 sounds like a normal farm goal. Check the name: RAIN-FED area development can’t be about irrigated rice.

🔒 RAD (under NMSA) = rainfed areas · Integrated Farming Systems · diversification to cut climate risk.