Question
Download Solution PDFRead the following passage and answer the item that follows. Your answer to this item should be based on the passages only.
In India, agriculture still engages about half of its workforce, and about 85 per cent of its farms are small and marginal. Compared to China and Vietnam, which have experienced fast structural and rural transformation, India's story is of slow transformation. As a result, poverty reduction in India was at a much slower pace during 1988-2014, compared to China and Vietnam. India's poverty reduction was slow during 1988-2005, but during 2005-2012, it accelerated dramatically—almost three times faster than during the earlier period. What did India do during this period? Research reveals that the relative price scenario changed significantly (by more than 50%) in favor of agriculture in the wake of rising global prices. This boosted private investments in agriculture by more than 50%. As a result, agri-GDP growth touched 4.1% during 2007-2012 as against 2.4% during 2002-2007. The net surplus of agri-trade touched $25 billion in 2013-2014; real farm wages rose by 7% per annum. All this led to an unprecedented fall in poverty.
With reference to the above passage, the following assumptions have been made:
1. Structural and rural transformation is impossible when farms are mainly small and marginal.
2. A good price incentive can trigger investments in agriculture.
3. India needs to build value chains for high-value agri-products like livestock and horticulture.
4. Higher global prices of agricultural commodities are essential for India's poverty reduction.
Which of the above assumptions are valid?
Answer (Detailed Solution Below)
Detailed Solution
Download Solution PDFThe correct answer is 2 and 3
Key Points
- Let's look at each of the statements given:
- Structural and rural transformation is impossible when farms are mainly small and marginal
- According to the first line of the passage, about 85 per cent of India's farms are small and marginal
- According to the second line of the passage, India's story is of slow transformation (referring to China's fast structural and rural transformation)
- Thus we can reasonably conclude that this is not a valid assumption
- A good price incentive can trigger investments in agriculture
- According to the sixth line of the passage, "...the relative price scenario changed significantly..."
- According to the seventh line of the passage, "This boosted private investments in agriculture..."
- Thus we can reasonably conclude that this is a valid assumption
- India needs to build value chains for high-value agri-products like livestock and horticulture
- If we carefully go through the passage, we can easily figure out that 'Compared to China and Vietnam, which have experienced fast structural and rural transformation, India's story is of slow transformation.'
- Hence there is a need for building value chains for high-value agri-products like livestock and horticulture.
- Hence it is a valid assumption.
- Higher global prices of agricultural commodities are essential for India's poverty reduction
- This cannot be concluded from the given passage as higher global prices are not directly linked to India's poverty reduction.
- Structural and rural transformation is impossible when farms are mainly small and marginal
Thus the correct answer is 2 and 3.
Last updated on Jun 26, 2025
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