Quick Takeaway for Aspirants: Approved with a financial outlay of ₹2,817 crore, the Digital Agriculture Mission establishes AgriStack as an open-source digital public infrastructure for Indian farming. Built upon three core registries—Farmers' Registry (Digital Farmer ID), Village Cadastral Maps Registry, and Digital Crop Survey—the mission streamlines KCC credit delivery, automated PM-KISAN transfers, and geospatial crop monitoring via Krishi-DSS.
AgriStack Architecture & The Digital Public Infrastructure for Agriculture
Much like UPI transformed digital payments and Aadhaar established digital identity, AgriStack standardizes agricultural data layers across state revenue boundaries. Farmers receive pre-verified Digital Farmer IDs linking their cadastral land plots and seasonal crops, enabling paperless institutional loans, automated crop insurance claims, and customized climate advisories.
30 High-Yield Practice MCQs with Hidden Answers & Explanations
Master digital agriculture policies, PM-KISAN and KCC operations, Swaminathan Commission recommendations, CACP price support mechanics, and geospatial Krishi-DSS tools with these 30 practice questions.
Q1. What was the total financial budget outlay approved by the Union Cabinet in September 2024 for the Digital Agriculture Mission?
- (A) ₹1,000 crore
- (B) ₹2,817 crore
- (C) ₹5,000 crore
- (D) ₹10,000 crore
View Answer & Explanation
✓ Correct Answer: (B) ₹2,817 crore
The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the Digital Agriculture Mission with an outlay of ₹2,817 crore (central share ₹1,940 crore).
Q2. What is the foundational digital public infrastructure (DPI) framework created under the Digital Agriculture Mission called?
- (A) Kisan Net
- (B) AgriStack
- (C) Digital Krishi Setu
- (D) Kisan Cloud
View Answer & Explanation
✓ Correct Answer: (B) AgriStack
AgriStack is the open-source digital public infrastructure connecting farmers, land records, crop data, and credit delivery systems seamlessly.
Q3. What are the three core foundational digital registries that constitute the architecture of AgriStack?
- (A) Farmers' Registry, Geo-referenced Village Cadastral Maps Registry, and Crop Sown Registry (Digital Crop Survey)
- (B) Tractor registry, Fertilizer sales register, Rain gauge register
- (C) Pesticide shop registry, Seed dealer registry, Cold storage list
- (D) Livestock list, Poultry registry, Milk cooperative records
View Answer & Explanation
✓ Correct Answer: (A) Farmers' Registry, Geo-referenced Village Cadastral Maps Registry, and Crop Sown Registry (Digital Crop Survey)
These three interoperable registries provide verified, tamper-proof data linking each farmer to their verified land parcel and seasonal crop sown.
Q4. What is the unique digital identification credential issued to each farmer under the Farmers' Registry called?
- (A) Kisan Credit Pass
- (B) Farmer ID (Digital Kisan ID / Bharat Agri ID)
- (C) Agri Aadhaar
- (D) Krishi Card
View Answer & Explanation
✓ Correct Answer: (B) Farmer ID (Digital Kisan ID / Bharat Agri ID)
The Farmer ID is a unique digital identity linked to Aadhaar and land records, pre-verifying farmers for instant welfare transfers and loans.
Q5. What is the ‘Krishi Decision Support System' (Krishi-DSS) established under the Digital Agriculture Mission?
- (A) A manual telephone call center
- (B) A unified geospatial platform integrating satellite remote sensing, soil maps, weather stations, and reservoir data to assist agricultural planning and crop forecasting
- (C) A tractor rental app
- (D) A retail grain auction portal
View Answer & Explanation
✓ Correct Answer: (B) A unified geospatial platform integrating satellite remote sensing, soil maps, weather stations, and reservoir data to assist agricultural planning and crop forecasting
Krishi-DSS combines ISRO remote sensing data, IMD weather forecasts, and field surveys to track drought, flood damage, and crop health.
Q6. Under the PM-KISAN (Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi) scheme, what is the annual direct income support provided to eligible farmer families?
- (A) ₹4,000 per year
- (B) ₹6,000 per year (in three equal four-monthly installments of ₹2,000 each)
- (C) ₹8,000 per year
- (D) ₹12,000 per year
View Answer & Explanation
✓ Correct Answer: (B) ₹6,000 per year (in three equal four-monthly installments of ₹2,000 each)
PM-KISAN provides unconditional income support of ₹6,000 annually directly into farmers' Aadhaar-linked bank accounts via DBT.
Q7. On which date was the PM-KISAN scheme officially launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh?
- (A) 15th August 2018
- (B) 24th February 2019 (with retrospective effect from 1st December 2018)
- (C) 2nd October 2019
- (D) 1st January 2020
View Answer & Explanation
✓ Correct Answer: (B) 24th February 2019 (with retrospective effect from 1st December 2018)
PM-KISAN has disbursed over ₹3 lakh crore across 18+ installments to more than 11 crore beneficiary farmers nationwide.
Q8. What is the digital ‘Kisan e-Mitra' chatbot launched by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare?
- (A) A stock market trading bot
- (B) An AI-powered voice and text conversational chatbot in multiple Indian languages addressing farmer queries on PM-KISAN and welfare schemes
- (C) A tractor driving simulator
- (D) A weather radar transmitter
View Answer & Explanation
✓ Correct Answer: (B) An AI-powered voice and text conversational chatbot in multiple Indian languages addressing farmer queries on PM-KISAN and welfare schemes
Kisan e-Mitra leverages generative AI and Bhashini to answer farmer eligibility, installment status, and land seeding queries in their local language.
Q9. What is the primary role of the ‘Digital Crop Survey' (DCS) conducted through mobile applications under the mission?
- (A) Counting birds in agricultural fields
- (B) Geo-tagging and recording actual seasonal crops sown on each cadastral plot using mobile photos and GPS coordinates
- (C) Measuring tractor tire wear
- (D) Testing farmer blood pressure
View Answer & Explanation
✓ Correct Answer: (B) Geo-tagging and recording actual seasonal crops sown on each cadastral plot using mobile photos and GPS coordinates
DCS replaces outdated manual patwari crop registers, creating a transparent, real-time database for crop insurance and MSP procurement.
Q10. How does AgriStack integration accelerate loan approvals under the Kisan Credit Card (KCC) scheme?
- (A) By eliminating all loan repayment obligations
- (B) By providing banks with pre-verified digital land titles and crop records, enabling instant, paperless, and collateral-free loan sanctioning within minutes
- (C) By auctioning farms online
- (D) By restricting loans to tractor owners only
View Answer & Explanation
✓ Correct Answer: (B) By providing banks with pre-verified digital land titles and crop records, enabling instant, paperless, and collateral-free loan sanctioning within minutes
Digital KCC eliminates the need for farmers to visit revenue offices for paper land records (Khasra/Khatauni), slashing credit approval turnaround times.
Q11. What is the concessionary interest rate offered to farmers on short-term crop loans up to ₹3 lakh under the Modified Interest Subvention Scheme (MISS)?
- (A) Standard 12%
- (B) 4% per annum (7% base rate minus 3% prompt repayment incentive)
- (C) Zero interest forever
- (D) 8% per annum
View Answer & Explanation
✓ Correct Answer: (B) 4% per annum (7% base rate minus 3% prompt repayment incentive)
Farmers who repay their short-term crop loans promptly receive a 3% prompt repayment incentive, reducing the effective interest rate to just 4% per annum.
Q12. In which year was the Kisan Credit Card (KCC) scheme originally introduced in India based on the recommendations of the R.V. Gupta Committee?
- (A) 1991
- (B) 1998 (by NABARD and RBI)
- (C) 2004
- (D) 2014
View Answer & Explanation
✓ Correct Answer: (B) 1998 (by NABARD and RBI)
Formulated by NABARD under Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha, KCC provides flexible revolving cash credit for agricultural inputs and cultivation expenses.
Q13. Where are the official headquarters of the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) located?
- (A) New Delhi
- (B) Mumbai, Maharashtra
- (C) Pune
- (D) Kolkata
View Answer & Explanation
✓ Correct Answer: (B) Mumbai, Maharashtra
NABARD was established on 12th July 1982 under the NABARD Act on the recommendations of the B. Sivaraman Committee, headquartered in Mumbai.
Q14. Which electronic trading portal launched in April 2016 connects existing APMC wholesale mandis into a unified national market for agricultural commodities?
- (A) e-NAM (National Agriculture Market)
- (B) AgriMarket Online
- (C) Kisan Mandi Setu
- (D) Gramin APMC Net
View Answer & Explanation
✓ Correct Answer: (A) e-NAM (National Agriculture Market)
e-NAM integrates over 1,360 wholesale regulated markets across 23 states and UTs, enabling transparent online competitive commodity bidding.
Q15. What is the ‘Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana' (PMFBY) launched in 2016?
- (A) A crop export subsidy
- (B) An integrated comprehensive crop insurance scheme covering non-preventable natural risks (drought, flood, pests, hailstorms) from pre-sowing to post-harvest
- (C) A free tractor loan scheme
- (D) A canal irrigation project
View Answer & Explanation
✓ Correct Answer: (B) An integrated comprehensive crop insurance scheme covering non-preventable natural risks (drought, flood, pests, hailstorms) from pre-sowing to post-harvest
PMFBY replaced NAIS and MNAIS, offering farmers low uniform premium rates: 2% for Kharif crops, 1.5% for Rabi crops, and 5% for annual commercial/horticultural crops.
Q16. What is the maximum insurance premium percentage paid by farmers for food grain and oilseed crops under PMFBY during the Kharif season?
- (A) 1.5%
- (B) 2.0% of the sum insured
- (C) 5.0%
- (D) 10.0%
View Answer & Explanation
✓ Correct Answer: (B) 2.0% of the sum insured
The farmer pays only 2% for Kharif food and oilseed crops, with the remaining actuarial premium shared 50:50 between the Centre and State Government.
Q17. What technological tool under the Digital Agriculture Mission automates yield loss estimation to speed up PMFBY crop insurance claim settlements?
- (A) YES-TECH (Yield Estimation System based on Technology) and CROPIC
- (B) Random dice rolling
- (C) Manual paper diaries
- (D) Commercial satellite TV broadcasts
View Answer & Explanation
✓ Correct Answer: (A) YES-TECH (Yield Estimation System based on Technology) and CROPIC
YES-TECH uses satellite remote sensing, AI, and smart crop-cutting experiments (CCEs) to settle insurance claims transparently without manual delays.
Q18. What is the ‘Soil Health Card' (SHC) scheme launched in February 2015 from Suratgarh, Rajasthan?
- (A) An identity card for agricultural laborers
- (B) A customized report card assessing 12 fundamental soil chemical parameters and providing crop-wise dosage recommendations for chemical and organic fertilizers
- (C) A groundwater boring permit
- (D) A discount card for tractor diesel
View Answer & Explanation
✓ Correct Answer: (B) A customized report card assessing 12 fundamental soil chemical parameters and providing crop-wise dosage recommendations for chemical and organic fertilizers
Carrying the slogan ‘Swasth Dhara, Khet Hara', SHC tests macro-nutrients (N, P, K), secondary nutrients (S), micro-nutrients (Zn, Fe, Cu, Mn, Bo), and physical parameters (pH, EC, OC).
Q19. Which autonomous research organization under the Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE) coordinates agricultural universities and research institutes in India?
- (A) ICAR (Indian Council of Agricultural Research)
- (B) CSIR
- (C) ICMR
- (D) UGC
View Answer & Explanation
✓ Correct Answer: (A) ICAR (Indian Council of Agricultural Research)
Established in 1929 as the Imperial Council of Agricultural Research, ICAR is headquartered in New Delhi and is the world's largest agricultural research network.
Q20. What is the primary objective of the ‘Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanization' (SMAM) and the ‘Kisan Drone Scheme'?
- (A) Military surveillance along borders
- (B) Promoting farm mechanization and subsidizing drone technology for precision crop spraying of liquid fertilizers and pesticide monitoring
- (C) Commercial drone delivery of retail pizzas
- (D) Manufacturing electric automobiles
View Answer & Explanation
✓ Correct Answer: (B) Promoting farm mechanization and subsidizing drone technology for precision crop spraying of liquid fertilizers and pesticide monitoring
Kisan Drones receive financial subsidies up to 100% for ICAR/KVK institutes and up to 40%–50% for farmer groups to modernize agriculture.
Q21. What is the ‘Namo Drone Didi' initiative launched under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM)?
- (A) Training 15,000 rural women Self-Help Groups (SHGs) to operate and rent agricultural drones for crop fertilizer and pesticide spraying
- (B) Distributing sewing machines to rural girls
- (C) Free smartphone distribution for college students
- (D) Providing cooking gas cylinders
View Answer & Explanation
✓ Correct Answer: (A) Training 15,000 rural women Self-Help Groups (SHGs) to operate and rent agricultural drones for crop fertilizer and pesticide spraying
The initiative empowers rural women SHGs as drone service entrepreneurs, generating additional annual household earnings of ₹1 lakh.
Q22. What was the revolutionary achievement of the ‘Green Revolution' in India during the late 1960s?
- (A) Transitioning India from ship-to-mouth food import dependency (PL-480) into national food grain self-sufficiency through high-yielding dwarf varieties of wheat and rice
- (B) Afforesting the Thar desert
- (C) Nationalizing all agricultural lands
- (D) Banning chemical fertilizers
View Answer & Explanation
✓ Correct Answer: (A) Transitioning India from ship-to-mouth food import dependency (PL-480) into national food grain self-sufficiency through high-yielding dwarf varieties of wheat and rice
Pioneered by Dr. M.S. Swaminathan in India using Norman Borlaug's dwarf semi-dwarf wheat strains, it transformed food security.
Q23. Who is universally revered as the ‘Father of the Green Revolution in India', posthumously conferred the Bharat Ratna in 2024?
- (A) Dr. Verghese Kurien
- (B) Dr. M.S. Swaminathan (Mankombu Sambasivan Swaminathan)
- (C) Dr. Norman Borlaug
- (D) C. Subramaniam
View Answer & Explanation
✓ Correct Answer: (B) Dr. M.S. Swaminathan (Mankombu Sambasivan Swaminathan)
Dr. M.S. Swaminathan was honored with the Bharat Ratna in 2024 for his monumental contribution to Indian agriculture, food security, and farmer welfare commissions.
Q24. What formula was recommended by the National Commission on Farmers chaired by Dr. M.S. Swaminathan for setting Minimum Support Prices (MSP)?
- (A) A2 cost plus family labor
- (B) Comprehensive Cost (C2) plus at least 50% profit margin (C2 + 50%)
- (C) Average international market price
- (D) Wholesale price index multiplied by 2
View Answer & Explanation
✓ Correct Answer: (B) Comprehensive Cost (C2) plus at least 50% profit margin (C2 + 50%)
The Swaminathan Commission recommended that MSP should be at least 50% above the weighted average comprehensive cost of production (including land rent and capital interest).
Q25. Which statutory advisory body under the Ministry of Agriculture recommends Minimum Support Prices (MSP) for 22 mandated crops and fair and remunerative price (FRP) for sugarcane?
- (A) Food Corporation of India (FCI)
- (B) Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP)
- (C) NITI Aayog Agriculture Cell
- (D) Central Statistical Board
View Answer & Explanation
✓ Correct Answer: (B) Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP)
Established in 1965 as the Agricultural Prices Commission, CACP analyzes cultivation costs, demand-supply, and international parity to submit price recommendations.
Q26. How many mandated agricultural crops are officially covered under the Minimum Support Price (MSP) price guarantee framework recommended by CACP?
- (A) 14 crops
- (B) 22 mandated crops (7 cereals, 5 pulses, 7 oilseeds, and 3 commercial crops) plus FRP for sugarcane
- (C) 50 crops
- (D) All crops grown in India
View Answer & Explanation
✓ Correct Answer: (B) 22 mandated crops (7 cereals, 5 pulses, 7 oilseeds, and 3 commercial crops) plus FRP for sugarcane
Mandated crops include paddy, wheat, maize, gram, tur, moong, soybean, mustard, cotton, and raw jute.
Q27. What is the primary role of the Food Corporation of India (FCI) established under the Food Corporations Act, 1964?
- (A) Exporting luxury spices abroad
- (B) Procuring food grains at MSP, maintaining buffer stocks for national food security, and distributing food grains to states for the Public Distribution System (PDS)
- (C) Manufacturing chemical fertilizers
- (D) Running private grocery chains
View Answer & Explanation
✓ Correct Answer: (B) Procuring food grains at MSP, maintaining buffer stocks for national food security, and distributing food grains to states for the Public Distribution System (PDS)
FCI anchors the National Food Security Act (NFSA), managing food grain procurement, storage in silos, and inter-state logistics.
Q28. What does the ‘Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana' (PMGKAY) provide to over 80 crore eligible citizens under the National Food Security Act (NFSA)?
- (A) Subsidized wheat at ₹2/kg
- (B) Completely free food grains (5 kg of food grains per person per month) extended for five years from 2024 to 2028
- (C) Free cooking oil only
- (D) Quarterly cash transfers of ₹1,000
View Answer & Explanation
✓ Correct Answer: (B) Completely free food grains (5 kg of food grains per person per month) extended for five years from 2024 to 2028
The Central Government eliminated all issue prices under NFSA, supplying completely free food grains to Antyodaya and Priority Household cardholders.
Q29. Which digital logistics initiative links farmer producer organizations (FPOs) and agricultural traders to railway cargo rakes through special ‘Kisan Rail' trains?
- (A) Kisan Express Line
- (B) Kisan Rail Initiative (launched in August 2020)
- (C) Krishi Freight Net
- (D) Gramin Rail Yojna
View Answer & Explanation
✓ Correct Answer: (B) Kisan Rail Initiative (launched in August 2020)
Kisan Rail connects production centers with consuming markets, moving perishable fruits, vegetables, and milk with a 50% freight subsidy from the Ministry of Food Processing.
Q30. What is the overarching transformative objective of the Digital Agriculture Mission for small and marginal farmers across India?
- (A) Replacing human farmers with robotic combines entirely
- (B) Empowering smallholders with transparent access to institutional credit, accurate localized weather and pest advisories, fair MSP procurement, and cutting-edge geospatial decision support without bureaucratic delays
- (C) Eliminating traditional agricultural mandis
- (D) Taxing agricultural land holdings
View Answer & Explanation
✓ Correct Answer: (B) Empowering smallholders with transparent access to institutional credit, accurate localized weather and pest advisories, fair MSP procurement, and cutting-edge geospatial decision support without bureaucratic delays
By building AgriStack as a public good, the mission levels the informational and financial playing field for India's 14 crore farming families.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is AgriStack in Indian agriculture?
AgriStack is an open-access digital public infrastructure developed by the Ministry of Agriculture that creates three interoperable core registries: a Farmers' Registry, geo-referenced cadastral village land maps, and a digital crop survey registry.
How does the Digital Agriculture Mission benefit farmers seeking bank loans?
By providing commercial banks with pre-verified digital land titles and seasonal crop records directly through AgriStack, loan approvals under the Kisan Credit Card (KCC) scheme can be processed within minutes without paper documentation or land office visits.
