SSC
For regional agricultural planning, the Planning Commission of India divided the country into how many agro-climatic zones?
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Answer: Option D — 15
Detailed Solution
In 1988-89, during the Seventh Five-Year Plan, the Planning Commission divided India into 15 broad agro-climatic zones, based mainly on physiography, soils, rainfall, temperature, cropping patterns and irrigation. The aim was to plan agricultural development according to the resources and potential of each region.
The 15 agro-climatic zones of the Planning Commission:
- Western Himalayan Region.
- Eastern Himalayan Region.
- Lower Gangetic Plains Region.
- Middle Gangetic Plains Region.
- Upper Gangetic Plains Region.
- Trans-Gangetic Plains Region.
- Eastern Plateau and Hills Region.
- Central Plateau and Hills Region.
- Western Plateau and Hills Region.
- Southern Plateau and Hills Region.
- East Coast Plains and Hills Region.
- West Coast Plains and Ghats Region.
- Gujarat Plains and Hills Region.
- Western Dry Region.
- The Islands Region (Andaman and Nicobar, and Lakshadweep).
Purpose of agro-climatic planning:
- To match crops and farming systems with the natural conditions of each region.
- To use land, water and other resources efficiently and sustainably.
- To reduce regional imbalances in agricultural development.
- To help in choosing suitable crops, livestock, fisheries and forestry activities for each zone.
Other classifications:
- National Agricultural Research Project (NARP), under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research: 127 agro-climatic zones, at a more detailed (sub-zonal) level.
- National Bureau of Soil Survey and Land Use Planning (NBSS&LUP): 20 agro-ecological regions and 60 sub-regions, based on soils, bioclimate and growing period.
- Climatic regions based on Koppen's classification are also used in geography.
Why multiple classifications exist:
Different organisations use different criteria and levels of detail, from broad national planning zones to detailed local zones for research and extension.
Why not the other options?
- ✗10 does not match any major official classification of agro-climatic zones.
- ✗20 is the number of agro-ecological regions defined by the NBSS&LUP.
- ✗127 is the number of agro-climatic zones under the NARP.
Quick tip
Remember: Planning Commission = 15 agro-climatic zones (1988-89); NBSS&LUP = 20 agro-ecological regions; NARP = 127 zones.
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Agriculture in India — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Agriculture in India, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers agriculture in India: cropping seasons (kharif, rabi and zaid), major food and cash crops and their leading producer states, irrigation, the Green, White, Blue and other agricultural revolutions, and allied activities such as animal husbandry and fisheries. Questions usually ask which crop belongs to which season, which state is the largest producer of a crop, and which revolution relates to which product. For example, the White Revolution relates to milk and was led by Verghese Kurien, and the Blue Revolution relates to fisheries. Producer rankings can change from year to year, so check the latest data for those questions. Practise the agriculture in India questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.