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Which was the first state in India to become fully organic?
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Answer: Option C — Sikkim
Detailed Solution
Sikkim became India's first fully organic state. It was officially declared so by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Sikkim Organic Festival in Gangtok on 18 January 2016.
How Sikkim became organic:
- In 2003, the Sikkim Legislative Assembly, under Chief Minister Pawan Kumar Chamling, passed a resolution to make Sikkim a fully organic state.
- The Sikkim Organic Mission was launched in 2010 to implement this goal.
The state gradually phased out the use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides. Their sale and use were banned, with penalties for violations.
About 75,000 hectares of farmland were converted to certified organic farming, following the standards of the National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP).
Farmers were trained in organic methods, such as using compost, vermicompost, green manure and bio-pesticides.
Benefits:
- It protects the soil, water, environment and biodiversity of the fragile Himalayan ecosystem.
- It improves the health of farmers and consumers.
- It supports eco-tourism and the marketing of organic products such as large cardamom (Sikkim is a leading producer), ginger, turmeric, buckwheat and oranges.
International recognition:
In 2018, Sikkim won the "Future Policy Gold Award" (often called the "Oscar for best policies") from the World Future Council, together with the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and IFOAM-Organics International, for the world's best policies promoting agroecology.
Organic farming schemes in India:
- Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY), 2015: promotes organic farming through clusters.
- Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North Eastern Region (MOVCDNER), 2015.
- National Mission on Natural Farming (2024).
Other Sikkim facts:
- It became India's 22nd state on 16 May 1975.
- It was also declared India's first "Open Defecation Free" state (2016) and has banned plastic bottles in some areas.
Why not the other options?
- ✗Kerala has an organic farming policy but is not fully organic.
- ✗Himachal Pradesh promotes natural farming.
- ✗Mizoram has also adopted organic farming policies, but Sikkim was the first fully organic state.
Quick tip
Remember: first fully organic state = Sikkim (declared 18 January 2016; Sikkim Organic Mission 2010; Future Policy Gold Award 2018); PKVY and MOVCDNER = 2015.
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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.