SSC
Which state became India's first fully organic farming state in 2016?
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Answer: Option A — Sikkim
Detailed Solution
Sikkim was officially declared India's first fully organic state by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 18 January 2016, at a function in Gangtok. All of its farmland, about 75,000-76,000 hectares, was certified as organic, meaning no chemical fertilisers or pesticides are used.
How Sikkim became organic:
- In 2003, the Sikkim Legislative Assembly passed a resolution, under Chief Minister Pawan Kumar Chamling, to make the state fully organic.
- The state gradually stopped the use and sale of chemical fertilisers and pesticides, and later banned their import into the state.
- In 2010, the state launched the "Sikkim Organic Mission" to carry out the plan in a time-bound way.
- Farmers were trained in organic practices such as using compost, vermicompost, green manure and bio-fertilisers, and in organic pest control.
- The farmland was certified under the National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP).
Recognition:
In 2018, Sikkim won the "Future Policy Gold Award" (often called the "Oscar for best policies") from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the UN, the World Future Council and IFOAM - Organics International, beating 51 policies from 25 countries.
Major organic products of Sikkim include large cardamom (Sikkim is one of the world's largest producers), ginger, turmeric, buckwheat, oranges and the famous "Dalle Khursani" chilli (which has a GI tag).
Organic farming in India:
- The government supports organic farming through schemes such as the "Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana" (PKVY, 2015) and the "Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North Eastern Region" (MOVCDNER).
- Madhya Pradesh has the largest area under organic certification in India.
- Lakshadweep was declared a fully organic Union Territory in 2020.
Why not the other options?
- ✗Kerala is known for its spices and literacy, not as the first organic state.
- ✗Meghalaya has promoted organic farming but has not been declared fully organic.
- ✗Himachal Pradesh promotes natural farming but is not fully organic.
Quick tip
Remember: First fully organic state = Sikkim (declared 18 January 2016; Sikkim Organic Mission 2010; FAO Future Policy Gold Award 2018); first organic UT = Lakshadweep (2020).
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Firsts in India & World — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Firsts in India & World, 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 the first persons and events in India and the world: the first Indian to win a Nobel Prize, the first woman to hold major offices, the first to climb Everest or reach space, and India's first institutions, newspapers, railways and satellites. It also covers the largest, longest, highest and smallest records in India and the world. These are pure memory questions, so revise them as short lists by theme: first women, first in sports, first in science and space, and first in governance. Be careful with the exact wording, such as 'first Indian' versus 'first person of Indian origin', or 'first woman President' versus 'first woman Prime Minister', since options are often designed to exploit this. Practise the firsts in India and the world 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.