UPSC Prelims 2014·GS1·economy·economic sectors and development

In the context of food and nutritional security of India, enhancing the 'Seed Replacement Rates' of various crops helps in achieving the food production targets of the future. But what is/are the constraint/constraints in its wider/greater implementation? 1. There is no National Seeds Policy in place. 2. There is no participation of private sector seed companies in the supply of quality seeds of vegetables and planting materials of horticultural crops. 3. There is a demand-supply gap regarding quality seeds in case of low value and high volume crops. Select the correct answer using the code given below.

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Last updated 23 May 2026, 3:31 pm IST
  1. A1 and 2
  2. B3 onlyCorrect
  3. C2 and 3
  4. DNone

Explanation

Let's analyze the constraints mentioned regarding the wider/greater implementation of 'Seed Replacement Rates' (SRR): 1. **There is no National Seeds Policy in place.** This statement is incorrect. India has a National Seed Policy, with the most comprehensive one being the **National Seed Policy 2002**. This policy aims to develop a strong and vibrant seed sector to ensure the availability of quality seeds. Therefore, the lack of a policy is not a constraint. 2. **There is no participation of private sector seed companies in the supply of quality seeds of vegetables and planting materials of horticultural crops.** This statement is incorrect. The private sector plays a very significant and growing role in the Indian seed market, including for vegetable seeds and horticultural planting materials. In fact, for many high-value vegetable crops, private seed companies are major suppliers. Therefore, the absence of private sector participation is not a valid constraint. 3. **There is a demand-supply gap regarding quality seeds in case of low value and high volume crops.** This statement is correct. For staple crops like cereals, pulses, and oilseeds (often referred to as low value, high volume crops), there is often a gap between the demand for quality certified seeds and their actual supply and adoption by farmers. Farmers often rely on farm-saved seeds due to cost, availability issues, or lack of awareness, which limits the actual SRR. This gap is a significant constraint to achieving higher production targets. Therefore, only statement 3 correctly identifies a constraint.
economy: In the context of food and nutritional security of India, enhancing the 'Seed Replacement Rates' of various crops helps

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