CHAPTER 1: THE STORY OF INDIAN FARMING
1. Which of the following best describes agriculture?
A. Only the cultivation of crops
B. Preparation of soil, cultivation of plants, and rearing of livestock
C. Only the rearing of animals
D. Only the production of industrial goods
Answer: B. Preparation of soil, cultivation of plants, and rearing of livestock
2. Which activity involves rearing fish?
A. Apiculture
B. Horticulture
C. Pisciculture
D. Forestry
Answer: C. Pisciculture
3. What does the word “agri” mean in the Latin origin of agriculture?
A. Animal
B. Field
C. Water
D. Harvest
Answer: B. Field
4. According to the textbook, approximately what percentage of India’s working population was engaged in agriculture and allied activities in 2022–2023?
A. 18%
B. 25%
C. 46%
D. 75%
Answer: C. 46%
5. According to the textbook, what proportion of India’s working population in rural agricultural areas were women in 2025?
A. More than 25%
B. More than 40%
C. More than 50%
D. More than 75%
Answer: D. More than 75%
6. In which region have archaeological investigations found evidence of rice grains dating to the 7th or 8th millennium BCE?
A. Ganga Plain
B. Thar Desert
C. Kashmir Valley
D. Malabar Coast
Answer: A. Ganga Plain
7. Which crops were cultivated at Mehrgarh during the 7th millennium BCE, according to the chapter?
A. Tea and coffee
B. Barley and millets
C. Cotton and jute
D. Sugarcane and rubber
Answer: B. Barley and millets
8. Which crops were staple foods of the Harappans?
A. Tea and coffee
B. Cotton and hemp
C. Barley and wheat
D. Rubber and jute
Answer: C. Barley and wheat
9. Which of the following is an example of an oilseed mentioned in the chapter?
A. Mustard
B. Barley
C. Jute
D. Jackfruit
Answer: A. Mustard
10. What is intercropping?
A. Growing only one crop in a field
B. Growing two or more different crops simultaneously
C. Growing crops without water
D. Growing crops only during winter
Answer: B. Growing two or more different crops simultaneously
11. Which Harappan site is mentioned as evidence of intercropping around 2800 BCE?
A. Kalibangan
B. Mehrgarh
C. Pataliputra
D. Kallanai
Answer: A. Kalibangan
12. Around which period were cattle, asses, sheep, goats, dogs, pigs, and fowl domesticated in the pre-urban phase of the Sindhu-Sarasvati civilisation?
A. 1500 BCE
B. 2500 BCE
C. 3500 BCE
D. 500 BCE
Answer: C. 3500 BCE
13. Which ancient Indian text is associated with Surapala and provides recommendations on seed preparation and cultivation?
A. Arthashastra
B. Vrikshayurveda
C. Amarakosha
D. Sangam literature
Answer: B. Vrikshayurveda
14. What is grafting?
A. Separating grain from straw
B. Joining one plant with another so that they grow as a single plant
C. Removing weeds from a field
D. Supplying water through sprinklers
Answer: B. Joining one plant with another so that they grow as a single plant
15. Which ancient text describes a method of grafting that is still used today?
A. Brihatsamhita
B. Arthashastra only
C. Amarakosha only
D. Sangam literature only
Answer: A. Brihatsamhita
16. Which climate type is associated with the Thar Desert?
A. Alpine
B. Temperate
C. Arid
D. Tropical wet
Answer: C. Arid
17. Which climate type is associated with the lower Himalayas?
A. Temperate
B. Arid
C. Tropical
D. Semi-arid
Answer: A. Temperate
18. Into how many agroclimatic zones is India divided, according to the chapter?
A. 7
B. 10
C. 12
D. 15
Answer: D. 15
19. During which months does the southwest monsoon bring rain to India?
A. January to March
B. June to September
C. October to December
D. February to April
Answer: B. June to September
20. During which months does the northeast monsoon prevail?
A. March to May
B. June to August
C. October to December
D. January to February
Answer: C. October to December
21. Which two regions are specifically mentioned as receiving rainfall from both the southwest and northeast monsoons?
A. Malabar and Coromandel plains
B. Thar Desert and Punjab plains
C. Kashmir Valley and Ladakh
D. Upper Gangetic Plain and Western Dry Region
Answer: A. Malabar and Coromandel plains
22. Which of the following is a kharif crop shown in the chapter?
A. Wheat
B. Barley
C. Pearl millet
D. Peas
Answer: C. Pearl millet
23. Which of the following is a rabi crop shown in the chapter?
A. Mustard
B. Watermelon
C. Pumpkin
D. Cucumber
Answer: A. Mustard
24. Which of the following is a zaid crop shown in the chapter?
A. Wheat
B. Barley
C. Watermelon
D. Mustard
Answer: C. Watermelon
25. Before the Arabic terms kharif, rabi, and zaid became widely used, which term referred to winter crops?
A. Kedara
B. Haimana
C. Graishmika
D. Apiculture
Answer: B. Haimana
26. What is humus?
A. A type of irrigation pipe
B. Dark organic matter formed by the decomposition of plant and animal matter
C. A mineral found only in deserts
D. A chemical pesticide
Answer: B. Dark organic matter formed by the decomposition of plant and animal matter
27. How many major soil types of India are listed in the chapter?
A. Four
B. Five
C. Six
D. Eight
Answer: C. Six
28. Which of the following is one of the six major soil types listed in the textbook?
A. Alluvial soil
B. Oceanic soil
C. Glacial sand only
D. Artificial metal soil
Answer: A. Alluvial soil
29. How is alluvial soil formed?
A. Through the deposition of fine particles brought by rivers
B. Only through volcanic eruptions
C. Through the freezing of seawater
D. Through the burning of forest vegetation
Answer: A. Through the deposition of fine particles brought by rivers
30. Why is black soil also called cotton soil in the chapter?
A. It is used only to grow cotton in every region
B. It is associated with cotton cultivation and holds considerable moisture
C. It is made entirely from cotton fibres
D. It is found only in cotton factories
Answer: B. It is associated with cotton cultivation and holds considerable moisture
31. Why does red soil have a reddish colour, according to the textbook?
A. The presence and reaction of iron with air and water
B. The presence of large amounts of salt
C. The presence of cotton fibres
D. The mixing of coal dust with sand
Answer: A. The presence and reaction of iron with air and water
32. What is a major characteristic of laterite soil described in the chapter?
A. It becomes hard in hot weather
B. It is always covered with ice
C. It contains no mineral particles
D. It forms only beneath rivers
Answer: A. It becomes hard in hot weather
33. What is weathering?
A. The process by which rocks and minerals break down into soil particles
B. The process of harvesting crops
C. The transportation of crops to markets
D. The storage of seeds for winter
Answer: A. The process by which rocks and minerals break down into soil particles
34. What is the main purpose of crop rotation?
A. To grow the same crop continuously
B. To prevent the soil from losing specific nutrients
C. To eliminate the need for water
D. To prevent all crops from being harvested
Answer: B. To prevent the soil from losing specific nutrients
35. How can multiple cropping benefit farmers?
A. It guarantees that every crop will fail
B. It reduces the risk of pests and helps ensure at least one crop
C. It makes the soil permanently unsuitable for farming
D. It eliminates the need for seeds
Answer: B. It reduces the risk of pests and helps ensure at least one crop
36. What is contour ploughing?
A. Ploughing along the natural curves of a hill slope
B. Ploughing only in straight lines across a river
C. Ploughing land without preparing the soil
D. Ploughing only after harvesting
Answer: A. Ploughing along the natural curves of a hill slope
37. What is panchagavya, as described in the chapter?
A. A mixture of five cow products
B. A modern irrigation machine
C. A type of wheat seed
D. A chemical pesticide
Answer: A. A mixture of five cow products
38. What is rain-fed agriculture?
A. Farming that relies entirely on rainfall
B. Farming that relies only on underground pipes
C. Farming that uses no water
D. Farming carried out only inside greenhouses
Answer: A. Farming that relies entirely on rainfall
39. What is the main purpose of drip irrigation?
A. To spray water over the entire field like artificial rain
B. To deliver water slowly and directly to plant roots
C. To flood the entire field continuously
D. To remove moisture from the soil
Answer: B. To deliver water slowly and directly to plant roots
40. How does sprinkler irrigation supply water to crops?
A. By spraying water into the air so that it falls over crops like artificial rain
B. By delivering water only through underground roots
C. By carrying water in bamboo baskets
D. By storing water inside seeds
Answer: A. By spraying water into the air so that it falls over crops like artificial rain
41. Where are phad irrigation systems particularly found?
A. Maharashtra
B. Punjab
C. Sikkim
D. Rajasthan only
Answer: A. Maharashtra
42. In which region is bamboo drip irrigation practised, according to the chapter?
A. Northeastern India
B. Western Rajasthan
C. Central Punjab
D. The Thar Desert only
Answer: A. Northeastern India
43. What was an important feature of the ancient Indian seed drill?
A. It combined soil preparation, seed planting, and closing the furrow in one operation
B. It was used only to harvest fruit
C. It supplied electricity to farms
D. It stored harvested grain for several years
Answer: A. It combined soil preparation, seed planting, and closing the furrow in one operation
44. Which of the following was introduced as part of the Green Revolution in the 1960s and 1970s?
A. High-yielding varieties of seeds
B. The complete removal of irrigation
C. A ban on all agricultural machinery
D. The replacement of every crop with tea
Answer: A. High-yielding varieties of seeds
45. Who is described in the chapter as the architect of the Green Revolution in India?
A. Xuanzang
B. M. S. Swaminathan
C. Kautilya
D. Surapala
Answer: B. M. S. Swaminathan
46. What is one environmental concern associated with the Green Revolution’s methods, as discussed in the chapter?
A. Depletion of groundwater and contamination of soil and water
B. The complete disappearance of all agricultural machinery
C. The permanent elimination of crop production
D. The removal of all nutrients from every seed
Answer: A. Depletion of groundwater and contamination of soil and water
47. What is a key feature of organic farming described in the chapter?
A. It avoids chemical fertilisers and pesticides and uses natural alternatives
B. It relies only on chemical pesticides
C. It prohibits the use of compost and manure
D. It uses no soil nutrients
Answer: A. It avoids chemical fertilisers and pesticides and uses natural alternatives
48. Which Indian state is described as the world’s first 100 per cent organic state?
A. Kerala
B. Punjab
C. Sikkim
D. Maharashtra
Answer: C. Sikkim
49. What is hydroponics?
A. Growing plants in nutrient-rich water solutions
B. Growing crops only on mountain slopes
C. Irrigating fields exclusively with rainwater
D. Growing plants without providing nutrients
Answer: A. Growing plants in nutrient-rich water solutions
50. Which government scheme is mentioned in the chapter as providing crop insurance assistance to farmers?
A. Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana
B. National Seed Drill Programme
C. Green Revolution Insurance Scheme
D. Indian Soil Conservation Pension Scheme
Answer: A. Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana
