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India's Fertiliser Subsidy May Exceed Rs 3 Lakh Crore This Fiscal
સમાચારમાં કેમ?
Over Rs 3 lakh crore and rising: the fertiliser subsidy question GS-III Economy keeps circling back to
The fertiliser subsidy may cross Rs 3 lakh crore, and States were asked to curb over-application.
Why it matters: asked in UPSC 2020; factual, Prelims-type
What you need to know
2 મિનિટ
India's fertiliser subsidy bill could exceed Rs 3 lakh crore in the current financial year.
Pointing to this cost pressure, the Centre has asked States to prevent over-application of nutrients.
Excess use of fertilisers also harms soil health and raises the fiscal burden.
સ્રોત: Topper IAS editorial (PIB / The Hindu / Indian Express)
મુખ્ય તથ્યો
Remember these
- India's fertiliser subsidy bill may exceed Rs 3 lakh crore in the current financial year
- The Centre has asked States to prevent over-application of nutrients
- Excess fertiliser use harms soil health and raises the fiscal burden
- Agriculture is a State subject, so the Centre needs State cooperation on input use
- Urea is sold at a statutorily controlled maximum retail price, with the Centre bearing the difference
પ્રિલિમ્સ · મેઇન્સ
How the exam will ask it
પ્રિલિમ્સ
- Fertiliser subsidy is borne by the Union Government and forms part of its food and fertiliser subsidy expenditure.
- Over-application of chemical fertilisers can degrade soil health and lower nutrient-use efficiency.
- Agriculture is a State subject under the Seventh Schedule, so curbing fertiliser overuse depends on Centre–State coordination.
મેઇન્સ
GS-III Economy and Agriculture: rising fertiliser subsidy strains the fiscal deficit while overuse degrades soil health. The Centre subsidises fertilisers to keep farm inputs affordable, but price-based support encourages imbalanced nutrient use. The way forward includes balanced nutrient application, soil health testing, better targeting such as direct benefit transfer, and stronger Centre–State cooperation.
PYQ connection
A question UPSC has already asked on this
With reference to chemical fertilizers in India, consider the following statements:
- At present, the retail price of chemical fertilizers is market-driven and not administered by the Government.
- Ammonia, which is an input of urea, is produced from natural gas.
- Sulphur, which is a raw material for phosphoric acid fertilizer is a by-product of oil refineries.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- 1 only
- 2 and 3 only
- 2 only
- 1, 2 and 3
જવાબ જુઓ
જવાબ: B
Why this matters: today's issue is directly connected to a concept UPSC has already tested. Read the story with this question in mind.
Practise this PYQ →Quick recall
Answer before you reveal
The multi-sport Asian Games, being held in Japan this year, are organised by which body?
- International Olympic Committee
- Olympic Council of Asia
- Asian Football Confederation
- Commonwealth Games Federation
જવાબ જુઓ
જવાબ: B — Correct: Olympic Council of Asia — The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) owns and organises the Asian Games. • International Olympic Committee — wrong: The International Olympic Committee runs the Olympic Games, not the continental Asian Games. • Asian Football Confederation — wrong: The Asian Football Confederation governs football in Asia and runs its own tournaments, not the multi-sport Games. • Commonwealth Games Federation — wrong: The Commonwealth Games Federation organises the Commonwealth Games, which involve a different group of nations.
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