Instructions

Study the given passage and answer the questions that follow.

With a large arable land area and temperate climate, our country is endowed by nature for agricultural production. As against the world average of only 11%,our arable land area is 51% of the total land area, which can produce two crops a year, even if half of the standard rainfall is received. More than 38 million hectares of land, though cultivable, has been left uncultivated and classified as ‘cultivable wasteland. This accounts for more than the total cultivated land area of our neighbouring four countries taken together. Not only is our rainwater being wasted, but the good top soils are also being eroded and ground water is being depleted. We have not yet given due planning focus to preserve our most valuable natural assets, land and water, which are responsible for agricultural production and consequently, the incidence of poverty. Furthermore, lower increase in prices of farm outputs Compared to those of farm inputs have led to poor profits, poor capital formation and stagnation in the farm sector. It is the people of any country including, of course, those who work in agriculture production, who make or mar its future, not just the politician, industrialists and technicians. Though the latter always play an important role for a country's development, the majority of its people should not be left wallowing in poverty as nothing much can be achieved for improving their status without improving production in agricultural sector and fixing higher minimum support prices for farm outputs, at least commensurate with increases in price with farm inputs.

Question 160

For any country's development, which of the following segments of people should we choose, on a priority basis, for empowering them through a robust policy formulation?

Solution

The passage discusses the wasted potential of the country's agricultural land and then shifts its focus towards the lower outputs of farms that have led to poor profit, poor capital formation, and stagnation in the farm sector. The author then says that it's not simply the responsibility of politicians, industrialists, and technicians to help out but of the entire nation. We should not be letting the majority of its people wallow in poverty. 
The people being talked here are the people who work in the farm sector, i.e. the farmers. 

The author is asking us to help the farmers of our nation who are struggling in our nation. 

Hence, for this question, the author wants us to help out the farmers on a priority basis. 
Therefore, option A is the correct answer.


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