Q. As per the NSSO 70th Round "Situation Assessment Survey of Agricultural Households", consider the following statements:
- Rajasthan has the highest percentage share of agricultural households among its rural households.
- Out of the total agricultural households in the country, a little over 60 percent belong to OBCs.
- In Kerala, a little over 60 percent of agricultural households reported to have received maximum income from sources other than agricultural activities.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (UPSC Prelims 2018)
Answer:
1 and 3 only
Notes: The correct answer is
[C] 1 and 3 only. The NSSO 70th Round (2012-13) survey provides a detailed statistical profile of agricultural households in India.
- Statement 1 (Correct): According to the survey, Rajasthan reported the highest percentage of agricultural households among its rural households, at approximately 78.4%. Other states with high percentages included Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, but Rajasthan led the list.
- Statement 2 (Incorrect): The survey data showed that at the all-India level, about 45.4% of agricultural households belonged to Other Backward Classes (OBCs). Households belonging to Scheduled Castes (SC) accounted for about 16.3%, Scheduled Tribes (ST) for 13.4%, and others for 24.9%. The figure is significantly lower than the "little over 60 percent" mentioned.
- Statement 3 (Correct): In Kerala, the survey indicated that a majority of agricultural households relied on non-farm sources for their primary income. Approximately 61% of these households reported receiving maximum income from sources other than agricultural activities (such as remittances, non-farm business, or salaries), reflecting the state's unique diversified rural economy.
The survey defined an agricultural household as one receiving at least 3,000 rupees (at the time) from agricultural activities and having at least one member engaged in agriculture during the last 365 days.