Blue Economy
Agriculture
- PYQs6
- Articles1
Background
Critical for India's economic growth, food security, environmental sustainability, coastal and inland community livelihoods, and strategic maritime interests. It's a cross-cutting theme in GS1, GS2, GS3.
The Blue Economy refers to the sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth, improved livelihoods, and ocean ecosystem health. It encompasses various sectors like fisheries, aquaculture, marine tourism, renewable energy, and maritime transport, aiming for economic development while ensuring environmental sustainability.
Facts & tables
- India's Vision
- Emphasizes sustainable utilization of marine and freshwater resources for national development.
- Key Sectors
- Includes fisheries, aquaculture, marine biotechnology, shipping, and offshore energy.
- Current Initiative
- Focuses on integrated development of inland fisheries in 500 reservoirs and Amrit Sarovars.
- Objectives
- Balances economic growth with environmental conservation and social equity for fishing communities.
| Type | Reference |
|---|---|
| Conceptual area | Sustainable Development |
| Conceptual area | Economic Growth |
| Conceptual area | Environmental Conservation |
| Body | Role |
|---|---|
| Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying (MoFAH&D) | Implements |
| Department of Fisheries (DoF) | Implements |
Prelims angle
Prelims angle: Factual recall
Prelims angle: Terminology-based question
- Sustainable use of water resources for economic growth.
- Encompasses fisheries, aquaculture, marine tourism, etc.
- India's focus on inland fisheries (reservoirs, Amrit Sarovars).
- Aims for livelihood generation and environmental balance.
- Implemented by MoFAH&D, DoF.
| Year | Framing tags |
|---|---|
| 2026 | Factual recall, Terminology-based question |
| 2026 | Policy measures, Multi-statement analysis |
| 2023 | Statement-based questions, Conceptual understanding |
| 2016 | Multi-statement analysis, Policy measures |
| 2016 | Terminology-based question, Factual recall |
| 2014 | Factual recall, Multi-statement analysis |
Timeline
-
Sustainable Development
Conceptual area
-
Economic Growth
Conceptual area
-
Environmental Conservation
Conceptual area
-
Prelims 2014
Factual recall, Multi-statement analysis
-
Prelims 2016
Multi-statement analysis, Policy measures
-
Prelims 2016
Terminology-based question, Factual recall
-
Prelims 2023
Statement-based questions, Conceptual understanding
-
Prelims 2026
Factual recall, Terminology-based question
-
Prelims 2026
Policy measures, Multi-statement analysis
-
Blue Economy through reservoir and Amrit Sarovar fisheries
India's Blue Economy strategy seeks sustainable economic growth from marine and freshwater resources, encompassing fisheries, aquaculture, and other sectors, balancing development with environmental protection and livelihood generation.
See also
Past papers
2014–2026 · 5 questions
In the news
Blue Economy through reservoir and Amrit Sarovar fisheries
India's Blue Economy strategy seeks sustainable economic growth from marine and freshwater resources, encompassing fisheries, aquaculture, and other sectors, balancing development with environmental protection and livelihood generation.
Try these PYQs
At the United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC) held in June, 2025 in France, the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) of the United Nations demonstrated its leading voice on marine and ocean issues, especially on sustainable fisheries and aquaculture for resilient livelihood and "Blue Transformation".
Which of the following combinations about the "Four Betters" proposed by FAO for "Blue Transformation" is correct ?
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations guides its global work through a strategic framework aimed at supporting the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The core organizing principle of this framework is the transformation to more efficient, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable agrifood systems to achieve the "Four Betters". The "Four Betters" are officially defined as:
1. Better Production: Ensuring sustainable consumption and production patterns.
2. Better Nutrition: Ending hunger, achieving food security, and improving access to healthy diets.
3. Better Environment: Protecting, restoring, and promoting the sustainable use of terrestrial and marine ecosystems.
4. Better Life: Promoting inclusive economic growth and reducing inequalities, leaving no one behind. The Blue Transformation is a specific FAO vision and programmatic priority area that aims to secure and maximize the contribution of aquatic food systems (fisheries and aquaculture) to achieve these overarching "Four Betters". Options A, C, and D are incorrect because they include fabricated pillars such as "better ocean", "better coral reefs", "better estuaries", or "better mangrove vegetation", which are not part of the FAO's official strategic framework. Therefore, Option B is the correct answer.
Consider the following statements :
Statement-I : According to the United Nation's 'World Water Development Report, 2022', India extracts more than a quarter of the world's groundwater withdrawal each year.
Statement-II :India needs to extract more than a quarter of the world's groundwater each year to satisfy the drinking water and sanitation needs of almost 18% of world's population living in its territory.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
* Statement 1 is correct. According to the United Nations World Water Development Report 2022, with an estimated 251 km3 annual withdrawal from an estimated 20 million wells and tube wells, India is the world's greatest groundwater user. This accounts for more than a quarter of the total groundwater extracted internationally. * Statement 2 is incorrect. India uses about 89% of this groundwater for irrigation. Major share of total groundwater extracted by India is utilised for irrigation purposes and not for drinking and sanitation purposes.
With reference to ‘Initiative for Nutritional Security through Intensive Millets Promotion’, which of the following statements is/are correct?
1. This initiative aims to demonstrate the improved production and post-harvest technologies and to demonstrate value addition techniques, in an integrated manner, with a cluster approach.
2. Poor, small, marginal and tribal farmers have a larger stake in this scheme.
3. An important objective of the scheme is to encourage farmers of commercial crops to shift to millet cultivation by offering them free kits of critical inputs of nutrients and micro-irrigation equipment.
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
Statement 1 is correct. The Initiative for Nutritional Security through Intensive Millets Promotion aims to demonstrate improved production and post-harvest technologies in an integrated manner with a cluster approach. Statement 2 is also correct. Millets are mainly grown in regions of low annual rainfall and poor arid soil. It is inadequate, small, marginal and tribal farmers, who cannot afford costly irrigation practices, depend on the cultivation of millets. Hence these farmers benefit from the scheme and have a larger stake in this scheme. Statement 3 is not correct. There is no such provision to encourage commercial crop farmers to shift to millet cultivation.
Which among the following is/are the objective(s) of the Rainfed Area Development (RAD) initiative under the National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA)?
1. Encouraging monoculture in rainfed areas
2. Increasing rice cultivation in irrigated regions
3. Enhancing productivity and minimising climatic risks through Integrated Farming Systems (IFS)
Select the answer using the code given below:
Statement 1 is Incorrect: The Rainfed Area Development (RAD) scheme explicitly promotes Integrated Farming Systems (IFS) rather than monoculture. It integrates multi-cropping and rotational cropping with allied activities like horticulture, livestock, fishery, and agro-forestry to diversify income and build resilience. Official guidelines actively discourage single-cropping (monoculture) systems. Statement 2 is Incorrect: As the name implies, RAD targets rainfed areas (regions lacking assured irrigation) to build resilience against climate variability. It does not focus on expanding water-intensive crops like rice in already irrigated regions. Statement 3 is Correct: The core objective of RAD is to make rainfed agriculture more productive, sustainable, remunerative, and climate-resilient. By diversifying income sources through Integrated Farming Systems (IFS), RAD aims to minimize the risks associated with climatic variability (such as droughts, heat stress, or floods) and crop failure, ensuring stable livelihoods for farmers. Therefore, option D is the correct answer.
Programme/ Project Ministry
1. Drought-Prone Area Programme: Ministry of Agriculture
2. Desert Development Programme: Ministry of Environment and Forests
3. National Watershed Development Project for Rainfed Areas: Ministry of Rural Development
Which of the above pairs are correctly matched?
Pair 1 is not correct: The drought prone area programme comes under Ministry of Rural Development. This programme aims to mitigate the impacts of droughts on crop production, livestock, land and water resources. Pair 2 is not correct: The Desert Development Programme comes under Ministry of Rural Development. The basic objective of the Desert Development Programme is to minimise negative effect of drought and control desertification. Pair 3 is not correct: The national watershed project for rainfed areas implemented by Ministry of Agriculture is an umbrella scheme under Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayi Yojana.
Show 1 more PYQs
With reference to the economic history of medieval India, the term ‘Araghatta’ refers to -
Araghatta, also known as the 'Persian wheel' or 'Norias', was a device used in medieval India for lifting water from wells or rivers for irrigation purposes. It typically consisted of a large wheel fitted with pots or buckets along its circumference. As the wheel rotated, the pots would fill with water from a water source and then empty into a trough, channel, or aqueduct for distribution to fields or other areas requiring irrigation.