Agriculture Class 10 important questions with answers

What comes in the exam

• Agriculture is a Geography chapter from Contemporary India – II.
• Almost half the questions here are 1-mark MCQs.
• Then come 2-mark, 3-mark and 5-mark questions, and often a 4-mark case study.
• Almost every year you get the types of farming (slash and burn, intensive subsistence, commercial and plantation), the rabi, kharif and zaid seasons, the conditions for rice, wheat, tea and coffee, and the steps the government took to help farmers.
• Fibre crops and rubber come often as MCQs.
• The map list has rice and wheat areas and the leading states for some crops.

Top 10 Agriculture questions from board papers

Real CBSE questions, printed as they appeared. Open each answer to see the marking and the steps.

1. Q1 MCQ · 1 mark CBSE · 2026

   Other name for Bhoodan-Gramdan

   Which of the following names was given to the 'Bhoodan-Gramdan Movement' ?

   • (A) Blood Revolution
   • (B) Green Revolution
   • (C) White Revolution
   • (D) Blood-less Revolution
   Answer and marking

   Correct option: (D) Blood-less Revolution

   1. Recall how Vinoba Bhave's movement got land for the landless. Bhoodan-Gramdan: land given away voluntarily ; called the Blood-less Revolution
   2. Choose Blood-less Revolution. (D) Blood-less Revolution 1 mark

   Answer: (D) Blood-less Revolution

   Marks: Correct option 1

   For full marks: Remember the movement was voluntary, so it is called a blood-less revolution.

   Where students lose marks: Some pick (B) Green Revolution, which was about high-yielding seeds, not land gifts.

   CBSE marking scheme

   (D) Blood-less Revolution

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2. Q2 Very short answer · 2 marks CBSE · 2026

   Measures for organic farming

   Suggest any two measures for better productivity and organic farming.

   Answer and marking

   1. Give a measure that feeds the soil without chemicals. Use organic manure and compost to improve soil fertility and give nutrients naturally. 1 mark
   2. Give a measure that controls pests naturally. Use biological pest control, such as natural predators and bio-pesticides. 1 mark

   Answer: Organic manure and compost ; biological pest control

   Marks: Any two measures 1 each

   For full marks: Give two measures that avoid chemicals and say how each one helps.

   Where students lose marks: Suggesting chemical fertilisers or HYV packages, which raise yield but are not organic farming.

   CBSE marking scheme

   Any two (2x1): organic manure/compost improves soil fertility and gives nutrients naturally; crops grown in sequence reduce pests; biological pest control (natural predators, bio-pesticides); crop rotation; drip irrigation; mulching; any other relevant point.

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3. Q3 Very short answer · 2 marks CBSE · 2023

   Features of rabi season

   Explain any two features of Rabi cropping season.

   Answer and marking

   1. Start with the sowing and harvesting months. Rabi crops are sown in winter (October–December) and harvested in summer (April–June). 1 mark
   2. Name the main crops of this season. Important rabi crops are wheat, barley, peas, gram and mustard. 1 mark

   Answer: Sown Oct–Dec, harvested Apr–June ; wheat, barley, peas, gram, mustard

   Marks: Any two features 1 each

   For full marks: Write the months exactly, and keep each feature in its own sentence.

   Where students lose marks: Listing rice or cotton as rabi crops; those are kharif crops.

   CBSE marking scheme

   Any two (2×1): sown in winter (Oct–Dec); harvested in summer (Apr–June); crops: wheat, barley, peas, gram, mustard; grown in large parts of India; Punjab, Haryana, HP, J&K, Uttarakhand, UP important for wheat; any other relevant point.

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4. Q4 Very short answer · 2 marks CBSE · 2023

   Farming as economy backbone

   (b) How has agriculture been the backbone of the Indian economy ? Explain.

   Answer and marking

   1. Start with how many people depend on farming. Agriculture gives employment to about two-thirds of India's population 1 mark
   2. Then link farming to factories. It supplies raw material to industries such as cotton textiles, jute and sugar 1 mark

   Answer: Employment for two-thirds of people ; raw material for industries

   Marks: Any two points 1 each

   For full marks: Each point should say how farming supports the economy, such as jobs, food, raw material or exports.

   Where students lose marks: Only writing "India is an agricultural country" without giving any way it supports the economy.

   CBSE marking scheme

   Any two, 1 each: gives employment (about two-thirds of population); produces food; supplies raw material to industries; agricultural exports (tea, coffee, spices); contributes to national income/GDP; any other relevant point.

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5. Q5 Short answer · 3 marks CBSE · 2025

   Features of commercial farming

   Explain the main features of commercial agriculture.

   Answer and marking

   1. Say what the crops are grown for. Crops are grown for sale in the market 1 mark
   2. Name the modern inputs and their purpose. Heavy use of modern inputs (HYV seeds, chemical fertilisers, insecticides, pesticides) for higher productivity 1 mark
   3. Add the point that it is not the same everywhere. The degree of commercialisation varies by region, e.g. rice is commercial in Haryana but subsistence in Odisha 1 mark

   Answer: Grown for sale ; modern inputs ; varies by region

   Marks: Any three points 1 each

   For full marks: Give an example for at least one point, such as the rice example, to show you understand.

   Where students lose marks: Mixing in subsistence features like primitive tools or family labour.

   CBSE marking scheme

   Any three (3x1=3): crops grown for sale in the market; heavy use of modern inputs (HYV seeds, chemical fertilisers, insecticides, pesticides) for higher productivity; degree of commercialisation varies by region; plantation is a type of commercial farming – single crop on a large area, interface of agriculture and industry, large tracts, capital-intensive inputs, migrant labour, produce used as industrial raw material; any other relevant point.

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6. Q6 Short answer · 3 marks CBSE · 2025

   Making farming profitable

   Examine the measures taken by the government to make agriculture profitable in India.

   Answer and marking

   1. Name the scheme that protects against crop loss. Crop insurance against drought, flood, cyclone, fire and disease 1 mark
   2. Name how farmers get cheaper loans. Grameen banks and cooperative societies give loans at lower rates of interest 1 mark
   3. Say how the government protects crop prices. Minimum support price, remunerative and procurement prices to check exploitation by middlemen 1 mark

   Answer: Crop insurance ; cheap loans ; minimum support price

   Marks: Any three points 1 each

   For full marks: "Examine" needs each measure plus how it makes farming more profitable or safer.

   Where students lose marks: Only naming schemes like "KCC, PAIS, MSP" with no line on how each helps the farmer.

   CBSE marking scheme

   Any three (3x1=3): land reforms with institutional and technical reforms (1980s-90s); crop insurance against drought, flood, cyclone, fire, disease; Grameen banks and cooperatives giving loans at lower interest; Kisan Credit Card; Personal Accident Insurance Scheme; weather bulletins and farm programmes on radio/TV; MSP, remunerative and procurement prices; any other relevant point.

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7. Q7 Short answer · 3 marks CBSE · 2025

   Rinjha's type of farming

   Read the story of Rinjha and answer the question that follows : Story of Rinjha Rinjha lived with her family in a small village at the outskirts of Diphu in Assam. She enjoys watching her family members clearing, slashing and burning a patch of land for cultivation. She often helps them in irrigating the fields with water running through a bamboo canal from the nearby spring. She loves the surroundings and wants to stay here as long as she can, but this little girl has no idea about the declining fertility of the soil and her family’s search for a fresh patch of land in the next season. What type of farming is Rinjha's family doing ? Describe any two of its characteristics.

   Answer and marking

   1. Use the clue "clearing, slashing and burning" to name the type. Primitive subsistence farming (slash and burn, called jhumming in Assam) 1 mark
   2. Give one feature linked to the story. It is practised on small patches of land with primitive tools like hoe, dao and digging sticks 1 mark
   3. Give a second feature about what it depends on. It depends on the monsoon and the natural fertility of the soil, so farmers shift when fertility falls 1 mark

   Answer: Primitive subsistence (slash and burn) ; small patches with primitive tools ; depends on monsoon and soil fertility

   Marks: Type 1 · Any two features 1 each

   For full marks: Name the farming type first for one mark, then give two features for two more marks.

   Where students lose marks: Naming it intensive subsistence farming because the family irrigates with a bamboo canal.

   CBSE marking scheme

   Type (1): primitive subsistence farming (slash and burn). Any two features (2): practised on small patches of land; primitive tools like hoe, dao, digging sticks; family/community labour; depends on monsoon, natural soil fertility and other environmental conditions; any other relevant point.

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8. Q8 Case study · 4 marks CBSE · 2026

   Case: Cropping seasons source

   Read the given source carefully and answer the questions that follow : Cropping Pattern Rabi crops are sown in winter from October to December and harvested in summer from April to June. Kharif crops are grown with the onset of monsoon in different parts of the country and these are harvested in September-October. In between the rabi and the kharif seasons, there is a short season during the summer months known as the zaid season. (17.1) Rice cultivation is an example of which type of agricultural season ? (1) (17.2) Name any one crop which is harvested between April to June in India. (1) (17.3) Mention any two zaid crops. (2)

   Answer and marking

   1. (17.1) Recall the season of crops grown with the monsoon. Kharif 1 mark
   2. (17.2) April to June is the rabi harvest, so name a rabi crop. Wheat 1 mark
   3. (17.3) Name a fruit grown in the short summer season. Watermelon 1 mark
   4. Name a second zaid crop from the book's list. Cucumber 1 mark

   Answer: (17.1) Kharif ; (17.2) Wheat ; (17.3) Watermelon, cucumber

   Marks: (17.1) 1 · (17.2) 1 · (17.3) 1+1

   For full marks: Part 17.3 asks for two crops; each earns one mark.

   Where students lose marks: Writing rice for 17.2, but rice is harvested in September–October, not April to June.

   CBSE marking scheme

   (17.1) Kharif. (1) (17.2) Any one: wheat / barley / peas / gram / mustard / any other rabi crop. (1) (17.3) Any two (2x1=2): watermelon, muskmelon, cucumber, vegetables, fodder crops, sugarcane, any other. (1+1+2=4)

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9. Q9 Case study · 4 marks CBSE · 2025

   Case: Slash and burn farming

   Read the given source and answer the questions that follow : Primitive Subsistence Farming It is a 'slash and burn' agriculture. Farmers clear a patch of land and produce cereals and other food crops to sustain their family. When the soil fertility decreases, the farmers shift and clear a fresh patch of land for cultivation. This type of shifting allows Nature to replenish the fertility of the soil through natural processes; land productivity in this type of agriculture is low as the farmer does not use fertilisers or other modern inputs. It is known by different names in different parts of the country. It is jhumming in north-eastern states like Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Nagaland; Pamlou in Manipur, Dipa in Bastar district of Chhattisgarh, and in Andaman and Nicobar Islands. (35.1) 'Slash and Burn' system of agriculture comes under which type of farming ? (1) (35.2) Why is productivity low in 'Slash and Burn' system ? (1) (35.3) Describe any two features of 'Slash and Burn' system of agriculture. (2)

   Answer and marking

   1. (35.1) Name the farming type the source describes. Primitive subsistence farming 1 mark
   2. (35.2) Use the source's own reason for low output. Farmers do not use fertilisers or other modern inputs 1 mark
   3. (35.3) Give the first feature: the land and tools used. It is practised on small patches of land with primitive tools like hoe, dao and digging sticks 1 mark
   4. Give a second feature: what the crop depends on. It depends on the monsoon and the natural fertility of the soil 1 mark

   Answer: (35.1) Primitive subsistence farming ; (35.2) no fertilisers or modern inputs ; (35.3) small patches with primitive tools ; depends on monsoon and natural soil fertility

   Marks: 35.1 1 · 35.2 1 · 35.3 any two 1 each

   For full marks: In 35.1 write the full name 'primitive subsistence farming'. In 35.3 give two different features, one line each.

   Where students lose marks: Writing only 'jhumming' in 35.1, which is a local name, not the type of farming asked.

   CBSE marking scheme

   (35.1) (1): primitive subsistence farming. (35.2) Any one (1): farmers do not use fertilisers or other modern inputs; traditional farming methods are used; any other relevant point. (35.3) Any two (1+1): practised on small patches of land with primitive tools; depends on monsoon and natural fertility of the soil; shifting lets nature replenish soil fertility; known by different names in different parts; any other relevant point.

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10. Q10 Long answer · 5 marks CBSE · 2023

    Primitive vs commercial features

    Explain the features of primitive subsistence and commercial farming in India.

    Answer and marking

    1. Primitive subsistence: name the simple tools the book lists. Primitive subsistence farming uses primitive tools like hoe, dao and digging sticks on small patches of land 1 mark
    2. Say what this farming has to rely on. It depends on the monsoon, natural fertility of the soil and suitable environmental conditions 1 mark
    3. Commercial farming: name the modern inputs and why they are used. Commercial farming uses higher doses of modern inputs: HYV seeds, chemical fertilisers, insecticides and pesticides 1 mark
    4. Give the result those inputs bring. Its aim is higher productivity from the land 1 mark
    5. Show with the book's rice example that it differs by region. The degree of commercialisation varies by region: rice is commercial in Haryana but subsistence in Odisha 1 mark

    Answer: Primitive tools on small patches ; depends on monsoon and soil fertility ; modern inputs ; higher productivity ; varies by region (rice)

    Marks: Primitive any two 1 each · Commercial any three 1 each

    For full marks: The marks are split two for primitive and three for commercial farming; write them under two headings.

    Where students lose marks: Writing five points on one type only, or giving five primitive points when only two are paid there.

    CBSE marking scheme

    Primitive subsistence (any two, 2×1): still practised in a few pockets; on small patches of land; primitive tools like hoe, dao, digging sticks; depends on monsoon, natural soil fertility and suitable conditions; slash and burn agriculture. Commercial (any three, 3×1): higher doses of modern inputs — HYV seeds, chemical fertilisers, insecticides, pesticides; higher productivity; degree of commercialisation varies by region; plantation is a type of commercial farming; e.g. rice is commercial in Haryana but subsistence in Odisha. Any other relevant point.

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Free 10-question test: Agriculture

MCQ and Assertion–Reason questions from CBSE papers. About 10 minutes. Your score shows straight away.

Common mistakes in Agriculture

How to write for full marks

• For 'any two' or 'any three', write exactly that many points, each as a numbered point. Each point carries 1 mark.
• Keep to the word limits printed on the paper: no more than 40 words for 2 marks, 60 for 3 marks, 120 for 5 marks and 100 in all for a case study.
• For 'support the statement', give arguments that prove it, with a book example such as tea in Assam or coffee in Karnataka.
• In a case study, read the source first. Many answers, like the months of each season, are in it. Answer each part by its number, and give as many crops as it asks for.
• For map work, learn the published list: the main rice and wheat areas and the leading states for sugarcane, tea, coffee, rubber, cotton and jute. Mark each place clearly and write its name.

Questions students ask