State PCS - Uttar Pradesh (UP PCS)

• 27 May 2025

High-Yielding Varieties of Soybean

Why in News? 

Ahead of the Kharif 2025 season, the Department of Agriculture has recommended specific high-yielding soybean varieties for cultivation in the Bundelkhand region of Uttar Pradesh to optimize yields under local agro-climatic conditions. 

Key Points 

• Centrally Notified High-Yielding Varieties: These varieties have demonstrated excellent adaptability to the rainfall patterns, soil types, and temperature profiles typical of the Bundelkhand region. 
  • No additional state-specific soybean varieties have been notified exclusively for Uttar Pradesh. 
• Suitability to Regional Conditions: They are expected to perform well in medium to deep black soils and under monsoon-dependent rainfall patterns. 
• Soybean Cultivation in India: The cultivation is currently concentrated in a few key states, contributing around 4% to global soybean production. 
  • The major soybean-growing states include Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat. 
• Significance of Soybean Cultivation: 
  • Water Efficiency: Soybean requires considerably less water than paddy, making it a highly suitable crop for regions with limited water availability. 
  • Economic Viability: Due to its lower input costs and decent yield potential, soybean cultivation can offer farmers earnings that are comparable to, or even better than, those from paddy farming. 
  • Soil Health: As a legume, soybean enriches soil nitrogen, reducing the need for chemical fertilizers.  
  • Crop Diversification: Soybean can be effectively integrated into crop rotation systems such as soybean–wheat, soybean–peas–summer moong etc., helping farmers diversify their cropping patterns and reduce reliance on water-intensive paddy cultivation. 
  • Market and Nutrition Value: Soybean is rich in both protein and oil content, making it valuable for food, animal feed, and various industrial applications.  

Kharif Crops 

• Kharif crops are the crops that are sown during the rainy season, which in India typically lasts from June to September. 
• These crops require a lot of water and hot weather to grow, and they depend heavily on monsoon rains. 
• Sowing and Harvesting: 
  • Sowing Time: June to July (beginning of the monsoon) 
  • Harvesting Time: October to November (end of the monsoon) 
• Common Kharif Crops: 
  • Paddy (rice), Maize (corn), Groundnut (peanut), Cotton, etc. 

Rabi Crops 

• Rabi crops are grown in the winter season, from October to March. 
• These crops are typically sown after the monsoon ends and require cooler climates during the growth period and warm, dry conditions at the time of harvesting. 
• Sowing and Harvesting: 
  • Sowing Time: October to November 
  • Harvesting Time: March to April 
• Common Rabi Crops: Wheat, Gram (chana), Pea, Mustard, Linseed, etc. 

Project Alankar

Why in News? 

Project Alankar, an educational reform initiative by the Uttar Pradesh government, has been widely appreciated during a meeting chaired by the Prime Minister in New Delhi. 

Key Points 

Project Alankar 

• About: It was launched on 1st October 2021, by the Government of Uttar Pradesh. 
  • It aims to achieve 100% compliance with 35 infrastructure and facility benchmarks in 2,441 government secondary schools. 
  • Its primary goal is to create a more conducive, inclusive, and modern learning environment for students across the state. 
• Key Features of Project Alankar: 
  • Upgradation of physical infrastructure including newly constructed classrooms, science labs, libraries, computer labs, and smart classrooms. 
  • Provision of essential amenities such as clean drinking water and hygienic toilets, particularly focusing on girls' sanitation facilities. 
  • Development of specialized schools under the scheme: 
    • Chief Minister Model Schools (pre-primary to Class 12) and Chief Minister Abhyudaya Schools (pre-primary to Class 8) are also being developed.  
      • These schools have state-of-the-art facilities, including Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) laboratories, computer labs, etc.  
      • Each Abhyudaya School, designed to accommodate 450 students, was allocated Rs 1.42 crore for development 
  • Renovation and modernization of 141 Sanskrit schools across 7 districts, with dedicated funding of Rs 14.94 crore for their rejuvenation. 
• Funding and Implementation: 
  • Funding sources for Project Alankar include the state government, Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan, Gram Panchayats, urban local bodies, corporate Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) contributions, and voluntary donations. 
  • Implementation is rigorously monitored by district-level committees headed by district magistrates and overseen by the state education director. 
• Impact and Outcomes: 
  • According to the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2024, government secondary school enrolment increased by 23% between 2022-23 and 2024-25. 
  • Primary school attendance (classes 1–5) rose by 11.5% from 2010 to 2024, while upper primary attendance (classes 6–8) grew by 9.6% between 2018 and 2024 — the highest in the country. 
  • Usage of school libraries surged by 55.2%, and access to girls’ toilet facilities improved by 54.4%, reflecting better sanitation and learning support.

Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan  

• About: Introduced in the Union Budget 2018-19, Samagra Shiksha is a comprehensive program covering education from pre-nursery to Class 12 to ensure equitable learning outcomes.  
• Key Features:  
  • Integration of Schemes: It subsumes three earlier schemes:  
  • Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA): Focused on universal primary education.  
  • Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA): Aimed at secondary education.  
  • Teacher Education (TE): Focused on training teachers.  
  • Sector-Wide Development Approach: It streamlines implementation across all levels (state, district, and sub-district) instead of fragmented project-based objectives.  
  • Alignment with SDGs: Ensures free, equitable, and quality education (SDG 4.1) while eliminating gender disparities and ensuring access for vulnerable groups (SDG 4.5).  
• Implementation: It is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) implemented through a single State Implementation Society (SIS) at the State/UT level.  
  • SIS is a state-registered body implementing CSS and development programs.