The question asks about the recommendations of the All India Rural Credit Survey Committee Report (1954) regarding reducing the dependence of rural populations on moneylenders. This requires knowledge of historical Indian economic policy and the role of different financial institutions in rural credit.
Correct Option: C) The All India Rural Credit Survey Committee Report (1954) famously recommended a significant strengthening and expansion of cooperative credit institutions to provide institutional credit to the rural population, thereby reducing their dependence on exploitative moneylenders. The committee's motto was "Cooperation has failed, but it must succeed," emphasizing the need for state participation in the cooperative movement.
The question asks about the event that significantly boosted the role of institutional/formal credit in Indian agriculture, particularly in the context of the Green Revolution. The Green Revolution, which began in the mid-1960s, required significant investment in high-yielding variety (HYV) seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, and irrigation. Farmers needed access to credit to adopt these new technologies.
A) Nationalisation of major banks in 1969 — The nationalisation of 14 major commercial banks in 1969 (and six more in 1980) was a pivotal policy decision aimed at making credit available to priority sectors, including agriculture. This move significantly increased the flow of institutional credit to farmers, enabling them to invest in the high-cost inputs required by the Green Revolution, such as HYV seeds, fertilizers, and irrigation facilities. This direct link between nationalisation and increased agricultural credit makes it the correct answer.
The question asks about the primary function and scope of NABARD (National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development). To answer this, one needs to recall the core mandate and objectives for which NABARD was established.
Correct Option: B) Agriculture, small-scale industries, and other rural activities
The question asks about the primary beneficiaries of Self Help Groups (SHGs) in providing rural credit access. We need to identify which group is directly targeted and most impacted by the SHG model.
Correct Option: C) Poor rural households, especially women, through microfinance
The question asks about the primary objective and outcome of the SHG-Bank Linkage Programme. We need to identify the option that accurately reflects how this program benefits Self Help Groups (SHGs) and the rural poor by connecting them to the formal banking system.
C) Providing collateral-free credit access to the rural poor at reasonable rates. The SHG-Bank Linkage Programme is designed to empower the rural poor, particularly women, by enabling them to access formal credit without the need for traditional collateral, at much lower interest rates than those charged by informal moneylenders. This promotes financial inclusion and reduces poverty.
The question asks to identify the subject matter of agricultural marketing, which involves various processes like assembling, storage, processing, transportation, packaging, grading, and distribution. We need to determine which type of goods these processes apply to in the context of "agricultural marketing".
D) Different agricultural commodities across the country — Agricultural marketing, by definition, deals with the movement and sale of agricultural products from farms to consumers. The processes mentioned (assembling, storage, processing, transportation, packaging, grading, and distribution) are integral to the supply chain of various agricultural commodities.