Mains Practice Questions for the Day
- Q. Seychelles occupies a special place in India’s vision for a secure and prosperous Indian Ocean region. Discuss the strategic and developmental dimensions of India–Seychelles relations.
- Q. “Digital agriculture can improve productivity, market access and risk management, but it may also deepen existing rural inequalities.” Discuss.
Q. Seychelles occupies a special place in India’s vision for a secure and prosperous Indian Ocean region. Discuss the strategic and developmental dimensions of India–Seychelles relations.
(UPSC GS Paper II: India’s Neighbourhood, Bilateral Relations and Indian Ocean Diplomacy)
Introduction:
Seychelles is a strategically located archipelagic country in the western Indian Ocean. Its proximity to major maritime routes and East Africa makes it an important partner in India’s SAGAR vision and Indian Ocean diplomacy.
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Strategic Dimension
India and Seychelles cooperate in maritime surveillance, anti-piracy operations, illegal-fishing control and coastal security. India’s gifting of a fast patrol vessel, boats and utility vehicles, along with the refit of PS Zoroaster and upgradation of a Dornier aircraft, strengthens Seychelles’ maritime capabilities.
Such cooperation enhances India’s maritime-domain awareness and contributes to a rules-based and secure Indian Ocean.
Developmental Dimension
India supports Seychelles through concessional finance, infrastructure assistance, healthcare, agriculture and capacity building. The ₹1,250-crore Line of Credit will assist priority projects.
Cooperation has also expanded into new areas:
- UPI-based digital payments
- Affordable medicines under Jan Aushadhi
- Agricultural research
- Peaceful uses of outer space
- New National Hospital
- Vocational education
Climate and Blue Economy
As a small island nation, Seychelles is highly vulnerable to sea-level rise, changing weather and marine-ecosystem degradation. India’s emphasis on climate justice, renewable energy, disaster resilience and sustainable Blue Economy supports Seychelles’ long-term development.
Challenges
Strategic competition in the Indian Ocean, environmental concerns and delays in development projects require careful management.
Conclusion:
India–Seychelles relations demonstrate India’s role as a reliable security and development partner. By combining maritime cooperation, climate action, technology and people-centric development, both countries can contribute to a stable and prosperous Indian Ocean region.
Q. “Digital agriculture can improve productivity, market access and risk management, but it may also deepen existing rural inequalities.” Discuss.
( GS Paper III: Agriculture, Artificial Intelligence, Digital Infrastructure, Financial Inclusion and Rural Development)
Introduction:
Digital agriculture refers to the integration of ICT, Artificial Intelligence, satellite data, drones, sensors and digital platforms across the agricultural value chain. It can transform Indian agriculture by making farming more precise, transparent and data-driven. However, its benefits may remain uneven unless India addresses the rural “phygital” divide.
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Potential of Digital Agriculture
- Higher productivity: AI-based advisories, satellite imagery and IoT sensors can guide farmers on sowing, irrigation, fertiliser use and pest management.
- Better market access: Platforms such as e-NAM improve price discovery, online bidding and market transparency.
- Improved credit and welfare delivery: AgriStack and Farmer IDs can simplify access to PM-KISAN, Kisan Credit Cards, insurance and disaster compensation.
- Efficient input use: Soil fertility maps and precision technologies reduce the overuse of water, fertilisers and pesticides.
- Faster risk assessment: Digital Crop Surveys and satellite-based monitoring can accelerate crop-loss estimation and insurance settlements.
- Women’s empowerment: Schemes such as Namo Drone Didi promote women-led rural enterprises through drone-based agricultural services.
Major Concerns
- Digital divide: Only a small proportion of rural households have broadband access, while many depend on unstable mobile networks.
- Low digital literacy: A significant share of rural adults cannot use the internet for informational or financial purposes.
- Exclusion of tenant farmers: Land-title-based Farmer IDs may exclude sharecroppers, oral lessees and actual cultivators.
- High cost: Drones, sensors and automated equipment remain unaffordable for most small and marginal farmers.
- Regional and social inequality: Women, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes have relatively lower smartphone access.
- Data risks: Centralised farmer databases raise concerns regarding privacy, consent, ownership and commercial exploitation.
- Institutional fragmentation: Agricultural data remains divided across land, soil, weather, insurance and market systems.
Way Forward
India should expand rural broadband through Digital Bharat Nidhi and BharatNet, recognise tenant farmers through alternative verification, and promote shared access through FPOs and Custom Hiring Centres. Krishi Vigyan Kendras should become digital demonstration hubs, while local youth can be trained as Digital Krishi Entrepreneurs. Multilingual, voice-based platforms and strong farmer-data protection frameworks are also essential.
Conclusion:
Digital agriculture can become a powerful tool for productivity, sustainability and rural resilience. However, its success depends not merely on creating platforms, but on ensuring that technology is inclusive, affordable, accessible and accountable. Only then can digital transformation empower rather than exclude Indian farmers.
