Question

Write in chronological order of development schemes of following Government programmes
(A). Drought Prone Area Programme
(B). Desert Development Programme
(C). Operational Research Projects on integrated watershed management
(D). NWDPRA
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:

• A. (A), (B), (C), (D).
• B. (B), (C), (A), (D).
• C. (A), (B), (D), (C).
• D. (B), (A), (D), (C).

Hint:

DPAP is one of the earliest watershed-based area development programs in India, launched in the early 1970s, followed by DDP in the late 1970s, and the more comprehensive agricultural watershed program NWDPRA in 1990.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
To arrange these Indian government watershed and rural development programs chronologically, we must identify the launch year of each initiative.
Detailed Explanation:
Let us establish the historical timeline of each program:
- (A) Drought Prone Area Programme (DPAP): Launched in ______1973-74______ during the Fourth Five-Year Plan.
Its goal was to minimize the adverse effects of drought on crop production, livestock, and land/water resources in drought-prone areas.
- (B) Desert Development Programme (DDP): Launched in ______1977-78______ based on the recommendations of the National Commission on Agriculture.
It aimed at controlling desertification and restoring ecological balance in hot and cold desert regions.
- (C) Operational Research Projects (ORP) on integrated watershed management: Initiated by ICAR in ______1983-84______ across different agro-ecological regions.
These projects demonstrated the impact of soil and water conservation technologies on a watershed scale (such as the Sukhomajri model).
- (D) National Watershed Development Programme for Rainfed Areas (NWDPRA): Launched during the Seventh Five-Year Plan in ______1990-91______.
It focused on agricultural productivity and natural resource conservation in rainfed regions.
Arranging these chronologically based on their launch years:
DPAP (1973-74) $\rightarrow$ DDP (1977-78) $\rightarrow$ ORP (1983-84) $\rightarrow$ NWDPRA (1990-91).
This matches the sequence (A), (B), (C), (D).

Step 2: Final Answer:
The correct chronological order corresponds to option (A).