Question

Rural Development
There is a greater need today to make rural areas more vibrant through diversification into dairying, poultry, fisheries, vegetables and fruits and linking up the rural production centres with the urban and foreign markets to realise higher returns on the investments in the products. Moreover, infrastructure elements like credit and marketing, farmer-friendly agricultural policies and a constant appraisal and dialogue between farmers' groups and state agricultural departments are essential to realise the full potential of the sector.

Today we cannot look at the environment and rural development as two distinct subjects. There is need to invent or procure alternate sets of eco-friendly technologies that lead to sustainable development in different circumstances such as organic farming. From these, each rural community can choose whatever will suit its purpose. We need to learn from, and also try out when found relevant, practices from the available set of 'best practice' illustrations to speed up this process of 'learning by doing'. A good example of such practice is creating a group and channelling their savings through micro credit whcih functions like mini banks for the development of agriculture.

Efforts in evolving technologies which are eco-friendly are essential for sustainable development and one such technology which is eco-friendly is defined as.

• A. Organic Farming.
• B. Sustain Farming.
• C. Mixed crop-livestock Farming.
• D. Green Farming.

Hint:

The passage itself gives the example: organic farming.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Step 1: Find the eco-friendly clue
The question asks for something eco-friendly that supports sustainable development. Look for a method that avoids chemicals and harm to the environment.

Step 2: Compare with the passage
The passage uses the words 'such as organic farming' right after talking about eco-friendly technologies. So the answer is in the text.

Step 3: Remove the others
Sustain farming is not an accepted term. Green farming is a loose phrase that the chapter does not use. Mixed crop-livestock farming is about combining activities, not about avoiding chemicals.

Step 4: Answer
Organic farming is the answer, option 1.

Step 5: Why organic farming is eco-friendly
It does not use chemical fertilisers or pesticides. Soil keeps its natural fertility, groundwater is not polluted by chemicals, and the food has fewer residues. These are the features that make it a sustainable technology.

Final Answer:
Organic farming is the eco-friendly technology, option 1. \[ \boxed{\text{Option 1}} \]