RPSC Assistant Agriculture Officer 2018 (Paper 1 - General Hindi & GK)

Analysis of Sambhar Lake Catchment:

• Sambhar Lake is the largest inland saline lake in India, designated as a Ramsar Wetland site.
• It receives runoff from four major inland rivers: Mendha (brings most salt from north), Rupangarh (from south/Ajmer), Khandela, and Khari.
• Therefore, Option (2) Sambhar Lake is the correct answer.

North to South Latitudinal Alignment of River Basins in Rajasthan:

• Sabi (Sahibi) Basin: Originates from Sewar hills in northern Jaipur/Kotputli, flows north toward Haryana (approx. 27.5°N - 28.0°N).
• Banganga Basin: Originates from Bairath hills, flows east through Dausa and Bharatpur (approx. 27.0°N).
• Berach (Ahar) Basin: Originates from Gogunda hills in Udaipur, joins Banas near Bhilwara (approx. 24.5°N - 25.0°N).
• Som Basin: Originates from Bichhameda hills in southern Udaipur, joins Mahi at Beneshwar (approx. 23.9°N).
• Thus, the correct North-to-South sequence is Sabi -> Banganga -> Berach -> Som (Option 1).

Analysis of Central Institute for Arid Horticulture (CIAH):

• The Central Institute for Arid Horticulture (ICAR-CIAH) is physically situated at Beechwal, Bikaner (established 1993, upgraded to full institute in 2000).
• Note on RPSC Official Key: In the official Model Answer Key released by RPSC, Option (2) Sri Ganganagar was officially marked as the designated key for this question.
• CAZRI and AFRI are located in Jodhpur.

Analysis of Cotton Cultivation in Rajasthan:

• Sri Ganganagar and Hanumangarh are the foremost cotton-producing districts in Rajasthan, benefiting from canal irrigation via Indira Gandhi Canal and Gang Canal.
• American cotton (Narma) is extensively cultivated in these northern plains.
• Cotton is popularly called 'Baniya' or 'Safed Sona' (White Gold) in rural Rajasthan.
• Hence, Option (4) is the correct answer.