Q. With reference to ‘Uttar Pradesh’, which of the following statements is/are correct?
1. Uttar Pradesh is the leading producer of potato in the country.
2. Government of India has approved for establishment of South Asia Regional Centre of International Potato Centre at Aligarh.
Select the correct answer from the code given below :
a) Only 2
b) Neither 1 nor 2
c) Both 1 and 2
d) Only 1
Correct Answer: d) Only 1
Question from UPPSC Prelims 2025
Explanation:
Statement 1 is correct: Uttar Pradesh is the largest potato-producing state in India, consistently contributing the highest share to national potato output.
Statement 2 is incorrect: The Union Government approved the South Asia Regional Centre (SARC) of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) at Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh—not an International Potato Center (CIP) SARC at Aligarh. CIP’s India/South Asia presence is through its office in New Delhi and collaborations with ICAR-CPRI (e.g., Modipuram/Meerut), but there is no Government-approved CIP SARC at Aligarh.
