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8 Jul 2026ECONOMY3 questions

Three-Fourths of India's Irrigation Runs on Electricity: Reading the 6th Minor Irrigation Census

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Article summary

The Ministry of Jal Shakti's 6th Census of Minor Irrigation Schemes, with reference year 2017-18, counts 23.14 million minor irrigation (MI) schemes across the country, a 6.6% rise over the 5th Census. Groundwater structures dominate overwhelmingly at 21.93 million schemes (94.8%), while surface-water schemes account for just 1.21 million (5.2%). The census's headline finding is energy-related: electricity now powers about 76% of MI schemes, against 22.2% run on diesel, marking a decisive electrification of on-farm water extraction. Ownership is almost entirely private (96.6%), and 18.1% of schemes are owned by women. Uttar Pradesh has the largest number of schemes. Minor irrigation — groundwater wells, tube wells and small surface structures with a culturable command area up to 2,000 hectares — is the backbone of Indian farming, but its groundwater dependence and cheap-power incentive structure sit at the centre of India's water-sustainability and agricultural-subsidy debates. For UPSC, the census is a data anchor linking agriculture, water resources, energy pricing and environmental sustainability.

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recallTests whether you read the article and retained key facts.
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applicationTests whether you can apply the concept to a new scenario.
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analysisTests whether you can reason across multiple related facts.
1Q

Sample questions — answers revealed after test

ECONOMYRecallEasy

Q1. With reference to minor irrigation in India, which one of the following statements is correct?

AMinor irrigation covers schemes with a culturable command area above 10,000 hectares.
BThe Minor Irrigation Census is conducted by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare.
CMinor irrigation comprises schemes with a culturable command area of up to 2,000 hectares, classified into groundwater and surface-water schemes, and the census is conducted by the Ministry of Jal Shakti.
DSurface-water schemes account for the overwhelming majority of minor irrigation schemes in India.
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ECONOMYApplicationMedium

Q2. About 76 per cent of minor irrigation schemes run on electricity and 94.8 per cent draw groundwater. Which one of the following best explains why this combination is significant for policy?

AIt shows that rural electrification is complete, so no further investment in power supply is required in agriculture.
BWhere the marginal cost of pumping is set by subsidised or free farm power rather than by the value of the water, the price signal that would otherwise restrain extraction is weakened — so electricity tariff policy becomes, in effect, groundwater policy.
CElectric pumps extract less water per hour than diesel pumps, so the shift has reduced aquifer stress.
DBecause groundwater is a State subject and electricity is a Union subject, the two cannot be regulated together.
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ECONOMYAnalysisHard

Q3. Consider the following statements regarding the 6th Minor Irrigation Census: 1. It recorded 23.14 million schemes, a 6.6 per cent increase over the 5th Census, with Uttar Pradesh having the largest number of schemes in the country. 2. About 96.6 per cent of minor irrigation schemes are privately owned, and 18.1 per cent are owned by women. 3. Groundwater schemes account for about 21.93 million of the total, which is roughly 84.8 per cent of all schemes. Which of the statements given above are correct?

A1 only
B1 and 2 only
C2 and 3 only
D1, 2 and 3
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