Climate Volatility and Food Security: Assessing the Impact of El Niño on Rabi Crop Resilience

From a policy perspective, this development underscores the urgent need for climate-resilient agriculture. The government’s focus must shift toward promoting drought-resistant crop varieties, enhancing micro-irrigation coverage (such as drip and sprinkler systems), and strengthening the agricultural supply chain to mitigate post-harvest losses. Furthermore, the potential decline in foodgrain production poses a challenge to the Public Distribution System (PDS) and national food security, necessitating proactive buffer stock management and strategic planning to stabilize domestic prices. The situation highlights the limitations of current agricultural practices in the face of global climate change and the necessity of integrating e-technology and real-time weather forecasting into farm-level decision-making to safeguard the livelihoods of millions of smallholder farmers. UPSC Relevance: This issue is highly relevant for GS Paper III, specifically under the themes of 'Major crops and cropping patterns' and 'Food security and buffer stocks.' Aspirants should analyze this in the context of climate change adaptation strategies, the role of irrigation in mitigating weather-related risks, and the broader implications for India's agricultural policy and food inflation management.