These are the 111 districts the government flagged as vulnerable to El Niño 2026 — and 69 are already rainfall deficient

Consider the following statements regarding El Niño-affected districts: 1. The Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare identified around 315 districts as potentially affected by El Niño. 2. Of these, 111 were classified as high-priority districts because irrigation coverage is below 25 per cent. 3. All 111 high-priority districts are located in the state of Maharashtra. How many of the above statements are correct?

• A.Only one
• B.Only two
• C.All three
• D.None

The first statement is supported by fact #1. The second statement is also supported by fact #2. However, there is no information provided about the location of these high-priority districts, making the third statement a plausible but incorrect claim.

Consider the following two statements: Statement-I: Kharif sowing across India was 16 per cent lower than last year as of July 10. Statement-II: The southwest monsoon season began on June 1 and runs from June to September, which is the reason for the low Kharif sowing this year. Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

• A.Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is the correct explanation for Statement-I
• B.Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct but Statement-II is not the correct explanation for Statement-I
• C.Statement-I is correct but Statement-II is incorrect
• D.Statement-I is incorrect but Statement-II is correct

The first statement is supported by fact #4. However, there is no causal link between the southwest monsoon season and Kharif sowing; the two are independent events. The southwest monsoon season began on June 1 (fact #3), but this does not explain why Kharif sowing was lower than last year.