Written by Faiz Sir, NABARD Grade A mentor at Clarity4Sure, with experience across multiple NABARD Grade A and UPSC CSE exam cycles. Updated . Companion pages: NABARD ESI · NABARD ARD weightage · NABARD Grade A guide.NABARD Grade A 2026 update (29 Oct 2026): the 2026 notification has not been released yet. In the last cycle, the notification came on 8 November 2025, Phase 1 was on 20 December 2025 (about six weeks later) and Phase 2 on 25 January 2026. Start practising these PYQs now, and check the NABARD careers page for the official notice.
What these PYQs tell you, in 30 seconds
- ARD is broad. The 2025 paper touched about 20 different chapters in 40 questions. Selective preparation is risky.
- ESI is scheme-heavy. In 2025, most ESI questions came from government schemes, rural development, reports and NABARD’s own publications, not textbook economics.
- Operational details matter. NABARD tests triggers, thresholds, ratios and durations (PMFBY’s 50% rule, MGNREGA’s 60:40 ratio), not just a scheme’s name.
- The same topic appears at three depths: a Phase I fact, a Phase II passage and a Phase II descriptive question.
- Dynamic PYQs teach the indicator, not the value. Update every rank, rate and figure before 2027.
Find exactly what you need
NABARD Grade A year-wise analysis (2021–2025)
How the exam changed from year to year, at a glance. Click a year’s questions to practise them.
| Year | Exam dates | What dominated | UR cut-off (Phase 1 / Mains / Final) | Practise |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | P1: 20 Dec 2025 P2: 25 Jan 2026 | ARD spread across ~20 chapters; ESI dominated by schemes, reports, MSME and NABARD’s own surveys; essay on agrovoltaics and startups | 54.50 / 135.25 / 173.25 | ARD · ESI · Phase 2 · English |
| 2024 | P1: 1 Sep 2024 P2: 20 Oct 2024 | Static ARD fundamentals and one numerical question; ESI heavy on Budget 2024-25, PM-JANMAN and NABARD funds; Phase 2 passages on ACABC, CDF and PLFS | 47.00 / 126.75 / 168.00 | ARD · ESI · GA · Phase 2 |
| 2023 | P1: 16 Oct 2023 P2: 19 Nov 2023 | ESI built around Budget 2023-24 schemes; Phase 2 on PACS computerisation, MGNREGA and the Sickle Cell Mission; descriptive on extension education | 46.00 / 128.50 / 171.25 | ESI · ARD · Phase 2 |
| 2022 | P1: 7 Sep 2022 P2: 29 Oct 2022 | Data-driven ESI (Budget 2022-23, insurance schemes); Phase 2 leaned to poultry and piggery; descriptive on PMMSY and PDS | 41.75 / 130.50 / 171.50 | ARD · ESI · Phase 2 |
| 2021 | P1: 17–18 Sep 2021 | ESI on international bodies, Budget 2021-22 and NEP 2020; static ARD; Phase 2 passages on cooperative banking and PM-JAY | 53.50 / 118.42 / 164.33 | ESI · ARD · Phase 2 |
The trend in one line: cut-offs are rising (Phase 1 UR went from 46 to 54.50 between 2023 and 2025), and ESI keeps shifting towards current schemes and reports. Static concepts alone are no longer enough.
About these NABARD PYQs
NABARD does not publish its question papers. The questions here are memory-based: they were reconstructed by candidates after each exam and rewritten as complete questions. Exact wording and options may differ slightly from the actual paper. Every answer has been checked against scheme guidelines and standard references.
Each question is tagged by type, so you know how to revise it:
- StaticStable concept; revise once and retain
- SchemeGovernment scheme; learn its architecture
- CurrentRecent development; connect it to the static topic
- ReportReport or index; know the issuer and key findings
- DynamicThe value changes; update it before your exam
NABARD PYQ repository: year-wise coverage
| Year | Phase I | Phase II objective | Phase II descriptive |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | ARD (40) + ESI (39) | ESI & ARD (26) | English + ESI/ARD |
| 2024 | ARD (40) + ESI (40) + GA (18) | Full paper (30) | English + ESI/ARD |
| 2023 | ESI (33) + ARD (37) | ESI & ARD (29) | ESI + ARD |
| 2022 | ESI (31) + ARD (32) | Full paper (30) | English + ESI/ARD |
| 2021 | ESI (38) + ARD (35) | ESI & ARD (27) | ESI + ARD |
Also on this page: a C4S Phase II ARD practice set (24 questions, clearly labelled as not PYQs).
NABARD Grade A cut-offs 2021–2025: Phase I, Phase II and final selection
All figures below are for Assistant Manager (RDBS) – General unless stated, taken from NABARD’s official cut-off notices (2023, 2024 and 2025) and the C4S NABARD cut-off analysis. Phase 1 figures for 2021 and 2022 are from NABARD’s official notices (2021, 2022). 2021 scores were normalised, which is why some 2021 figures have unusual decimals. “n/a” means the figure is not available. Download the original PDFs from the NABARD careers notices page.
Phase I sectional cut-offs (EWS & Unreserved)
Sectional cut-offs are the minimum you must score in each section. They are very low, but missing one by a mark disqualifies you.
| Section (marks) | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reasoning (20) | 3.75 | 3.75 | 3.00 | 3.25 | 1.00 |
| English (30) | 11.25 | 12.50 | 10.25 | 10.75 | 6.00 |
| Computer Knowledge (20) | 3.25 | 5.50 | 2.75 | 4.00 | 2.50 |
| Quantitative Aptitude (20) | 5.00 | 3.00 | 3.00 | 4.50 | 1.00 |
| Decision Making (10) | 1.25 | 1.50 | 1.50 | 2.00 | 1.00 |
| General Awareness (20) | 3.00 | 3.25 | 2.75 | 1.25 | 2.25 |
| ESI (40) | 4.50 | 2.25 | 3.50 | 3.50 | 4.25 |
| ARD (40) | 6.50 | 6.75 | 4.25 | 6.25 | 6.50 |
For SC, ST, OBC and PwBD candidates, the 2025 sectional cut-offs were 1.00 in Reasoning, Computer, Quant, Decision Making and GA; 2.75 in English; 2.00 in ESI; and 3.00 in ARD.
Phase I overall cut-off on the merit sections (GA + ESI + ARD, out of 100)
| Year (exam date) | UR | OBC | EWS | SC | ST |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 (17–18 Sep 2021) | 53.50 | 45.75 | 32.75 | 44.00 | 41.50 |
| 2022 (7 Sep 2022) | 41.75 | 37.75 | 29.25 | 33.25 | 30.75 |
| 2023 (16 Oct 2023) | 46.00 | 42.50 | 33.50 | 37.50 | 30.25 |
| 2024 (1 Sep 2024) | 47.00 | 44.25 | 38.00 | 39.25 | 37.50 |
| 2025 (20 Dec 2025) | 54.50 | 49.50 | 47.00 | 44.50 | 42.75 |
What this means: the UR merit cut-off has ranged from about 42 to 55 out of 100, and categories usually move together: in 2022, when the paper was harder, the UR, OBC, SC and ST cut-offs all fell by 8–12 marks. The 2025 figure of 54.50 is the highest in five years. Your GA + ESI + ARD score decides whether you reach Phase II, so plan for at least 60 out of 100 in the merit sections.
Phase II (Mains) cut-off – General, out of 200
| Year (exam date) | UR | OBC | EWS | SC | ST |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 118.42 | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| 2022 | 130.50 | 124.50 | 121.50 | 120.00 | 119.25 |
| 2023 (19 Nov 2023) | 128.50 | 125.50 | 121.00 | 120.75 | 111.50 |
| 2024 (20 Oct 2024) | 126.75 | 123.50 | 123.00 | 121.00 | 120.25 |
| 2025 (25 Jan 2026) | 135.25 | 131.00 | 129.00 | 123.25 | 122.00 |
Notice 2022: the year the Phase 1 cut-off crashed to 41.75, the Mains cut-off jumped to 130.50. A harder prelims lets through a smaller, stronger pool, which pushes the Mains bar up.
Phase II also has minimum marks in each paper (“group norms”). For General discipline, EWS & UR:
| Year | Paper I English (descriptive, /100) | Paper II objective (/50) | Paper II descriptive (/50) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 50.25 | n/a | 21.25 |
| 2022 | 49.00 | 19.00 | 23.75 |
| 2023 | 53.25 | 22.50 | 31.00 |
| 2024 | 54.00 | 22.25 | 32.00 |
| 2025 | 60.00 | 21.75 | 29.25 |
For SC, ST, OBC and PwBD the 2025 group norms were 56.50 (Paper I), 18.75 (objective) and 27.00 (descriptive). Note the trend: the English paper minimum has risen from 50.25 (2021) to 60 (2025), and the ESI/ARD descriptive minimum from 21.25 to around 30 out of 50, so descriptive English can no longer be left to the last week.
Final selection cut-off – General (Mains + Interview)
| Year | List | UR | OBC | EWS | SC | ST |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Select list | 164.33 | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| 2022 | Select list | 171.50 | 167.50 | 165.75 | 160.00 | 156.00 |
| 2023 | Select list | 171.25 | 172.75 | 168.50 | 166.00 | 156.75 |
| Wait list | 168.00 | 170.75 | 162.50 | 160.75 | 154.00 | |
| 2024 | Select list | 168.00 | 169.00 | 170.25 | 170.00 | 169.25 |
| Wait list | 165.75 | 166.75 | 166.25 | 167.00 | 166.25 | |
| 2025 | Select list | 173.25 | 174.00 | 171.00 | 161.25 | 162.50 |
| Wait list | 169.00 | 172.00 | 168.00 | 157.50 | 157.00 |
The 2023 UR select-list figure is 171.25, as revised by NABARD’s corrigendum of 30 July 2024 (originally 172.75).
What this means: the UR final cut-off has stayed in the 168–174 range for four years (2022–2025). OBC was higher than UR in 2023 and 2025, and in 2024 every reserved category was higher than UR. The final rank is decided by Mains + Interview, and the gap between selection and the wait list was only 2–5 marks. Equal totals are broken by higher Mains marks, so every Phase II mark counts.
Final select-list cut-off (UR) for specialist disciplines
| Discipline | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chartered Accountant | Not recruited | 178.75 | 172.50 |
| Company Secretary | 150.50 | Not recruited | No candidate qualified |
| Finance | 189.75 | 163.50 | 177.50 |
| Computer / IT | 160.00 | 159.75 | 189.50 |
| Civil Engineering | 130.25 | 175.50 | – (SC 178.25) |
| Electrical Engineering | 180.25 | – (ST 157.00) | 171.00 |
| Forestry | 185.00 | 183.25 | Not recruited |
| Food Processing | 175.25 | – (OBC 162.50) | – (SC 132.00) |
| Geo Informatics | 151.50 | – (OBC 168.00) | Not recruited |
| Statistics | 136.00 | – (ST 103.75) | Not recruited |
| Media Specialist | 166.75 | Not recruited | 163.50 |
| Plantation & Horticulture | Not recruited | 185.50 | 174.00 |
| Fisheries | Not recruited | – (ST 187.25) | 134.50 |
| Agriculture | Not recruited | 185.25 | Not recruited |
| Agriculture Engineering | Not recruited | Not recruited | 157.50 |
| Land Development & Soil Science | Not recruited | Not recruited | 188.75 |
| Legal | Not recruited | Not recruited | 176.00 |
The full discipline-wise, category-wise and PwBD cut-offs are in NABARD’s official notices. “–” means no vacancy in that category.
▶ Videos: 2021–2024 cut-off analysis · English: 5-year analysis & cut-off trends · Decision Making PYQs · Computer Knowledge PYQs
NABARD Grade A PYQs with answers and analysis
Try each question before opening the answer. Use the filters to practise by year, subject, phase or question type, or search for a topic such as “PMFBY” or “soil”.
NABARD 2025 Phase 1 ARD Questions with Answers (40)
The 2025 ARD paper ranged across farm management, forestry, marketing, livestock, agro-climatology, PMFBY, poultry, food processing, horticulture, agribusiness, MGNREGA, seed science, irrigation, climate change, soil science, post-harvest, Panchayati Raj, extension and farm machinery. The lesson: ARD cannot be prepared from three or four chapters.
▶ Video walkthroughs: Animal Husbandry 2025 PYQs, part 1 · part 2 · Horticulture PYQ discussion
Show answer & analysis
Answer: Total revenue equals total expense (cost).
Analysis: At break-even, Total Revenue = Total Cost, so there is neither profit nor loss. Output beyond this point generates profit; below it, a loss.
Revise with it:
- Fixed cost
- Variable cost
- Total cost
- Gross return
- Net return
- Benefit-cost ratio
Show answer & analysis
Answer: National Forest Policy, 1988.
Analysis: NABARD tested the policy dimension of forestry, not tree species. Environmental stability and ecological balance are the stated basic objectives of the 1988 policy. Note that the question calls it an “Act”, but it is a policy; the related law is the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980.
Revise with it:
- Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980
- Social forestry
- Agroforestry
- India State of Forest Report
Show answer & analysis
Answer: Minimising the bargaining power of farmers.
Analysis: Cooperative marketing pools produce so farmers can negotiate collectively. It strengthens bargaining power; reducing it is the opposite of its purpose, so this is the odd one out.
Revise with it:
- Regulated markets
- FPOs
- Marketable surplus
- e-NAM
- Value chains
(a) Yak (b) Cattle (c) Goat (d) Mithun (e) Buffalo [NABARD ARD 2025]
Show answer & analysis
Answer: (c) Goat.
Analysis: Cattle, buffalo, mithun and yak are bovines. The goat is a caprine. Livestock Census reports group cattle, buffalo, mithun and yak together as the bovine population.
Revise with it:
- Species → breed → native tract → utility
- Livestock Census groupings
Show answer & analysis
Answer: Central region (Central Plateau and Hills Region).
Analysis: The Planning Commission’s 15 agro-climatic regions include the Central Plateau and Hills Region, which covers the Vindhyan and Bundelkhand uplands. Learn regions as region + climate + soil + crop.
Revise with it:
- 15 agro-climatic regions (Planning Commission)
- 127 agro-climatic zones (NARP)
See all 40 questions: NABARD 2025 Phase 1 ARD Questions with Answers →
NABARD 2025 Phase 1 ESI Questions with Answers (39)
Where several listed options were all correct, the question is shown with an “all of the above” answer. The 2025 ESI paper leaned heavily towards government schemes, rural development, reports and indices, MSMEs, social issues, land records and NABARD’s own reports. ESI for NABARD is not just economics.
▶ Video: ESI question analysis, 2021–2024
Show answer & analysis
Answer: 1998.
Analysis: KCC was introduced in 1998, formulated by NABARD on the recommendation of the R.V. Gupta Committee, and later extended to animal husbandry and fisheries.
Revise with it:
- Interest subvention
- KCC saturation drives
Show answer & analysis
Answer: All of the given states (BharatNet covers all states and UTs).
Analysis: BharatNet aims to provide broadband connectivity to all gram panchayats. When every option is a state, expect “all of the above”. Track its current phase (amended BharatNet) and targets.
Revise with it:
- Digital India
- Common Service Centres
Show answer & analysis
Answer: ₹1 lakh.
Analysis: Assistance varies by category: ₹1 lakh for adult males, ₹2 lakh for special categories such as children and women, and ₹3 lakh for the most vulnerable (such as those rescued from sexual exploitation).
Revise with it:
- Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976
Show answer & analysis
Answer: Nil (no fee).
Analysis: ESI covers social institutions and rights, not just macroeconomics.
Revise with it:
- Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993
- NCW
- NCSC/NCST
Show answer & analysis
Answer: Bhoomi Samman.
Analysis: Bhoomi Samman recognises states and districts for progress in digitising land records under DILRMP.
Revise with it:
- ULPIN
- SVAMITVA
- e-Courts integration
See all 39 questions: NABARD 2025 Phase 1 ESI Questions with Answers →
NABARD 2025 Phase 2 ESI & ARD Objective Questions (26)
The 2025 Phase 2 objective paper (memory-based, from the January 2026 exam) had two-mark passages on the December 2025 MPC and CPI, DAY-NRLM, PM VISVAS, women’s empowerment and Mission Shakti, PM-FME, rice water management and coffee, followed by one-mark questions on schemes and ARD basics. Two patterns stand out: calculation traps (the PM-FME ₹10 lakh subsidy cap) and statement traps (Sweet vs Yellow Revolution, 12 vs 14 Soil Health Card parameters).
- 4.75%
- 5%
- 5.25%
- 5.5%
- 5.75%
Show answer & analysis
Answer: (c) 5.25%.
Analysis: The MPC cut the repo rate by 25 basis points to 5.25% on 5 December 2025. Learn the corridor: SDF = repo − 0.25%, MSF and Bank Rate = repo + 0.25%. The same corridor was tested in 2024 Phase I.
- 1 and 2 only
- 3 only
- 2 and 3 only
- 1 and 3 only
- 1, 2 and 3
Show answer & analysis
Answer: (a) 1 and 2 only.
Analysis: Report X is the monthly CPI release by the National Statistics Office (MoSPI). It covers all groups (food, housing, clothing, fuel, miscellaneous), so statement 3 is wrong.
- 5%, 12%
- 5%, 18%
- 8%, 12%
- 8%, 16%
- 12%, 18%
Show answer & analysis
Answer: (b) 5%, 18% and 40%.
Analysis: The 12% and 28% slabs were folded into 5% and 18%, with 40% for sin and luxury goods. Coffee extracts moved from 18% to 5% (see the coffee passage).
- IRDP
- Swarnajayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY)
- TRYSEM
- DWCRA
- Jawahar Rozgar Yojana
Show answer & analysis
Answer: (b) SGSY.
Analysis: This was also asked in 2021 Phase I ARD. TRYSEM and DWCRA were merged into SGSY in 1999.
- 5, 5
- 7, 5
- 7, 3
- 5, 3
- None of the above
Show answer & analysis
Answer: (d) 5 members and 3%.
Analysis: With a 3% prompt-repayment subvention, the effective rate falls from 7% to 4%. The 7% subvention rule was tested in 2021 Phase I.
See all 26 questions: NABARD 2025 Phase 2 ESI & ARD Objective Questions →
NABARD 2024 Phase 1 ARD Questions with Answers (40)
Heavy on static fundamentals (soil, seed, irrigation, animal physiology, extension), with statistics, PMFBY and one numerical question. C4S’s topic analysis grouped them under schemes, current affairs, reports, agronomy, finance and marketing, animal husbandry, soil, water, plant protection, meteorology, horticulture, engineering, extension, ecology, rural development, forestry and seed science.
▶ Topic videos with PYQs: Agronomy · Soil & Water · Seed, Forestry & Environment · Extension & Engineering · Horticulture · Animal Husbandry
- Hordeum vulgare
- Pennisetum glaucum
- Sorghum bicolor
- Vigna radiata
- Oryza sativa
Show answer & analysis
Answer: (a) Hordeum vulgare.
Analysis: The distractors are bajra, sorghum, moong and rice. NABARD regularly tests scientific names of major cereals, pulses and oilseeds.
Revise with it:
- Triticum aestivum (wheat)
- Zea mays (maize)
- Cicer arietinum (chickpea)
- Mehsana
- Murrah
- Nili-Ravi
- Jaffarabadi
- Surti
Show answer & analysis
Answer: (b) Murrah.
Analysis: Murrah, native to Haryana, is India’s most widely used dairy buffalo, averaging around 1,800–2,500 litres per lactation.
Revise with it:
- Native tracts of each breed
- Rashtriya Gokul Mission
- Black soils
- Red soils
- Alluvial soils
- Lateritic soils
- None
Show answer & analysis
Answer: (c) Alluvial soils.
Analysis: Alluvial soils cover roughly 40% of India’s land area, mainly in the Indo-Gangetic and coastal plains.
Revise with it:
- Khadar vs bhangar
- Red and laterite soil distribution
(i) Involved in the structure of chlorophyll (ii) Maintains the structure of the cell membrane (iii) Maintains the plant’s shape and structure [NABARD ARD 2024]
- (i) only
- (ii) only
- (i) and (ii) only
- (ii) and (iii) only
- All of the above
Show answer & analysis
Answer: (d) (ii) and (iii) only.
Analysis: Calcium is structural: calcium pectate in cell walls and membrane integrity. Magnesium, not calcium, is the central atom of chlorophyll, which is the trap in statement (i).
Revise with it:
- Secondary nutrients: Ca, Mg, S
- Deficiency symptoms
- Vegetables > fruits > plantation crops > spices > flowers
- Vegetables > plantation crops > fruits > spices > flowers
- Fruits > vegetables > plantation crops > spices > flowers
- Fruits > plantation crops > vegetables > spices > flowers
- Plantation crops > fruits > vegetables > spices > flowers
Show answer & analysis
Answer: (a) Vegetables > fruits > plantation crops > spices > flowers.
Analysis: Vegetables account for roughly 60% of horticultural output and fruits about 30%. This is dynamic: check the latest estimates, especially the close plantation-crops-versus-spices order.
Revise with it:
- Latest advance estimates
- Top producing states
See all 40 questions: NABARD 2024 Phase 1 ARD Questions with Answers →
NABARD 2024 Phase 1 ESI Questions with Answers (40)
Themes: Budget 2024-25 (education loans, space VC fund, Purvodaya, TOD cities, PM-JUGA), monetary policy, schemes (PM-JANMAN, PM VIKAS, MIDH, PMMSY, PM-SYM, PMAY-G), MSMEs, cooperatives, NABARD and banking (RIDF, VVV, RRB bulk deposits, climate funds), labour laws and environment.
▶ Video: ESI question analysis, 2021–2024
(i) Bank Rate (ii) Marginal Standing Facility (iii) Repo Rate (iv) Reverse Repo Rate (v) Standing Deposit Facility [NABARD ESI 2024]
- (i) and (ii)
- (ii) and (iii)
- (i), (ii) and (iv)
- (i) only
- (ii) only
Show answer & analysis
Answer: (a) Bank Rate and MSF.
Analysis: In August 2024, the repo rate was 6.50%, SDF 6.25%, and MSF and Bank Rate 6.75%. Learn the corridor (MSF = repo + 25 bps; SDF = repo − 25 bps), not the number.
Revise with it:
- LAF corridor
- Fixed reverse repo (3.35%)
- ₹1,000 crore
- ₹2,000 crore
- ₹3,000 crore
- ₹5,000 crore
- ₹6,000 crore
Show answer & analysis
Answer: (a) ₹1,000 crore.
- UNDP
- World Bank
- Asian Development Bank
- World Food Programme
- UNEP
Show answer & analysis
Answer: (a) UNDP.
Analysis: SARTHI (Sandbox for Agricultural and Rural Security, Technology and Insurance) is a digital insurance platform for rural households.
Revise with it:
- Kisan Rin portal
- YES-TECH
- WINDS
- 2024-25
- 2025-26
- 2029-30
- 2035-36
- 2045-46
Show answer & analysis
Answer: (b) 2025-26.
Analysis: The E20 target was advanced from 2030 to ESY 2025-26.
Revise with it:
- Ethanol from sugarcane and grain
- SATAT
Show answer & analysis
Answer: SIDBI.
Analysis: Both are interest-subvention and credit-guarantee sub-schemes for green and circular-economy investment by MSEs.
Revise with it:
- RAMP (World Bank-supported)
- CGTMSE
See all 40 questions: NABARD 2024 Phase 1 ESI Questions with Answers →
NABARD 2024 Phase 1 General Awareness (GA) Questions (18)
General Awareness is the third merit section in Phase I (20 marks). In 2024 it leaned on banking and financial markets (SEBI, PFRDA, CDs, AIFs, CKYC, VRR, FFMCs) plus a few current-affairs items.
- NVIDIA
- Apple
- Amazon
- Meta
- Microsoft
Show answer & analysis
Answer: (d) Meta.
Show answer & analysis
Answer: Rishab Shetty.
- 1 only
- 2 only
- 1 and 2 only
- 1, 2 and 3
- All of the above
Show answer & analysis
Answer: (d) 1, 2 and 3.
- T+1
- T+0
- T+2
- T+3
- T+4
Show answer & analysis
Answer: (b) T+0.
- Points of Presence
- Central Recordkeeping Agency
- EPFO
- Pension Funds
- Trustee
Show answer & analysis
Answer: (c) EPFO.
Analysis: EPFO is a statutory body under the Ministry of Labour, not an NPS intermediary.
See all 18 questions: NABARD 2024 Phase 1 General Awareness (GA) Questions →
NABARD 2024 Phase 2 ESI & ARD Objective Questions (30)
The complete 2024 Phase II objective paper: eight passages (agroforestry, ACABC, NABARD’s Cooperative Development Fund, cropping seasons, livestock statistics, tribal development, PLFS and MGNREGS, NE industrial development and SEZs) carrying 2 marks per question, then 10 one-mark questions. One passage generated up to four questions, so prepare whole ecosystems, not single facts.
- Homestead forestry
- Agri-silviculture
- Taungya system
- Windbreak
- Kumari system
Show answer & analysis
Answer: (a) Homestead forestry (homegardens).
Analysis: Homegardens are the classic household tree–crop–livestock unit, common in Kerala and the North-East. Taungya combines forestry plantations with temporary crops on forest land.
Revise with it:
- Silvipasture
- Alley cropping
- High growth, high allelopathy
- High growth, low allelopathy
- Slow growth, high allelopathy
- Slow growth, low allelopathy
- None
Show answer & analysis
Answer: (b) High growth, low allelopathy.
Analysis: Trees for agroforestry should grow fast and not suppress companion crops through allelopathic chemicals. Eucalyptus is a known allelopathic species.
- Only 1
- Only 2
- Only 1 and 2
- Only 1 and 3
- All 1, 2 and 3
Show answer & analysis
Answer: (e) All three.
Analysis: Agri-Clinics also advise on crop insurance, post-harvest technology, animal health and market prices.
Revise with it:
- MANAGE (training)
- Subsidy pattern
- Only A
- Only B
- Only A and B
- Only A and C
- None
Show answer & analysis
Answer: (d) A and C.
Analysis: Words like “exclusively” and “only” (B and D) usually signal a false statement.
- PACS
- DCCB
- SCCB
- CDF
- FPO
Show answer & analysis
Answer: (d) CDF – Cooperative Development Fund.
Analysis: The fund in the passage is NABARD’s Cooperative Development Fund (1993). Keep a list of NABARD’s funds: CDF, RIDF, LTIF, MIF, WIF, NIDA, FIF and others.
Revise with it:
- Section 45, NABARD Act
See all 30 questions: NABARD 2024 Phase 2 ESI & ARD Objective Questions →
NABARD 2023 Phase 1 ESI Questions with Answers (33)
The 2023 ESI paper was dominated by government schemes: PMKSY, Vibrant Villages, PMFBY, PM-DAKSH, PM-PRANAM, PM-AASHA, PMAY-G, MUDRA, PMMSY, PM-USHA, Amrit Dharohar and Lakhpati Didi. NABARD-linked items included SHG-BLP, the FPO credit guarantee fund and Gramin Bhandaran. Budget 2023-24 schemes resurfaced in the same year’s paper.
▶ Video: ESI question analysis, 2021–2024
- 1 and 2 only
- 1, 2 and 4 only
- 1, 2 and 3 only
- 2 and 4 only
- All of the above
Show answer & analysis
Answer: (e) All of the above.
Analysis: PMKSY has AIBP, Har Khet Ko Pani (which includes CAD&WM, surface minor irrigation and RRR of water bodies), Per Drop More Crop and the watershed component (WDC-PMKSY).
Revise with it:
- Jal Shakti vs Agriculture ministry components
- 2, 3 and 5
- 1, 2 and 3
- 2, 3, 4 and 5
- 1, 2, 3 and 4
- All of the above
Show answer & analysis
Answer: (e) All of the above.
Analysis: VVP (2023) covers 2,967 villages in Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Ladakh. It also includes livelihood and cooperative development.
Revise with it:
- VVP-II (2025)
- 1, 2 and 3 only
- 2 and 4 only
- 1 and 4 only
- 1, 2 and 4 only
- All of the above
Show answer & analysis
Answer: (e) All of the above.
Analysis: Hailstorm, landslide, inundation, cloudburst and natural fire are covered as localised risks. Cyclonic and unseasonal rains are covered as post-harvest losses (up to 14 days after harvest).
Revise with it:
- Mid-season adversity
- Prevented sowing
- Social infrastructure
- Renewable energy
- Housing
- Khadi and Village Industries
- Education
Show answer & analysis
Answer: (d) Khadi and Village Industries.
Analysis: RBI’s PSL directions specifically allow loans to the KVI sector to count towards the 7.5% micro-enterprise sub-target.
Revise with it:
- PSL targets: 40% overall, 18% agriculture, 7.5% micro, 12% weaker sections
- RBI
- NABARD
- KVIC
- SBI
- None
Show answer & analysis
Answer: (b) NABARD.
Revise with it:
- SHG-BLP data (NABARD Status of Microfinance report)
See all 33 questions: NABARD 2023 Phase 1 ESI Questions with Answers →
NABARD 2023 Phase 1 ARD Questions with Answers (37)
A broad static paper: animal physiology and breeds, soil–water relations (field capacity, gravitational water), seed science (roguing, dormancy, breeder → foundation), horticulture (anthracnose, black tip, hardening), conservation structures and poultry. It also had a few scheme and pricing items (e-NAM, MSP, FRP, ACABC, Amrit Dharohar).
▶ Topic videos with PYQs: Agronomy · Soil & Water · Seed, Forestry & Environment · Extension & Engineering · Horticulture · Animal Husbandry
- 109 days
- 132 days
- 100 days
- 89 days
- 115 days
Show answer & analysis
Answer: (e) About 114–115 days.
Analysis: A common mnemonic is “3 months, 3 weeks, 3 days”. Compare cattle (about 283 days), buffalo (about 310), sheep and goat (about 150).
- APEDA
- FSSAI
- NABCB
- FCI
- FSMS
Show answer & analysis
Answer: (a) APEDA (secretariat of the National Programme for Organic Production).
Revise with it:
- NPOP vs PGS-India
- ₹100 crore
- ₹55 crore
- ₹200 crore
- ₹250 crore
- ₹120 crore
Show answer & analysis
Answer: (c) ₹200 crore.
Revise with it:
- e-NAM mandis and integration
- Mixed forestry
- Extension forestry
- Shelterbelts
- Recreation forestry
- Linear strip plantations
Show answer & analysis
Answer: (b) Extension forestry.
Analysis: Extension forestry includes mixed forestry, shelterbelts and linear strip plantations.
- Mesosphere
- Thermosphere
- Stratosphere
- Exosphere
- Troposphere
Show answer & analysis
Answer: (d) Exosphere.
See all 37 questions: NABARD 2023 Phase 1 ARD Questions with Answers →
NABARD 2023 Phase 2 ESI & ARD Objective Questions (29)
PACS computerisation alone produced four questions, MGNREGA four, and the Sickle Cell Mission four. Never prepare a major current-affairs topic from a single fact.
- Primary Agriculture and Cooperative Society
- Primary Agricultural Credit Society
- Provisional Agriculture Cooperative Society
- Primitive Agriculture Cooperative Society
- Primitive Agriculture Credit Society
Show answer & analysis
Answer: (b) Primary Agricultural Credit Society.
Analysis: One development, PACS computerisation, produced four questions. Prepare major current topics as background → objective → outlay → duration → agency → beneficiaries → progress.
Revise with it:
- Ministry of Cooperation
- Model bye-laws
- Arjun Munda
- Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu
- Amit Shah
- Ashwini Vaishnaw
- Narayan Rane
Show answer & analysis
Answer: (b) Suresh Prabhu.
Analysis: It was a 48-member committee, with VAMNICOM Pune as secretariat. The National Cooperation Policy 2025 followed.
- 2 years
- 3 years
- 4 years
- 5 years
- 6 years
Show answer & analysis
Answer: (d) 5 years (2022-23 to 2026-27).
- IFFCO
- RBI
- NABARD
- NCDC
- FCI
Show answer & analysis
Answer: (c) NABARD.
Analysis: The project is funded by the Ministry of Cooperation, with NABARD as the implementing agency.
- Primary tillage
- Secondary tillage
- Zero tillage
- Conservation tillage
- Blind tillage
Show answer & analysis
Answer: (a) Primary tillage.
Analysis: Primary tillage uses ploughs; secondary tillage (harrowing, levelling) follows.
See all 29 questions: NABARD 2023 Phase 2 ESI & ARD Objective Questions →
NABARD 2022 Phase 1 ARD Questions with Answers (32)
Memory-based questions reconstructed by candidates. Note how many appeared again in later years: e-NAM, KVKs, photoperiodism, hygroscopic water, bench terracing and phosphorus deficiency.
▶ Topic videos with PYQs: Agronomy · Soil & Water · Seed, Forestry & Environment · Extension & Engineering · Horticulture · Animal Husbandry
Show answer & analysis
Answer: About 150 ± 5 days.
Show answer & analysis
Answer: Watershed management.
Show answer & analysis
Answer: Dr Rajendra Prasad.
Show answer & analysis
Answer: Farm intensification (intensive farming).
Show answer & analysis
Answer: White Leghorn.
Analysis: It is the main commercial egg-layer breed.
See all 32 questions: NABARD 2022 Phase 1 ARD Questions with Answers →
NABARD 2022 Phase 1 ESI Questions with Answers (31)
Memory-based questions reconstructed by candidates. The 2022 ESI paper was heavily scheme- and data-driven: PMMVY, Ujjwala, Stand-Up India, PM SVANidhi, PMSBY, PM-SYM, Poshan 2.0, the FI-Index and RIDF. Many values are now dated, so update every Dynamic-tagged figure.
▶ Video: ESI question analysis, 2021–2024
Show answer & analysis
Answer: About 53%.
Show answer & analysis
Answer: ₹1,000 (of ₹5,000 under the original scheme).
Analysis: PMMVY 2.0 (Mission Shakti) gives ₹5,000 in two instalments, plus ₹6,000 for a second girl child.
Show answer & analysis
Answer: Access, Usage and Quality.
Analysis: Weights are Access 35%, Usage 45% and Quality 20%.
Show answer & analysis
Answer: Education.
Analysis: It is the implementation plan for NEP 2020 in school education.
Show answer & analysis
Answer: Health & Nutrition, Education, Agriculture & Water Resources, Financial Inclusion & Skill Development, and Basic Infrastructure.
See all 31 questions: NABARD 2022 Phase 1 ESI Questions with Answers →
NABARD 2022 Phase 2 ESI & ARD Objective Questions (30)
Ten one-mark questions, then two-mark passages on battery-cage poultry, e-NAM, the NAMASTE scheme, piggery, PMAY-G, BPKP and the agrarian economy. Several facts recur across years: poultry laying at 22 weeks (2025), sow gestation (2023), BPKP (2024), the PMAY-G unit cost (2023) and MGNREGA’s extra 50 days (2023).
▶ Video: NABARD 2022 Phase II (Mains) paper analysis
Show answer & analysis
Answer: ₹3 per kg (₹2 for wheat, ₹1 for coarse grains).
Analysis: Since January 2023, foodgrains under NFSA have been free under PMGKAY.
Show answer & analysis
Answer: Vermicomposting.
Analysis: Eisenia fetida is the most common composting earthworm.
Show answer & analysis
Answer: Loamy soil.
Show answer & analysis
Answer: NABKISAN Finance Ltd.
Analysis: Other subsidiaries include NABSAMRUDDHI, NABFINS, NABCONS, NABVENTURES, NABFOUNDATION and NABSanrakshan.
Show answer & analysis
Answer: Intermediate agroforestry.
Analysis: Agroforestry is classified by scale as commercial, intermediate or subsistence.
See all 30 questions: NABARD 2022 Phase 2 ESI & ARD Objective Questions →
NABARD 2021 Phase 1 ESI Questions with Answers (38)
The 2021 ESI paper mixed international organisations (ASEAN, SCO, NDB, FAO), polity (8th Schedule, Article 24, PAC), Budget 2021-22 (six pillars, 6.8% fiscal deficit), NEP 2020, banking (Banks Board Bureau, SFBs, EASE index, InvITs) and schemes (PM-KUSUM, AIF, APY, PMAY-U, MUDRA, DAY-NRLM).
▶ Video: ESI question analysis, 2021–2024
Show answer & analysis
Answer: India.
Analysis: India is a dialogue partner, not a member. ASEAN has 10 members (Timor-Leste admitted in 2025).
Show answer & analysis
Answer: Afghanistan (it was an observer).
Analysis: Iran joined in 2023 and Belarus in 2024.
Show answer & analysis
Answer: “NDB cannot lend to countries other than BRICS members.” It can, and has admitted Bangladesh, UAE, Egypt and others.
Analysis: NDB is headquartered in Shanghai.
Show answer & analysis
Answer: “FAO is headquartered in Geneva.” It is headquartered in Rome.
Analysis: IFAD and WFP are also based in Rome.
Show answer & analysis
Answer: Women’s livelihoods and entrepreneurship in rural India.
See all 38 questions: NABARD 2021 Phase 1 ESI Questions with Answers →
NABARD 2021 Phase 1 ARD Questions with Answers (35)
A largely static paper: livestock terms (buck, layers, wallowing), soils (red soil, porosity), horticulture (quincunx, pomology), irrigation (drip, medium-project CCA), agroforestry (alley cropping) and extension (result demonstration). NABARD-specific items included EShakti and DAY-NRLM interest subvention. Quincunx, wallowing and the small-farmer holding size were asked again in later years.
▶ Topic videos with PYQs: Agronomy · Soil & Water · Seed, Forestry & Environment · Extension & Engineering · Horticulture · Animal Husbandry
Show answer & analysis
Answer: Buck.
Analysis: A female goat is a doe and a young goat a kid.
Show answer & analysis
Answer: Operation Greens (originally for tomato, onion and potato; later extended to all fruits and vegetables).
Show answer & analysis
Answer: Nitrogen, 46%.
Show answer & analysis
Answer: Red soil.
Show answer & analysis
Answer: Fruit trees (orchards).
Analysis: This was asked again in 2025.
See all 35 questions: NABARD 2021 Phase 1 ARD Questions with Answers →
NABARD 2021 Phase 2 ESI & ARD Objective Questions (27)
The 2021 Phase II objective paper used passages on the Banking Regulation (Amendment) Act for cooperatives, organic farming, PM-JAY, NEP 2020 and NMSA, along with one-liners on horticulture statistics, SBM-U 2.0, MGNREGA and ONORC.
Show answer & analysis
Answer: West Bengal.
Show answer & analysis
Answer: About 329 million tonnes.
Show answer & analysis
Answer: CHAMAN.
Analysis: CHAMAN is Coordinated Horticulture Assessment and Management using geoiNformatics.
Show answer & analysis
Answer: Banking Regulation Act, 1949 (as amended in 2020).
Show answer & analysis
Answer: Section 45.
See all 27 questions: NABARD 2021 Phase 2 ESI & ARD Objective Questions →
Phase 2 ARD Practice Questions (C4S practice set, not PYQs)
These are C4S practice questions. They are not previous year questions, but they mirror the Phase II style (passages, statements, scientific names) and cover topics NABARD has tested. Use them after the PYQs.
- Stephen Hales
- Pietro de Crescenzi
- Norman Borlaug
- Jethro Tull
- Robert Malthus
Show answer & analysis
Answer: (b) Pietro de Crescenzi.
- Soil science
- Agronomy
- Forestry
- Agricultural engineering
- Agro-ecology
Show answer & analysis
Answer: (b) Agronomy.
- Pomology
- Olericulture
- Floriculture
- Arboriculture
- Viticulture
Show answer & analysis
Answer: (d) Arboriculture.
Analysis: Pomology is fruits, olericulture vegetables and viticulture grapes.
- Jute – Durgesh Patel
- Fruits – Vishal Tiwari
- Oilseeds – Sam Pitroda
- Honey – Nirpakh Tutej
- Potato – Sam Pitroda
Show answer & analysis
Answer: (c) Oilseeds – Sam Pitroda.
- Glycine max
- Arachis hypogaea
- Cicer arietinum
- Vigna radiata
- Lens culinaris
Show answer & analysis
Answer: (c) Cicer arietinum.
- Helianthus annuus
- Brassica juncea
- Sesamum indicum
- Ricinus communis
- Gossypium hirsutum
Show answer & analysis
Answer: (b) Brassica juncea.
- Coffee
- Coconut
- Alfalfa
- Rubber
- All of the above
Show answer & analysis
Answer: (e) All of the above.
- Rice
- Barley
- Sunflower
- Cotton
- Tomato
Show answer & analysis
Answer: (b) Barley.
Analysis: Wheat and barley are long-day plants, rice and cotton short-day, and sunflower and tomato day-neutral.
- 15
- 20
- 21
- 121
- 130
Show answer & analysis
Answer: (a) 15.
Analysis: The classification was made in 1989. NARP has 127 agro-climatic zones.
- Eastern Plateau and Hills
- Trans-Gangetic Plains
- Lower Gangetic Plains
- Upper Gangetic Plains
- Middle Gangetic Plains
Show answer & analysis
Answer: (b) Trans-Gangetic Plains (Punjab, Haryana).
- High soil fertility
- Extensive irrigation
- Shifting cultivation damaging soil and forests
- Absence of forests
- None
Show answer & analysis
Answer: (c) Shifting cultivation (jhum).
- Seeds
- Cuttings
- Setts
- Tissue culture
- Layering
Show answer & analysis
Answer: (c) Setts.
Analysis: Setts are stem cuttings with two or three buds.
- Stooling
- Tillering
- Topping
- Ratooning
- None
Show answer & analysis
Answer: (d) Ratooning.
- Propping
- Topping
- Earthing up
- Lopping
- None
Show answer & analysis
Answer: (a) Propping.
- Propping
- Topping
- Earthing up
- Detrashing
- None
Show answer & analysis
Answer: (d) Detrashing.
- 20–25 days
- 15–20 days
- 30–35 days
- 8–12 days
- 25–30 days
Show answer & analysis
Answer: (d) 8–12 days.
- Only 1 and 2
- Only 2
- Only 2 and 3
- Only 1 and 3
- All
Show answer & analysis
Answer: (d) 1 and 3.
Analysis: SRI uses alternate wetting and drying, not continuous flooding.
- Yellow
- White
- Purple
- Azure blue
- Red
Show answer & analysis
Answer: (d) Azure blue.
Analysis: Foundation seed carries a white tag and breeder seed a golden-yellow tag.
- Recalcitrant
- Intermediate
- Hybrid
- Orthodox
- None
Show answer & analysis
Answer: (d) Orthodox seeds.
- 10–12%
- 7–9%
- 20–25%
- 10–15%
- 12–15%
Show answer & analysis
Answer: (b) 7–9%.
- May–June
- July–August
- June–September
- October–December
- November–January
Show answer & analysis
Answer: (c) June–September.
- Up to 3 days
- Up to 30 days
- 3 to 10 days
- Up to 12 hours
- Up to 15 days
Show answer & analysis
Answer: (c) 3 to 10 days.
- Meteorological drought
- Hydrological drought
- Agricultural drought
- Atmospheric drought
- Socio-economic drought
Show answer & analysis
Answer: (a) Meteorological drought.
- Dryland farming
- Dry farming
- Rainfed farming
- Both a and b
- None
Show answer & analysis
Answer: (b) Dry farming.
Analysis: Dry farming is below 750 mm, dryland farming 750–1,150 mm, and rainfed farming above 1,150 mm. Dryland farming was asked as a 2024 descriptive question.
No questions match these filters.
NABARD English Descriptive Questions 2021–2025 (Essay, Précis, Letter)
Phase II Paper I is a 100-mark descriptive English paper: one essay, one précis and one letter, all typed on screen. The minimum score in this paper rose to 60 out of 100 in 2025 (see cut-offs), so practise it from day one. Each topic below is listed with how to approach it.
NABARD 2025 English descriptive topics
| Paper | Marks | Question | What the answer needs |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | Essay (500–520 words) | Startups in India: growth, challenges and role in the economy. | Context → growth drivers (digital public infrastructure, funding, Startup India) → challenges (funding winter, regulation, scaling) → contribution (jobs, innovation, exports) → way forward. ▶ Essay writing strategy |
| English | Essay (500–520 words) | How can the Indian economy be strengthened by improving the manufacturing sector? | Share in GVA and jobs → PLI and Make in India → MSMEs and exports → constraints (logistics, skills, land) → reforms. ▶ Essay writing strategy |
| English | Essay (500–520 words) | Agrovoltaics (agriculture + photovoltaic installations): is it feasible? | Concept → benefits (dual land use, income, lower evaporation) → constraints (cost, crop shading, design) → PM-KUSUM link → verdict. ▶ Essay writing strategy |
| English | Essay (500–520 words) | What are the positive and negative impacts of agricultural subsidies? | Types (input, price, credit) → benefits → fiscal and environmental costs → WTO angle → reform (DBT, targeting). ▶ Essay writing strategy |
| English | Précis (up to 120 words) | Passage on Peruvian agriculture. | Central idea → drop examples and repetition → about one-third of the original length, in your own words. |
| English | Letter (200–220 words) | Complaint letter to the factory manager or owner about problems faced by factory workers, OR complaint letter to a media publishing house about not receiving the newspaper despite paying the full annual subscription. | Formal format → subject line → issue with specifics (dates, receipt) → impact → clear request and deadline → courteous close. |
NABARD 2024 English descriptive topics
| Paper | Marks | Question | What the answer needs |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | Essay (500–520 words, 40 marks) | Choose one: (1) How can youth contribute to India’s progress in education, entrepreneurship and social initiatives? (2) How does access to credit increase sustainable farming practices in India? (3) Integrating fish culture with agricultural crops enhances productivity and farmers’ income. Discuss. (4) “Look deep into nature, and then you will start to understand everything better.” – Albert Einstein. Elaborate. | Pick the topic you can support with data and examples. Topics 2 and 3 reward ARD knowledge (KCC, PACS, integrated rice–fish farming). ▶ Essay writing strategy |
| English | Précis (120 words, 30 marks) | Passage on Ethiopia’s water crisis: rainwater and pond harvesting, low drinking-water access (40%) and sanitation (below 15%), children missing school, the “Water for All” programme reaching 5 million people, and access rising to 72%. | Problem → impact on children and health → government response → outcome, in your own words, with only the key figures. |
| English | Letter (220 words, 30 marks) | Choose one: (1) to the municipal corporation about poor road conditions; (2) a grievance letter about a faulty electronic device delivered to you; (3) to the in-house editor seeking an extension for an article because of clashing tasks. | Formal format → subject → specifics (location, order number, deadline) → request → courteous close. |
NABARD 2022 English descriptive topics
| Paper | Marks | Question | What the answer needs |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | Essay | Choose one: (1) Agri-logistics: railways vs roadways (2) Climate change and biodiversity (3) Issues of the manufacturing sector. | Agri-logistics: cost, speed, wastage, cold chain, Kisan Rail, Dedicated Freight Corridors, last-mile road links → balanced conclusion. ▶ Essay writing strategy |
| English | Précis (130 words) | Passage on electric vehicles. | Central idea (EV adoption, benefits, barriers) → drop examples and figures → about one-third of the original, in your own words. |
| English | Letter | Formal: a letter seeking replacement of faulty furniture, or a letter to the housing society secretary. Informal: a letter to your manager congratulating him on his promotion. | Formal: format, subject, issue, request. Informal: warm tone, specific achievement, wishes. |
The pattern: essay topics (worth 40 of the 100 marks) alternate between rural or agricultural themes (agrovoltaics, credit for sustainable farming, fish–crop integration, agri-logistics) and economy or society themes (startups, manufacturing, youth, climate). Précis passages are often about water, agriculture or energy in another country (Ethiopia, Peru, EVs). Watch the NABARD English Descriptive analysis 2024 and get evaluated practice in the NABARD English Descriptive course. For essays specifically, watch the essay writing strategy for 35+ marks. For a weekly practice routine, watch the NABARD answer writing strategy session.
NABARD ESI & ARD Descriptive Questions 2021–2025 (Phase 2 Paper II)
Paper II has a descriptive part with two 15-mark and two 10-mark questions (attempt four of six). The last column shows what a full-marks answer has to cover. Notice how often the question itself sets the structure (“definition, methods, benefits”). Missing a part costs marks however well you write.
NABARD 2025 Phase 2 ESI & ARD descriptive questions
| Paper | Marks | Question | What the answer needs |
|---|---|---|---|
| ESI | 15 (about 600 words) | Impact of tariffs on the Indian economy, OR the impact of international financial institutions on India’s globalisation and integration, structural reforms and sustainable growth. | Define → trade, price and investment effects → sectoral impact (exports, MSMEs, agriculture) → policy response → balanced conclusion. |
| ARD | 15 (about 600 words) | Challenges of poultry and dairy farming, and how they complement and supplement agriculture. | Challenges (feed, disease, markets, credit) → integration (manure, income smoothing, risk) → schemes (NLM, RGM, AHIDF) → way forward. |
| ARD | 10 (about 400 words) | Components, benefits and challenges of the Digital Agriculture Mission, OR a short note on crop diversification in India. | Components (AgriStack, Krishi DSS, soil profile maps) → benefits → challenges (data quality, privacy, connectivity). |
| ESI | 10 (about 400 words) | Challenges of labour migration, and the schemes that respond to them. | Push and pull factors → challenges (social security, housing, portability) → One Nation One Ration Card, e-Shram, affordable rental housing → way forward. |
Word limits: about 600 words for 15-mark questions and about 400 words for 10-mark questions. Questions are memory-based.
NABARD 2024 Phase 2 ESI & ARD descriptive questions
| Paper | Marks | Question | What the answer needs |
|---|---|---|---|
| ARD | 15 (600 words, compulsory) | What is the importance of post-harvest management, value addition and supply-chain development in horticultural crops? | Losses → PHM practices → value addition → supply chain → schemes (MIDH, PMKSY, Operation Greens, Clean Plant Programme). |
| ESI | 15 (600 words, choice) | What is the institutional rural credit framework in India, and what has the government done to improve access to rural credit? OR India has seen a financial inclusion transformation from 2014 to 2024. What are the initiatives and their outcomes? | Structure (cooperatives, RRBs, commercial banks, NABARD, MFIs) → measures (KCC, PACS computerisation, interest subvention) → outcomes → gaps. |
| ARD | 10 (400 words, compulsory) | Discuss the objectives and aims of the PM Vishwakarma scheme and the SVAMITVA scheme. | Two schemes → objectives → components → impact. (Both were tested as objective questions in 2023.) |
| ARD | 10 (400 words, choice) | Examine the significance of storage systems for agriculture and food security in India. OR Write a short note on dryland farming. | Storage gap → losses → cooperative grain-storage plan → food security. Dryland: under 750 mm (dry), 750–1,150 mm (dryland) → constraints → technologies. |
NABARD 2023 Phase 2 ESI & ARD descriptive questions
| Paper | Marks | Question | What the answer needs |
|---|---|---|---|
| ARD | 15 (compulsory) | What is extension education? List 12 extension education methods and discuss the benefits of extension education in agriculture. (3+6+3) | Three marked parts: definition (3) → 12 methods (6) → benefits (3). A general essay loses marks. |
| ESI | 15 (choice) | What do you mean by demographic dividend? How can India leverage its demography to become a developed economy? OR Explain financial inclusion in the context of the RBI Financial Inclusion Index, and the impact of monetary policy on financial inclusion. | Define → window → enablers (skills, health, female LFPR) → risks → way forward. |
| ARD | 10 (compulsory) | Institutional credit has increased, yet many farmers depend on moneylenders. Discuss the reasons. | Collateral, documentation, timeliness, tenancy, consumption credit → solutions. |
| ARD | 10 (choice) | What is agroforestry? Write its features, and discuss its benefits and constraints (4+6). OR Briefly explain five problems in agricultural marketing in India. | Definition → systems → benefits → constraints → National Agroforestry Policy 2014. |
Why this matters: Phase I asks “When was KCC introduced?” Phase II asks “Why hasn’t institutional credit expansion ended informal borrowing?” Same ecosystem, different depth.
NABARD 2022 Phase 2 ESI & ARD descriptive questions
| Paper | Marks | Question | What the answer needs |
|---|---|---|---|
| ESI | 15 (choice) | The PDS plays a crucial part in the food economy, but there are certain lacunae in it. Discuss. OR Investment in social infrastructure is a prerequisite for inclusive growth. Discuss in the Indian context. | PDS: importance → problems (leakage, exclusion, targeting) → reforms (ONORC, ePoS, DBT pilots) → conclusion. |
| ARD | 15 (600 words, compulsory) | Discuss the objectives of Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) and highlight its important components. | Objectives → central sector and centrally sponsored components → initiatives (PM-MKSSY, fisheries infrastructure) → outcomes. |
| ARD | 10 (choice) | What are the key objectives of the National Rural Livelihood Mission? What are its features and components? OR What is social forestry? What are its objectives, facets and economic benefits? | Objectives → institution building → financial inclusion → livelihoods. |
| ESI | 10 (400 words, compulsory) | How has globalisation benefited the Indian economy? | Trade, FDI, technology, services exports and jobs → agriculture angle → risks → balance. |
NABARD 2021 Phase 2 ESI & ARD descriptive questions
| Paper | Marks | Question | What the answer needs |
|---|---|---|---|
| ARD | 15 (compulsory) | What is cross-breeding? Explain its methods, advantages and disadvantages. | Definition + methods + advantages + disadvantages. |
| ESI | 15 (choice) | Review the Minimum Support Price policy. OR “WTO agriculture policies have a dual effect on the Indian economy.” Comment. | “Review” and “comment” both need balance: purpose + achievements + limitations + reform. |
| ARD | 10 (compulsory) | Farmers’ dependence on non-institutional sources of finance is declining. Comment. | Trends → drivers (KCC, PACS) → persistent gaps → regional and small-farmer disparity. |
| ARD | 10 (choice) | What is drip irrigation? How can it change the face of agriculture? Discuss its advantages and limitations. OR What is social forestry? Explain its objectives and components. | Potential → advantages → limitations → PDMC. |
Before you start writing, watch the NABARD answer writing strategy session, then practise these with evaluation in the NABARD Grade A 2027 programme.
Subject-wise NABARD PYQ analysis, 2021–2025
Now flip the repository. Instead of asking “what was asked in 2024?”, ask “how often does NABARD return to the same subject?”
Agricultural & rural credit
KCC, PACS, cooperative institutions, institutional rural credit, moneylenders, financial inclusion, NABARD funds. Tested in Phase I, Phase II objective and descriptive.
ESI government schemes
Eligibility, duration, objective, components, assistance, implementing institution, operational provisions and current targets.
Rural development
Panchayati Raj (asked in both ARD and ESI in 2025), MGNREGA, NRLM, RSETI, land records, rural credit, tribal development.
Soil science & water management
Alluvial, black and saline soils, calcium and magnesium, erosion, water-quality classes, drip, surge and subsurface irrigation, water-use efficiency, dryland farming. Watch the PYQ video
Animal husbandry & poultry
Bovine classification, Murrah, weaning, galactopoiesis, cross-breeding, wallowing, poultry peak and profitability, dairy and poultry descriptive, livestock statistics. Watch the PYQ video
Horticulture & post-harvest
Quincunx, cardamom, production rankings, mandarin, greenhouse assistance, grapes, precooling, preservation, storage, value addition, supply chains. Watch the PYQ analysis
ESI reports & indices
Global MPI, Gini, Global Gender Gap, World Development Report, NABARD surveys, PLFS, RBI Financial Inclusion Index. Watch the ESI analysis
Agricultural extension
ATMA, KVKs, method demonstration, ACABC, extension education and methods. Watch the PYQ video
Study these in depth with the NABARD ARD and NABARD ESI guides.
The most important pattern: one topic, three depths
NABARD repeatedly turns one subject into questions at three levels.
Irrigation
Agricultural credit
Same ecosystem, different depth.
How C4S recommends using NABARD PYQs
Attempt the actual question
Before opening the answer.
Check the answer
And its status label.
Identify the chapter
Use the topic tag on each card.
Study the full background
Use the “revise with it” list, not just the single fact.
Connect current affairs
What has changed since the question was asked?
Connect the relevant schemes
Most ARD and ESI topics have a scheme attached.
Solve modified MCQs
Change one variable: a different threshold, breed or ministry.
Ask the Phase II question
Could this topic become a 10- or 15-mark descriptive question?
- PYQ
- Concept
- Background
- Current
- MCQ
- Descriptive
The dynamic PYQ rule
Any question involving the latest production figure, rank, interest rate, scheme target, number of institutions, report value, budget allocation or outlay is marked Dynamic.
Don’t memorise a 2024 number for NABARD 2027. The PYQ tells you which indicator NABARD considers important, not the value you need three years later. Examples in this repository: KVK numbers, India’s share of world milk, the repo-rate corridor, Gender Gap rank, MSME thresholds and the interest-subvention limit.
For updated values, follow C4S daily current affairs and the daily quiz.
NABARD Grade A PYQ priorities for 2026 & 2027
| Subject | Highest-priority recurring clusters |
|---|---|
| ARD | Soil & water management, agronomy, animal husbandry, horticulture, agricultural credit, rural development, agricultural extension, government schemes, forestry, fisheries and farm mechanisation |
| ESI | Government schemes, rural development, financial inclusion, reports & indices, employment, social issues, MSMEs, agricultural and rural credit, the Budget and the Economic Survey |
Use PYQ frequency to prioritise, never to drop parts of the syllabus. Watch: priority chapters for ARD, ESI and GA based on PYQs.
NABARD PYQ video library from C4S
Clarity4Sure’s NABARD Grade A PYQ Analysis playlist explains previous year questions topic by topic. Each video covers the concept, the PYQs asked on it, and how to eliminate wrong options. Start with these:
All PYQ videos by topic
| Topic | Concept + PYQ series | PYQ trend analysis (2021–2024) |
|---|---|---|
| Agronomy & seed science | Agronomy explained with PYQs | Agronomy & Seed Science analysis |
| Soil & water conservation | Soil & Water Conservation with PYQs | Soil & Water Conservation analysis |
| Animal husbandry | 2025 questions, part 1 · part 2 | Animal Husbandry analysis |
| Horticulture | Horticulture PYQ discussion | Horticulture analysis |
| Seed science, forestry, economics & environment | Explained with PYQs | – |
| Environment & agricultural economics | Explained with PYQs | – |
| Extension & agricultural engineering | Explained with PYQs | – |
| Economic & Social Issues | – | ESI question analysis |
| Decision Making | – | Decision Making PYQ analysis |
| Computer Knowledge | – | Computer Awareness analysis |
| English | – | Last 5 years’ English analysis & cut-off trends |
Paper analysis and strategy
- NABARD 2022 Phase II (Mains) paper analysis: memory-based questions and answers, recorded right after the exam on 29 October 2022.
- 45-day NABARD Grade A final revision plan with daily targets
- 30-day plan: consolidate your entire NABARD preparation
- Priority chapters for ARD, ESI and GA based on PYQs
- NABARD Grade A 2021–2024 cut-off analysis
- The most important ARD chapters to revise
- NABARD English Descriptive analysis, 2024
- Essay writing strategy: 65+ in English Descriptive (RBI, NABARD, IRDAI)
- NABARD answer writing strategy (live session): a weekly descriptive practice routine for Phase 2.
Related NABARD Grade A pages
C4S NABARD Grade A results
Read what mentorship students say in the NABARD Grade A 2026 Mentorship reviews.
Toppers Talk: how toppers used PYQs
NABARD Grade A courses & mentorship
C4S programmes build PYQ analysis into every stage: chapter tests, sectionals, full-length mocks and Phase II answer writing.
What students say: NABARD Grade A 2026 Mentorship & Test Series reviews. Browse all C4S courses.
Free year-wise NABARD PYQ PDFs on WhatsApp
Every question on this page is free to read online. For offline revision, C4S sends the full-length PDF of each year (Phase 1, Phase 2 and descriptive questions with answers) free on WhatsApp.
About the author
Faiz Sir leads NABARD Grade A preparation at Clarity4Sure (C4S). He has experience across multiple NABARD Grade A and UPSC Civil Services exam cycles, and mentors aspirants for Phase 1, Phase 2 and the interview. He compiled the questions on this page, set the answers and wrote the analysis, working from official NABARD notices, scheme guidelines and C4S’s own paper analysis after each exam.
Students’ experience of his mentorship: read NABARD Grade A 2026 Mentorship student reviews. Watch his strategy sessions on the CLARITY YouTube channel.
NABARD PYQs: frequently asked questions
Where can I get NABARD Grade A previous year question papers with answers?
This page has year-wise NABARD Grade A previous year questions from 2021 to 2025 with answers and explanations: Phase 1 ESI, ARD and GA questions, Phase 2 objective questions, and ESI, ARD and English descriptive questions. Use the filters to practise by year, subject or question type.
Can I get NABARD Grade A previous year question PDFs for free?
Yes. Every question is free to read on this page. For a full-length PDF of any year (2021–2025) with answers, message C4S on WhatsApp using the year buttons on this page, and the PDF is sent to you free.
When is the NABARD Grade A 2026 exam?
As of 29 October 2026, NABARD has not released the 2026 notification. In the last cycle, Phase 1 was held about six weeks after the notification and Phase 2 about five weeks after that. Check nabard.org for the official dates.
What was asked in NABARD Grade A 2025 Phase 1 ARD?
The 2025 ARD paper covered about 20 chapters in 40 questions, including farm management, forestry policy, livestock, PMFBY, poultry, food processing, horticulture, MGNREGA, seed science, soil and water conservation, climate change and farm machinery.
What are the NABARD English descriptive essay topics?
Recent topics include startups in India, the manufacturing sector, agrovoltaics and agricultural subsidies (2025); youth and progress, credit for sustainable farming and fish–crop integration (2024); and agri-logistics, climate change and biodiversity, and manufacturing (2022). Each year also has a précis and a formal letter.
What type of ESI questions are asked in NABARD Grade A?
NABARD ESI questions focus on government schemes, rural development, financial inclusion, reports and indices, the Union Budget, the Economic Survey, social issues and NABARD’s own reports and surveys, rather than economic theory.
Are NABARD Grade A previous year papers officially released?
No. NABARD does not publish its question papers. The questions on this page are memory-based, reconstructed by candidates after each exam, so exact wording and options may differ slightly. All answers have been checked against scheme guidelines and standard references.
Which topics are asked most in NABARD Grade A ARD?
Across 2021–2025, the most frequent ARD clusters are soil and water management, animal husbandry and poultry, horticulture and post-harvest, agricultural credit, agricultural extension, rural development and agriculture schemes.
Which topics are asked most in NABARD Grade A ESI?
Government schemes, rural development, reports and indices, financial inclusion, employment, social issues, MSMEs, rural credit, the Union Budget and the Economic Survey.
Can I use old NABARD PYQ answers for the 2027 exam?
For static concepts, yes. For dynamic questions (production figures, ranks, interest rates, scheme targets, budget allocations or report values), learn the indicator and update the value from the latest official source.
What is the NABARD Grade A cut-off?
For General (RDBS), the Phase I UR cut-off on the merit sections (GA + ESI + ARD, out of 100) was 46.00 in 2023, 47.00 in 2024 and 54.50 in 2025. The Phase II (Mains) UR cut-off was 128.50, 126.75 and 135.25 out of 200. The final select-list UR cut-off (Mains + Interview) was 171.25, 168.00 and 173.25, according to NABARD’s official notices.
Are PYQs enough for NABARD Grade A?
No. PYQs tell you what and how NABARD asks. Combine them with concepts, current affairs, schemes, reports, MCQ practice and descriptive writing.
How should I use NABARD PYQs?
Attempt the question, check the answer, identify the chapter, study the full background, connect current affairs and schemes, solve modified MCQs, and ask whether the topic could become a Phase II descriptive question.
The C4S PYQ formula
Don’t use PYQs as question → answer → next. Use them like this:
- Question
- Answer
- Why?
- Topic
- Background
- Current link
- Scheme
- New MCQs
- Descriptive angle
- Revision
“I have downloaded 500 NABARD PYQs.”
“I understand what those questions reveal about NABARD.”
Turn PYQs into marks with Clarity4Sure
32 selections in NABARD Grade A 2025 came from the C4S Mentorship & Test Series programme. PYQ, analyse, understand, practise, revise.
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