Which of the following is a national project in India aimed specifically at developing and managing watersheds in rainfed agricultural areas?

Introduction / Context:
India faces serious challenges related to soil erosion, water scarcity and low productivity in rainfed agricultural zones. To address these issues, the government has launched several watershed development projects. Competitive exams often ask you to identify which acronym corresponds to a specific watershed programme. This question focuses on the project dedicated to watershed development in rainfed areas.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• We are asked about a project to develop watersheds in India.
• Options include DRDO, CARE, AVARD and NWDPRA.
• NWDPRA stands for National Watershed Development Project for Rainfed Areas.
• We assume the common exam knowledge that NWDPRA is the correct watershed programme.

Concept / Approach:
The approach is to match each acronym with its full form and domain. DRDO is the Defence Research and Development Organisation, dealing with military technology. CARE is a humanitarian organisation. AVARD relates to voluntary action and rural development broadly. NWDPRA, by its full name National Watershed Development Project for Rainfed Areas, clearly targets watershed development in rainfed regions. Therefore NWDPRA is the programme that directly fits the description.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Expand NWDPRA: National Watershed Development Project for Rainfed Areas. Step 2: Note that the words watershed development and rainfed areas exactly match the description in the question. Step 3: Expand DRDO: Defence Research and Development Organisation, which deals with defence technology and not watershed management. Step 4: Recognise CARE as an international humanitarian organisation focusing on poverty, health and disaster relief, not a specific Indian watershed scheme. Step 5: AVARD stands for Association of Voluntary Agencies for Rural Development, which supports rural development but is not a specific watershed project. Step 6: Conclude that NWDPRA is the only option that is a dedicated watershed development project in India.

Verification / Alternative check:
As an additional check, recall that agricultural extension materials in India often mention NWDPRA under soil conservation and water harvesting topics. It aims to conserve soil and water in rainfed farming by constructing check dams, contour bunds and other structures, and by promoting vegetative measures. DRDO appears in defence science contexts, CARE in social welfare, and AVARD in broad rural development discussions. These associations confirm that NWDPRA is the desired answer.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option DRDO is wrong because it is a defence research organisation, unrelated to watershed development or agriculture. Option CARE is wrong since it is not a government watershed programme but an international non governmental organisation working on multiple humanitarian issues. Option AVARD is wrong because it is an umbrella body of voluntary agencies and not a specific national watershed development project.

Common Pitfalls:
A common trap is to pick any option that sounds rural or developmental without reading the full form carefully. Another pitfall is to misremember the acronym and confuse NWDPRA with other schemes such as DPAP or IWDP. To avoid this, it helps to maintain a table of schemes where each acronym is matched with its sector, such as irrigation, watershed, health, education or defence. Repeated revision of this table before exams significantly reduces errors in scheme based questions.

Final Answer:
The project aimed specifically at developing watersheds in India's rainfed areas is National Watershed Development Project for Rainfed Areas (NWDPRA).