An important objective of the National Food Security Mission (NFSM) is to increase the production of which crops through area expansion and productivity enhancement in selected districts?

Introduction / Context:
The National Food Security Mission (NFSM) is a centrally sponsored scheme aimed at increasing the production of key food crops in India by improving productivity and expanding cultivated area where needed. Competitive exams often test which crops are covered under the core objectives of the mission. This question asks which crops NFSM originally targeted for increased production through area expansion and productivity enhancement in selected districts.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The scheme mentioned is the National Food Security Mission.
• The objective is to increase production through area expansion and productivity improvement.
• Options list different combinations involving rice, wheat, pulses, oilseeds, and vegetables.
• We focus on the original main crops emphasised under NFSM.

Concept / Approach:
When NFSM was launched, its primary focus was on three major food crops: rice, wheat, and pulses. These are staple components of the Indian diet and are crucial for food security. The mission aimed to raise production by adopting improved technologies, better seeds, balanced fertiliser use, and efficient farming practices in identified districts. Oilseeds and vegetables are important for nutrition and agricultural diversification, but the original mission objective specifically highlighted rice, wheat, and pulses.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall the key crops mentioned in official NFSM documents at the time of launch.Step 2: Note that NFSM currently covers several components, but the original core included rice, wheat, and pulses.Step 3: Compare the combinations given in the options.Step 4: Identify that the option stating rice, wheat, and pulses only matches the primary objective.Step 5: Select rice, wheat, and pulses only as the correct answer.

Verification / Alternative check:
Government documents and reliable exam preparation materials describe NFSM as being launched to increase the production of rice, wheat, and pulses by a specific additional tonnage through area and productivity improvements. Although the mission has evolved over time to include more components, the question uses the standard combinations typical of exam questions, which refer to the original design. This confirms that the correct combination here is rice, wheat, and pulses only.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
The option with only rice and wheat leaves out pulses, which are a crucial source of protein in the Indian diet and a major focus of NFSM. Options that include oilseeds and vegetables refer more broadly to agricultural diversification and other schemes. While later expansions of agricultural missions have included oilseeds or horticulture, those were not the primary crops under the original NFSM objective described in standard exam questions. Therefore, those combinations are not accurate in this specific context.

Common Pitfalls:
Candidates sometimes overgeneralise and assume that NFSM must cover all important crops, including oilseeds and vegetables, simply because they are vital for nutrition. Others may ignore pulses and focus only on rice and wheat as traditional food security crops. To avoid such errors, it is helpful to memorise that NFSM was originally designed for rice, wheat, and pulses, which are central to calorie and protein security in India.

Final Answer:
Rice, wheat and pulses only are the crops whose production NFSM aims to increase through area expansion and productivity enhancement in selected districts.