A state in India has the following characteristics: 1. Its northern part is arid and semiaried. 2. Its central part produces cotton 3. Cultivation of cash crops is predominant over food crops. Which one of the following states has all of the above characteristics?

The state of Gujarat perfectly matches the described characteristics. Geographically, the northern part of Gujarat, including regions like Kutch and Banaskantha, is characterized by arid and semi-arid climates [4]. The central part of the state, particularly the fertile black soil regions, is a major hub for cotton production [3]. Statistically, Gujarat is the leading producer of cotton in India [3]. Furthermore, Gujarat's agricultural economy is heavily oriented toward cash crops such as cotton, groundnut, and oilseeds, which often take precedence over food crops in terms of acreage and economic value [5]. While other states like Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka produce cotton, they do not exhibit the specific combination of an arid northern region and a central cotton belt where cash crops so clearly predominate over food crops as they do in Gujarat.

Sources

1. [3] NCERT. (2022). Contemporary India II: Textbook in Geography for Class X (Revised ed.). NCERT. > Chapter 4: The Age of Industrialisation > Major Crops > p. 83
2. [4] Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 10: Spatial Organisation of Agriculture > E. The Southern Coarse (Cereals) Region > p. 28
3. [2] INDIA PEOPLE AND ECONOMY, TEXTBOOK IN GEOGRAPHY FOR CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 3: Land Resources and Agriculture > Cotton > p. 32
4. [1] Environment and Ecology, Majid Hussain (Access publishing 3rd ed.) > Chapter 12: Major Crops and Cropping Patterns in India > Contd.) > p. 93
5. [5] INDIA PEOPLE AND ECONOMY, TEXTBOOK IN GEOGRAPHY FOR CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 9: Geographical Perspective on Selected Issues and Problems > Table 3 : Three Largest Producing States of major crops during 2019-20 > p. 113