Rabi

noun (often used attributively, as in "rabi crop", "rabi season")

/ˈrɑːbiː/

The winter cropping season in the Indian subcontinent, with sowing in October-November and harvesting in March-April, covering crops such as wheat, barley, gram, mustard, and peas.

⚠️ UPSC confused pair — don't mix up with Kharif

Kharif crops (e.g. rice, maize, cotton, bajra) are sown with the southwest monsoon (June–July) and harvested in autumn; Rabi crops (e.g. wheat, gram, mustard) are winter-sown (Oct–Dec) and harvested in spring. Kharif rides the monsoon; Rabi rides the cool dry season and needs irrigation.

✍️ Usage in a UPSC answer

A timely and remunerative minimum support price for the rabi crop is not merely an agrarian palliative but a structural lever for stabilising rural incomes, curbing distress migration, and underwriting the food security that the National Food Security Act, 2013 envisages.

Synonyms

winter cropwinter seasoncold-weather cropspring-harvest croprabi season

Antonyms

kharifzaid

🌱 Word Family

rabi crop (n phrase), rabi season (n phrase), kharif (n, contrasting term), zaid (n, contrasting term)

🔡 Root

Hindi/Urdu rabī from Arabic rabīʿ (ربيع) = spring; entered Indian usage via Persian during Mughal period

📜 Etymology

From Hindi/Urdu rabī, borrowed from Arabic rabīʿ (ربيع, spring), referring to the spring harvest time; entered Indian usage through Persian during the Mughal period.

🧠 Memory Hook

Arabic "rabīʿ" means SPRING — and the rabi harvest comes in SPRING (March-May). Think "Rabi = Reaped in spring."

📝 Seen in UPSC Question Papers

Prelims 2013 — Agriculture
Mains 2020 · GS4 · 20 marks — Ethics in Public Administration

Real UPSC previous-year questions whose text uses “Rabi” — proof this word earns its place on your list.

💰 Indian Economy 📖 Seen in: Indian Agriculture — Crops, MSP, Food ...

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