Consider the following statements : 1. India has more arable area than China. 2. The proportion of irrigated area is more in India as compared to China. 3. The average productivity per hectare in Indian agriculture is higher than that in China. How many of the above statements are correct?

Option (b) is correct because India possesses the world's largest arable land area (approx. 156 million hectares compared to China’s 120 million) and maintains a higher proportion of net irrigated area (approx. 48% vs. 41%). Statement 3 is the most tempting error, but it is incorrect because China’s agricultural productivity per hectare is significantly higher than India's across most crops due to advanced technological inputs and intensive farming. The core concept tested is the comparative analysis of agricultural land-use patterns and resource efficiency between India and China.