Krishi Karman Awards

In India, agriculture is a significant activity, engaging about 60% of the working population in the sector. Moreover, agriculture accounts for almost 20% of India’s GDP. Therefore, it is expected that the government will initiate several measures to enhance the sector’s efficiency. The Krishi Karman Award is one such initiative.

The best performing Indian states in food grain production receive the Krishi Karman Awards, instituted in 2010-11. The objective (of the awards) was to encourage the different states to increase food grain production.

This article will provide information about Krishi Karman Awards in the context of the IAS Exam.

Details of Krishi Karman Awards

• The Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India, manages the award process. A total of eight awards are given. Three for the states with the highest food grains production in the following three categories:
  • Category I – where production is >10 million tonnes in the year under review
  • Category II – where production is between 1 – 10 million tonnes
  • Category III – where production is <1 million tonnes
• There are five awards for the states achieving the highest production under each crop –
  • Rice,
  • Wheat,
  • Pulses,
  • Coarse Cereals, and
  • Oilseeds.
• However, to be eligible for the awards on individual crops, the states must follow minimum quantity requirements; – production of more than 10 Lakhs tonnes in the Rice and Wheat category, 2 Lakh tonnes for Pulses and Oilseeds, and 4 Lakh tonnes in the Coarse Cereal segment.
• In addition to the awards for total food grains and individual crops, special Commendation Awards are also given.
• Despite achieving a higher production based on the evaluation guidelines, states that fail to make it to the Krishi Karman Award list are considered for the Commendation Award.
• The states, however, have to meet the necessary conditions of achieving a higher production level than the best of the past five years.
• The award includes a citation and prize money of Rs. 5 crores each for the three categories of the highest food grain production.
• Similarly, Rs. 2 crores are given to the winners of the individual crop awards. The amount for the Commendation Award is Rs. 1 crore for each of the selected states.

Selection Procedure

• Typically, the production figures (of food grains) for the particular government financial year (April to March) are the basis of consideration.
• Various evaluation parameters are shared with the states in advance for better transparency.
• The parameters include implementing various crop-related programmes, using innovative techniques for enhancing productivity, and actual crop production data.
• A committee, under the leadership of the secretary of the Department of Agriculture (GOI), reviews the performance of states against the set criteria for the awards.
• A two-step procedure leads to the finalisation of the winners.
• First, a screening is done based on the final advance estimate of the food grain production of the states; next, the shortlisted states make a presentation before the selection committee.

Conclusion

The growth of food grain production in India is greatly influenced by monsoon and modern cultivation techniques. India recorded an increase of around 3% in 2019-20 (with a total of 305 million tonnes of food grain production) compared to the previous year. The uninterrupted growth in food grain production every year since the Krishi Karman Awards initiation indicates a step in the right direction.

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