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February 11th, 2020 PIB:- Download PDF Here
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. PM-KISAN 2. Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana 3. Farm Mechanisation for Doubling Farmers’ Income 4. Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices 5. Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana 6. Atal Pension Yojana 7. National Strategic Plan for TB Elimination 8. State of the World's Children Report 2019 9. Ayushman Bharat – Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) 10. Pradhan Mantri Van Dhan Yojana (PMVDY) 11. Blue Revolution
1. PM-KISAN
Context:
Kisan Credit Card (KCC) saturation drive for PM-KISAN beneficiaries started.
About Kisan Credit Card (KCC):
- To enable universal access to concessional institutional credit, the Government of India has initiated a drive in mission mode for saturating all PM-KISAN beneficiaries with Kisan Credit Cards (KCC).
- This will help all such farmers to get short term loans for crop & animal/fish rearing at a maximum interest of 4% on timely repayment.
- The scheme was introduced in 1998 with a view to facilitate and make easy availability of credit to farmers.
- It is issued on the basis of the farmers’ land-holding.
- The loan is available at a subsidised interest rate (4%).
- The drive will be carried out for 15 days in February 2020.
- State/UT Governments and banks have been advised to prepare a list of all PM-KISAN beneficiaries who do not have KCC and approach them through line departments of the State/UT Government including Departments of Agriculture, Animal husbandry, Panchayat & Rural Development and Panchayat Secretaries.
- Bank Sakhis under the NRLM scheme would also be used for motivating PM KISAN beneficiaries to visit the concerned bank branches for the purpose.
- The process of application of the KCC has been simplified and the banks also have been asked to provide separate counters for handling these cases, for the benefit of the farmers.
- In addition to the KCC, with a view to providing social security to the PM KISAN beneficiaries, eligible farmers will also be enrolled for the Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY) and Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Beema Yojana (PMJJBY), after obtaining their consent.
- These schemes provide accident insurance and life insurance, at a premium of Rs.12/- and Rs.330/- respectively for an insured value of Rs.2 lakh in each case.
To know more about PM KISAN, click on the linked article.
2. Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana
Details:
- Per Drop More Crop component of Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY-PDMC) is operational in the country from 2015-16.
- The PMKSY- PDMC focuses on enhancing water use efficiency at the farm level through micro-irrigation viz. drip and sprinkler irrigation.
Know more about Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana.
Context:
The Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare gave the above information in a written reply in the Lok Sabha.
3. Farm Mechanisation for Doubling Farmers’ Income
Details:
- Improved agricultural implements and machinery are essential inputs for modern agriculture. It enhances productivity besides reducing human drudgery and the cost of cultivation. It also helps in improving utilization efficiency of other inputs.
- Taking into consideration the above, to boost farm mechanization in the country, a special dedicated scheme Sub Mission on Agricultural Mechanization (SMAM) has been introduced by the government.
- Under this scheme, a subsidy is provided for the purchase of various types of agricultural implements and machinery used for tillage, sowing, planting, harvesting, reaping, threshing, plant protection, inter cultivation and residue management.
- Some of the State Governments like Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Madhya Pradesh are providing farm machinery to the farmers at a concessional rate through their Agricultural Departments.
- However, to make available costly and bigger advance farm machinery at the door steps of the farmers on rent basis, the government is promoting Custom Hiring Centres (CHC) through the SMAM scheme.
- Under this, a subsidy is provided @ of 40% of the project cost to individual farmers up to a project cost of Rs.60 lakh and 80% to the group of farmers up to a project cost of Rs. 10 lakh.
- Special consideration for the farmers of the North Eastern Region (NER) is available (they are given 95% subsidy up to a project cost of Rs. 10 lakh).
- For the establishment of hi-tech and hi-value agricultural machinery, assistance @ of 40% of the project cost to individual farmers up to a project cost of Rs.250 lakh is provided.
- Under the CRM scheme to establish Custom Hiring of in-situ crop residue management machinery, financial assistance @ 80% of the project cost is provided to the farmers. [CRM – ‘‘Promotion of Agricultural Mechanization for In-Situ Management of Crop Residue in the States of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and NCT of Delhi”].
- The government has also developed and launched a multi-lingual mobile App “CHC- Farm Machinery” which helps the farmers in getting rented farm machinery and implements through Custom Hiring Service Centres (CHC) in their area.
Context:
The Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare gave the above information in a written reply in the Lok Sabha.
4. Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices
About the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP):
- The CACP is an attached office of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Government of India.
- It was formed in 1965.
- Currently, the Commission comprises of a Chairman, Member Secretary, one Member (Official) and two Members (Non-Official). The non-official members are representatives of the farming community and usually have an active association with the farming community.
- As of now, the CACP’s mandate is to recommend the minimum support prices (MSPs) of 23 commodities, which comprise 7 cereals (paddy, wheat, maize, sorghum, pearl millet, barley and ragi), 5 pulses (gram, tur, moong, urad, lentil), 7 oilseeds (groundnut, rapeseed-mustard, soyabean, sesamum, sunflower, safflower, nigerseed), and 4 commercial crops (copra, sugarcane, cotton and raw jute).
- It advises the government on the MSPs with a view to evolve a balanced and integrated price structure in the perspective of the overall needs of the economy and with due regard to the interests of the producer and the consumer.
- The CACP uses crop-wise, state-wise cost estimates provided by the Directorate of Economics & Statistics (DES), Department of Agriculture Cooperation and Farmers’ Welfare (DAC&FW) compiled under ‘Comprehensive Scheme (CS) for Studying the Cost of Cultivation (CoC) of Principal Crops in India’.
Context:
The Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare gave the above information in a written reply in the Lok Sabha.
5. Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana
Context:
Over 15 crore loans have been disbursed to women borrowers, since the inception of the scheme.
About the Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY):
- This scheme provides loans up to Rs. 10 lakhs to the non-corporate, non-farm small/micro enterprises.
- These loans, known as Mudra Loans, are offered by commercial banks, cooperative banks, small finance banks, NBFCs, etc.
- For more on the Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY), click on the linked article.
Context:
As per the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA), the number of subscribers in Atal Pension Yojana (APY) has increased during the last three years.
To read about the Atal Pension Yojana, click on the linked article.
About Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA):
- It is the statutory authority established by an enactment of the Parliament, to regulate, promote and ensure orderly growth of the National Pension System (NPS) and pension schemes to which this Act applies.
- It is the pension regulator of India which was established by the Government of India on 23 August 2003.
- It was authorised by the Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Finance.
7. National Strategic Plan for TB Elimination
Context:
The National Strategic Plan for TB Elimination (NSP 2017-25) has been operational from 2017.
To know more about Tuberculosis and the NSP for TB elimination, click here.
8. State of the World’s Children Report 2019
Details:
- As per UNICEF’s State of the World’s Children Report 2019, the Under 5 Mortality Rate in India is 37 per 1,000 live births against the global average of 39 per 1,000 live births in 2018, which translates to more than 8 lakhs under 5 deaths in India.
- As per this report, globalization, urbanization, inequities, humanitarian crises and climate shocks are driving unprecedented negative changes in the nutrition situation of children around the world.
- As per the Sample Registration System (SRS) 2010-13 report of the Registrar General of India, major causes of child mortality in India are:
- Prematurity & low birth weight (29.8%)
- Pneumonia (17.1%)
- Diarrheal diseases (8.6%)
- Other non-communicable diseases (8.3%)
- Birth asphyxia & birth trauma (8.2%)
- Injuries (4.6%)
- Congenital anomalies (4.4%)
- Ill-defined or cause unknown (4.4%)
- Acute bacterial sepsis and severe infections (3.6%)
- Fever of unknown origin (2.5%)
- All Other Remaining Causes (8.4%)
- Read more about nutrition and India in the linked article.
- The government has initiated various schemes to address the problem of nutrition in the country.
Check the table below to read about the related government schemes.
| Poshan Abhiyaan | Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojna (PMMVY) |
| Vatsalya Maatri Amrit Kosh | National Rural Health Mission |
| National Urban Health Mission | Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) |
Context:
The above information was provided by the Minister of State (Health and Family Welfare) in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha.
9. Ayushman Bharat – Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY)
Context:
Ayushman Bharat – Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) provides health cover up to Rs. 5 lakh per family per annum for secondary and tertiary hospitalization care.
To know more about AB – PMJAY, check PIB dated Sep 30, 2019.
10. Pradhan Mantri Van Dhan Yojana (PMVDY)
Context:
The Union Minister for Tribal Affairs inaugurated the “Workshop on Van Dhan and Entrepreneurship Development” organized by TRIFED under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs.
Details:
- The Pradhan Mantri Van Dhan Yojana (PMVDY) is an initiative targeting livelihood generation for tribals by harnessing the wealth of the forest i.e., Van Dhan.
- The programme aims to tap the traditional knowledge and skills of tribals and add branding, packaging and marketing skills to optimize their income through a market-led enterprise model by the setting up of Van Dhan Kendras (VDVKs).
- For more on the Van Dhan Yojana and TRIFED, click on the linked article.
11. Blue Revolution
Context:
Realizing the immense scope for the development of fisheries and aquaculture, the Government of India has restructured the Central Plan Schemes under an umbrella of the Blue Revolution.
Details:
- The major components of the CSS on Blue Revolution scheme are as under:
- Development of Inland Fisheries and Aquaculture
- Development of Marine Fisheries, Infrastructure and Post-harvest Operations
- National Scheme for Welfare of Fishermen
- Monitoring, Control and Surveillance and other need-based Interventions (MCS)
- Institutional Arrangement for Fisheries Sector
- Strengthening of Database & Geographical Information System of the Fisheries Sector (SoDGIS)
- National Fisheries Development Board and its activities (NFDB)
- For more on the Blue Revolution in India, click on the linked article.
February 11th, 2020 PIB:- Download PDF Here
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