Multi Pronged Approach to Bridge The Urban Rural Divide

 What are the different agricultural and rural development schemes aimed at invigorating rural India ?

• The National Food Security Mission (NFSM) was launched in 2007-08 with a view to enhancing the production of rice, wheat, and pulses by 10 million tonnes, 8 million tonnes, and 2 million tonnes respectively by the end of the Eleventh Plan (viz. March 2012).
• The Mission aims to increase production through area expansion and productivity; create employment opportunities; and enhance the farm-level economy (i.e. farm profits) to restore confidence of farmers.
• The approach is to bridge the yield gap in respect of these crops through dissemination of improved technologies and farm management practices while focusing on districts which have high potential but relatively low level of productivity at present.
• Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) is a continuing scheme under implementation from XI Five Year Plan. The scheme provides considerable flexibility and autonomy to states in planning and executing programmes for incentivizing investment in agriculture and allied sectors.
• States initiate the process of decentralized planning for agriculture and allied sectors through preparation of District Agriculture Plans (DAPs) and State Agriculture Plan (SAP) based on agro-climatic conditions, availability of appropriate technology and
• Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) & Restructured Weather Based Crop Insurance Scheme (RWBCIS) were launched from Kharif 2016 to provide comprehensive crop insurance coverage from pre-sowing to post harvest losses against non-preventable natural risks.
• These schemes are only risk mitigation tools available to farmers at extremely low premium rates payable by farmers at 2% for Kharif crops, 1.5% for Rabi Crop and 5% for annual commercial/horticultural crops.
• The balance of actuarial premium is shared by the Central and State Governments on 50 :50 basis.
• The schemes are voluntary for States and available in areas and crops that are notified by the State Governments.
• The National Agriculture Market scheme (e-NAM) envisages initiation of e-marketing platform at national level and to support creation of infrastructure to enable e-marketing in 585 regulated markets across the country by March 2018.
• This innovative market process is revolutionizing agri markets by ensuring better price discovery, bringing in transparency and competition to enable farmers to get improved remuneration for their produce moving towards ‘One Nation One Market’.
• A target of integrating 400 markets to e-NAM had been set for March, 2017 against which 455 markets in 13 States have been on boarded as on 30.6.2017.
• The Soil Health Cards provide information to farmers on nutrient status of their soil alongwith recommendation on appropriate dosage of nutrients to be applied for improving soil health and its fertility. Launched in 2015, the scheme has been introduced to assist State Governments to issue Soil Health Cards to all farmers in the country.
• The Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) is being implemented to expand cultivated area with assured irrigation, reduce wastage of water and improve water use efficiency.
• PMKSY not only focuses on creating sources for assured irrigation, but also creating protective irrigation by harnessing rain water at micro level through ‘Jal Sanchay’ and ‘Jal Sinchan’.
• Micro irrigation is also incentivized through subsidy to ensure ‘Per drop-More crop’. The target under micro-irrigation for the year 2016-17 was 8 lakh ha. against which 8.39 lakh ha have been covered.
• Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY) is being implemented with a view to promote organic farming in the country. This will improve soil health and organic matter content and increase net income of the farmer so as to realise premium prices. Under this scheme, an area of 5 lakh acre is targeted to be covered though 10,000 clusters of 50 acre each.
• Pradhan Mantri Jan-Dhan Yojana (PMJDY): It is a National Mission on Financial Inclusion encompassing an integrated approach to bring about comprehensive financial inclusion of all the households in the country.
• The plan envisages universal access to banking facilities with at least one basic banking account for every household, financial literacy, access to credit, insurance and pension facility.
• In addition, the beneficiaries would get RuPay Debit card having inbuilt accident insurance cover of 1 lakh.
• The plan also envisages channeling all Government benefits (from Centre / State / Local Body) to the beneficiaries accounts and pushing the Direct Benefits Transfer (DBT) scheme of the Union Government.
• Deen Dayal Antyodaya Yojana - National Livelihoods Mission (NRLM) was launched by the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD), Government of India in June 2011.
• The Mission aims at creating efficient and effective institutional platforms of the rural poor enabling them to increase household income through sustainable livelihood enhancements and improved access to financial services.
• NRLM has set out with an agenda to cover 7 Crore rural poor households, across 600 districts, 6000 blocks, 2.5 lakh Gram Panchayats and 6 lakh villages in the country through self-managed Self Help Groups (SHGs) and federated institutions and support them for livelihoods collectives in a period of 8-10 years.
• Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA), is launched for developing governance capabilities of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) to deliver on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
• Mission Antyodaya is a convergence framework for measurable effective outcomes on parameters that transform lives and livelihoods.Real Difference comes about through Convergence as it alone simultaneously addresses multi dimensions of poverty. Professionals, Institutions and Enterprises make it possible.

By: VISHAL GOYAL