In February 2019, the Modi administration launched its flagship Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi or PM-Kisan programme, a cash transfer seeking to raise farmer incomes amid a widespread and prolonged period of agrarian distress. The programme completes a year at a time when the malaise has spread across the Indian economy: GDP growth hit an […]
Category Archives: schemes
PM-Kisan misses half of target due to implementation hurdles
Under PM-KISAN, the government provides income support of Rs 6000 a year to farmers with a valid enrolment, paid in three equal cash transfers of Rs 2000 — one every four months. The Modi government’s cash-for-farmers programme has been able to benefit only half of the 140 million farmers targeted in 2019-20 due to implementation […]
Uttar Pradesh govt aims to support 75 MW farmland solar plants in 2019-20
Under KUSUM scheme, the state government will help farmers in setting up an aggregate 75 MW capacity of grid-connected solar plants—in capacities of up to 2 MW—on their barren or cultivable land. The state of Uttar Pradesh has so far distributed 25,511 solar pumps for irrigation. Under Kisan Urja Suraksha Evam Utthan Mahaabhiyan (KUSUM) rural solar […]
World Bank study on PMGSY: ‘Rural roads scheme triggered shift from farm to non-farm employment’
PMGSY was rolled out in 2000 to provide access to all-weather roads in 1.78 lakh rural habitations across the country. A recent independent World Bank assessment of the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) rural roads programme meant to establish ‘farm to market connectivity’ shows that the PMGSY roads, in fact, “triggered a shift from […]
PM Kisan enrolments speed up, likely to be 70 million by July
Under the scheme that became operational on December 1, the Centre gives a cash benefit of Rs 6,000 to eligible farmers in three equal instalments to help them fund agricultural input costs. NEW DELHI: Enrolments for the farmers’ income support scheme have picked up pace with owners of large plots of land joining the welfare […]
Centre allocates Rs 75,000 cr for PM-KISAN to cover 145 million farmers
Nirmala Sitharaman has allocated Rs 12,000 crore less in the Budget for financial year 2019-20 towards the government’s flagship income support scheme — PM-Kisan– that has been extended to cover all Nirmala Sitharaman has allocated Rs 12,000 crore less in the Budget for financial year 2019-20 towards the government’s flagship income support scheme, PM-Kisan, which […]
5 MSME schemes for reviving traditional industries and rural entrepreneurship
India has a rich history of rural entrepreneurship in traditional industries such as coir, khadi, bamboo, cane, and more. Government bodies such as the MSME Ministry have been running various schemes to support and grow these industries. These schemes range from providing collateral-free credit and access to incubation centres to better equipment and employment opportunities […]
Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana: An assessment of India’s crop insurance scheme
Agriculture remains the primary sector of the Indian economy. While it accounts for merely 16 percent of the country’s GDP, approximately 43.9 percent of the population depends on it for their livelihood. In recent years, indebtedness, crop failures, non-remunerative prices and poor returns have led to agrarian distress in many parts of the country. The […]