Master10
Government Schemes & Programmes Module

Rural Development, Agriculture & Employment Schemes

Government welfare interventions in rural India prioritize employment generation, agricultural income support, and crop risk mitigation. The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA 2005) provides a statutory guarantee of at least 100 days of wage employment per financial year to rural households. For direct income support, the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) delivers ₹6,000 annually in three equal installments directly to landholding farmers' bank accounts. In agrarian risk management, the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) offers subsidized crop insurance against non-preventable natural risks, while PM Krishi Sinchayee Yojana expands farm-level irrigation access.

Key Concepts & Examination Highlights

  • MGNREGA was enacted in September 2005 and guarantees 100 days of unskilled wage employment per year to every rural household whose adult members volunteer to do manual work.
  • PM-KISAN, operationalized from December 1, 2018, provides direct income support of ₹6,000 per year in three equal tranches of ₹2,000 to all landholding farmer families across India.
  • Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), launched in 2016, features uniform farmer premium rates of 2% for Kharif crops, 1.5% for Rabi crops, and 5% for annual commercial/horticultural crops.
  • Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) was launched in 2015 with the motto 'Har Khet Ko Pani' and 'More Crop Per Drop' to expand cultivable area under assured irrigation.
  • MGNREGA mandates that at least one-third of the total beneficiaries participating in public works must be women.
  • Under PMFBY, the premium rate for commercial and annual horticultural crops is capped at 5% of the total sum insured.
  • Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) was launched in 2015 with the motto 'Har Khet Ko Pani' and focuses on expanding water access and 'More Crop Per Drop'.
  • The Soil Health Card Scheme, launched in February 2015 at Suratgarh, Rajasthan, provides farmers with nutrient status reports and customized fertilizer recommendations.
  • Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) was launched in December 2000 as a 100% centrally sponsored scheme to provide all-weather road connectivity to unconnected rural habitations.
  • The Electronic National Agriculture Market (e-NAM) was launched in April 2016 as a pan-India electronic trading portal integrating existing APMC mandis.
  • The Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF), launched in 2020, provides a medium-to-long term debt financing facility of Rs 1 lakh crore for post-harvest management infrastructure.
  • The Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF) was launched in 2020 with a ₹1 lakh crore corpus to finance post-harvest management infrastructure and community farming assets.
  • The PM Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PM FME) scheme was launched under Atmanirbhar Bharat to support individual and collective micro-enterprises with a 35 percent credit-linked subsidy.
  • The Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme covering fruits, vegetables, root crops, spices, and bamboo cultivation.
  • The Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanization (SMAM) provides financial assistance for farm mechanization and establishes Custom Hiring Centres (CHCs) for small farmers.
  • The National Mission on Edible Oils – Oil Palm (NMEO-OP) was launched in August 2021 with an outlay of ₹11,040 crore to drastically reduce edible oil import dependency.
  • The PM KUSUM (Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan) scheme supports farmers in installing standalone solar agricultural pumps and solarizing grid-connected pumps.
  • The Mission Amrit Sarovar was launched on 24 April 2022 to construct or rejuvenate 75 water bodies in every district of India as part of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav.
  • The SVAMITVA Scheme (Survey of Villages and Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Areas) uses drones to map rural inhabited lands and issue property cards.
  • The Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY) is the placement-linked skill development initiative under the Ministry of Rural Development for rural youth aged 15 to 35.
  • The Shyama Prasad Mukherji Rurban Mission (SPMRM) was launched in 2016 to develop 300 rural growth clusters with urban amenities and economic facilities.
  • The Agri-Clinics and Agri-Business Centres (ACABC) scheme was launched by NABARD and MANAGE to provide expert advisory services and farm inputs through agriculture graduates.
  • The National Beekeeping and Honey Mission (NBHM) was approved under the Atmanirbhar Bharat package to promote the 'Sweet Revolution' through scientific beekeeping.
  • The PM-PRANAM (Programme for Restoration, Awareness, Nourishment and Amelioration of Mother Earth) scheme incentivizes states to promote alternative non-chemical fertilizers.
  • The One Nation One Fertilizer initiative under 'Bharat' brand was launched to mandate standard fertilizer packaging and eliminate cross-brand price discrepancies.
  • The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) was enacted in August 2005 and came into force on February 2, 2006, guaranteeing at least 100 days of wage employment per financial year.
  • Under MGNREGA, at least one-third of the participating wage beneficiaries must be women, and work must be provided within 5 km of the applicant's residence or travel allowance paid.
  • Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN), launched on February 24, 2019, provides an income support of Rs 6,000 per year to all landholding farmer families in three equal four-monthly installments.
  • Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), launched in February 2016, charges a uniform low premium of 2 percent for Kharif crops, 1.5 percent for Rabi crops, and 5 percent for commercial/horticultural crops.
  • Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY), launched in July 2015 with the motto 'Har Khet Ko Pani' and 'More Crop Per Drop', promotes end-to-end micro-irrigation and precision farming.
  • The e-NAM (National Agriculture Market) electronic trading portal was launched on April 14, 2016, integrating physical APMC wholesale mandis into a unified national agricultural marketplace.
  • The Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF), launched in July 2020, is a medium-long term debt financing facility of Rs 1 lakh crore for post-harvest management infrastructure and community farming assets.
  • The PM Formalisation of Micro food processing Enterprises (PMFME) scheme, launched under the Atmanirbhar Bharat package, adopts a 'One District One Product' (ODOP) approach to upgrade micro-enterprises.
  • Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY), launched in September 2020 with an investment of Rs 20,050 crore, aims to drive the sustainable development of the fisheries and aquaculture sector.
  • The National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM) or Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-NRLM (DAY-NRLM) was launched in June 2011 to mobilize rural poor women into Self-Help Groups (SHGs).
  • The Mission Amrit Sarovar, launched on April 24, 2022, aimed to construct or rejuvenate at least 75 water bodies (Amrit Sarovars) in every district across the country.
  • The Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), launched on December 25, 2000, provides all-weather road connectivity to unconnected rural habitations meeting designated population thresholds.
  • The National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA) promotes climate-resilient farming techniques, soil health management, and integrated nutrient conservation under the National Action Plan on Climate Change.
  • The Soil Health Card Scheme, launched on February 19, 2015, provides farmers with crop-wise nutrient status reports and fertilizer dosage recommendations for 12 essential soil parameters.
  • Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY), launched in 2015, promotes certified organic farming and cluster-based PGS (Participatory Guarantee System) validation among farmers.
  • The Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY-RAFTAAR) provides states with flexibility and autonomy in planning and executing agriculture and allied sector development projects.
  • Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North Eastern Region (MOVCDNER) supports organic crop production, certification, processing, and marketing across northeastern states.
  • The Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanization (SMAM) provides financial subsidies to small and marginal farmers for procurement of modern agricultural implements and custom hiring centres.
  • The National Beekeeping and Honey Mission (NBHM), under the 'Sweet Revolution', promotes scientific beekeeping, honey production, and post-harvest testing infrastructure.
  • Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan (PM-KUSUM), launched in 2019, subsidizes standalone solar agricultural pumps and solarization of grid-connected tube wells.
  • The Deendayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY), launched in September 2014 under DAY-NRLM, provides wage-linked demand-driven skill training to rural youth.
  • The Shyama Prasad Mukherji Rurban Mission (SPMRM), launched in February 2016, aims to develop 300 well-planned rural clusters with urban-like amenities and economic infrastructure.
  • The National Livestock Mission (NLM), launched in 2014-15, focuses on livestock entrepreneurship, feed and fodder development, and breed improvement in poultry, sheep, and goat sectors.
  • The Agri-Clinics and Agri-Business Centres (AC&ABC) scheme supports agricultural graduates in setting up private advisory and input delivery centres for farming communities.
  • The PM PRANAM (Programme for Restoration, Awareness, Nourishment and Amelioration of Mother Earth) scheme promotes balanced fertilizer use and alternative non-chemical nutrient management.
Curriculum & Reference Sources: Ministry of Rural Development, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, and PM-KISAN Portal.

Sample Solved Questions & Concept Explanations

8 Verified Concept Questions
Q1.EASY

What is the uniform premium rate paid by farmers for all Kharif food and oilseed crops under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY)?

Q2.EASY

Which technology is primarily utilized under the SVAMITVA scheme to map land parcels in rural inhabited areas (Abadi)?

Q3.EASY

The Soil Health Card Scheme was launched in February 2015 from Suratgarh in which Indian state?

Q4.MEDIUM

Under the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF), what is the total corpus allocated for medium-to-long term debt financing of post-harvest infrastructure?

Q5.MEDIUM

Which component under the umbrella PM-AASHA scheme directly reimburses the difference between MSP and the selling price to registered oilseed farmers?

Q6.MEDIUM

What is the primary target of Mission Amrit Sarovar, launched by the Prime Minister in April 2022?

Q7.MEDIUM

Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) was launched with an estimated investment of ₹20,050 crore to drive development in which sector?

Q8.MEDIUM

What certification framework is adopted under the Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY) to certify organic farming clusters in India?