Prelims 2020: Schemes in News Part-3

Scheme

Concerned Ministry

Features

About: 

• RKVY scheme was initiated in 2007 as an umbrella scheme for ensuring holistic development of agriculture and allied sectors. 
• The ongoing Centrally Sponsored Scheme (State Plans) is now continued as Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana- Remunerative Approaches for Agriculture and Allied Sector Rejuvenation (RKVY-RAFTAAR) for three years i.e. 2017-18 to 2019-20. 
• Some of the major sub-schemes that are implemented under RKVY-Raftaar are Accelerated Fodder Development Programme (AFDP), Saffron Mission, Crop Diversification Programme (CDP) etc.
• Recently, the Ministry of Agriculture has started funding start-ups under the innovation and agripreneurship component of Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana in 2020-21.

Objectives:

• To strengthen the farmers’ efforts through the creation of required pre and postharvest agri-infrastructure that increases access to quality inputs, storage, market facilities, etc. and enables farmers to make informed choices.
• To provide autonomy, flexibility to States to plan and execute schemes as per local/ farmers‟ needs.
• To promote value chain addition linked production models that will help farmers increase their income as well as encourage production/productivity
• To mitigate the risk of farmers with a focus on additional income generation activities – like integrated farming, mushroom cultivation, beekeeping, aromatic plant cultivation, floriculture, etc. 
• To attend national priorities through several sub-schemes. 
• To empower youth through skill development, innovation, and Agri entrepreneurship based agribusiness models that attract them to agriculture.

Provisions:

• A component, Innovation and Agri-entrepreneurship Development programme has been launched under Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana in order to promote innovation and agripreneurship by providing financial support and nurturing the incubation ecosystem.
• These start-ups are in various categories such as agro-processing, artificial intelligence, digital agriculture, farm mechanisation, waste to wealth, dairy, fisheries etc.
• Agripreneurship Orientation– 2 months duration with a monthly stipend of Rs.  10,000/- per month. 
• Mentorship is provided on financial, technical, IP issues etc.
• Seed Stage Funding of R-ABI Incubatees-Funding up to Rs. 25 lakhs (85% grant & 15% contribution from the incubatee).
• Idea/Pre-Seed Stage Funding of Agripreneurs – Funding up to Rs. 5 lakhs (90% grant and 10% contribution from the incubatee).

Allied sectors covered under the scheme:

• Crop Husbandry (including Horticulture)
• Animal Husbandry, Dairy Development and Fisheries
• Agricultural Research and Education
• Agricultural Marketing
• Food storage and Warehousing
• Soil and Water Conservation
• Agricultural Financial Institutions
• Other Agriculture Programmes and Cooperation

About:

• PMFBY, launched in 2016, is designed to reduce the burden of crop insurance on farmers.
• It merged schemes- National Agricultural Insurance Scheme (NAIS) and the Modified National Agricultural Insurance Scheme (MNAIS).
• PMFBY- is in line with One Nation – One Scheme theme. 
• Recently, the government approved changes in Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana to address the existing challenges in implementation.
• It aims to reduce the premium burden on farmers and ensure early settlement of crop assurance claim for the full insured sum.

Objectives:

• To provide insurance coverage and financial support to the farmers in the event of failure of any of the notified crop as a result of natural calamities, pests & diseases.
• To stabilise the income of farmers to ensure their continuance in farming.
• To encourage farmers to adopt innovative and modern agricultural practices.

To ensure the flow of credit to the agriculture sector.

Beneficiaries:

• Enrolment under the Scheme is voluntary for all farmers.

Provisions:

• There will be a uniform premium of only 2% to be paid by farmers for all Kharif crops and 1.5% for all Rabi crops.
• In the case of annual commercial and horticultural crops, the premium to be paid by farmers will be only 5%. 
• Central Subsidy under PMFBY is limited for premium rates up to 30% for unirrigated areas/crops and 25% for irrigated areas/crops.
• Districts having 50% or the more irrigated area will be considered as irrigated area/district.
• Flexibility to States/UTs to implement the Scheme with an option to select any or many of additional risk covers/features like prevented sowing, localised calamity, mid-season adversity, and post-harvest losses.
• For estimation of crop losses/admissible claims, Two-Step Process to be adopted based on defined Deviation matrix” using specific triggers like weather indicators, satellite indicators, etc. for each area along with normal ranges and deviation ranges.
• Central Share in Premium Subsidy to be increased to 90% for the North Eastern States from the existing sharing pattern of 50:50.

Implementation:

• The scheme is implemented by empanelled general insurance companies.
• There will be one insurance company for the entire state.
• The selection of the Implementing Agency (IA) is done by the concerned State Government through bidding.
• Allocation of business to Insurance Companies to be done for three years.

About: 

• Recently, the MoS&T has launched the “Scientific Utilization through Research Augmentation-Prime Products from Indigenous Cows” (SUTRA-PIC India).
• It is led by the Department of Science and Technology (DST).
• It is a collaborative effort of the Department of Biotechnology, the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, the Ministry for AYUSH (Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha, Homoeopathy) and the Indian Council of Medical Research.

Aim: 

• It aims to develop products as well as improve the genetic quality of indigenous cattle breeds.

It has five themes:

• The uniqueness of Indigenous Cows.
• Prime-products from Indigenous Cows for Medicine and Health.
• Prime-products from Indigenous Cows for Agricultural Applications.
• Prime-products from Indigenous Cows for Food and Nutrition.
• Prime-products from indigenous cows-based utility items.

The above themes aim to perform:

• Scientific research on the complete characterisation of milk and milk products derived from Indian indigenous cows.
• Scientific research on nutritional and therapeutic properties of curd and ghee prepared from indigenous breeds of cows by traditional methods.
• Development of standards for traditionally processed dairy products of Indian-origin cows, etc.

Pradhan Mantri Laghu Vyapari Maan-Dhan Yojana

About:

• It is a voluntary and contribution-based central sector scheme.
• The scheme was in news for underperformance as just over 34,000 people have signed up so far.
• The Labour Ministry’s vision document in 2019 had set a target of 25 lakh enrolments for the scheme in 2019-2020.

Beneficiaries: 

• All small shopkeepers, self-employed persons and retail traders aged between 18-40 years and with Goods and Service Tax (GST) turnover below Rs.1.5 crore can enrol for the pension scheme.
• To be eligible, the applicants should not be covered under the National Pension Scheme, Employees’ State Insurance Scheme and the Employees’ Provident Fund or be an Income Tax assessee.

Provisions:

• The scheme entails monthly minimum assured pension of  ₹3,000 for the entry age group of 18-40 years after attaining the age of 60 years, with effect from July 22, 2019.
• Under the scheme, the government makes a matching contribution in the subscribers’ account.
• The scheme is based on self-declaration as no documents are required except bank account and Aadhaar Card.
• During the receipt of a pension, if an eligible subscriber dies, his spouse shall be only entitled to receive 50% of the pension received by such eligible subscriber, as family pension and such family pension shall be applicable only to the spouse.