Prelims 2020: Schemes in News Part-5

Scheme

Concerned Ministry

Features

About:

• Launched in 2015.
• Under the scheme, the government plans to issue soil cards to farmers which will carry crop-wise recommendations of nutrients and fertilizers required for the individual farms.
• This will help farmers to improve productivity through the judicious use of inputs.

Soil Health Card:

• A Soil Health Card is used to assess the current status of soil health and, when used over time, to determine changes in soil health that are affected by land management.
• It displays soil health indicators and associated descriptive terms.
• The indicators are typically based on farmers’ practical experience and knowledge of local natural resources.
• The card lists soil health indicators that can be assessed without the aid of technical or laboratory equipment.

What it contains?

• It will contain the status of his soil with respect to 12 parameters, namely N, P, K(Macro-nutrients)

About:

• PMKSY is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme (Core Scheme) launched in 2015.
• Funding from the Centre and States will be 75:25%.
• In the case of the north-eastern region and hilly states, it will be 90:10.

Objectives:

• Convergence of investments in irrigation at the field level,
• To expand the cultivable area under assured irrigation (Har Khet ko Pani),
• To improve on-farm water use efficiency to reduce wastage of water,
• To enhance the adoption of precision-irrigation and other water saving technologies (More crop per drop),
• To enhance the recharge of aquifers and introduce sustainable water conservation practices by exploring the feasibility of reusing treated municipal based water for peri-urban agriculture and attract greater private investment in a precision irrigation system.
• To ensure a comprehensive and holistic view of the entire “water cycle” and proper water budgeting is done for all sectors namely, household, agriculture and industries.

It is formulated by amalgamating ongoing schemes:

• Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (AIBP) -Ministry of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation.
• Integrated Watershed Management Programme (IWMP) – Department of Land Resources, Ministry of Rural Development.
• On-Farm Water Management (OFWM) – Department of Agriculture and Cooperation (DAC).

Implementation:

• Decentralised implementation through State Irrigation Plan and District Irrigation Plan.

''Per Drop More Crop'' component of Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY-PDMC):

• The Department of Agriculture Cooperation and Farmers' Welfare is implementing the ''Per Drop More Crop'' component of PMKSY-PDMC.
• It was also launched in 2015. 
• The PMKSY- PDMC focuses on enhancing water use efficiency at the farm level through Micro Irrigation technologies viz.
• During the last five years (2015-16 to 2019-20), an area of 46.96 lakh ha. has been covered under Micro Irrigation through PMKSY-PDMC.
• For 2020-21, annual allotment of Rs. 4000 crore has already been allocated and conveyed to the State Governments. 
• Further, Micro Irrigation Fund corpus of Rs. 5000 crore has been created with NABARD.
• Objectives:
  • to facilitate the states in mobilizing the resources for expanding coverage of Micro Irrigation by taking up special and innovative projects and
  • for incentivising micro-irrigation beyond the provisions available under PMKSY-PDMC to encourage farmers to install micro-irrigation systems. 

About:

• It is a central sector scheme worth Rs.6,000 crore.
• The scheme is being funded by the Government of India and the World Bank on 50:50 basis.

Objective:

• To improve groundwater management in priority areas in the country through community participation.

The scheme envisages:

• Community participation eg, “formation of Water User Associations”.
• Monitoring and dissemination of data.
• Water budgeting.
• Panchayat-level plans.
• Information, Education & Communication (IEC) activities.

Identified Areas:

• The identified over-exploited and water-stressed areas for the implementation of the scheme are Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh.
• The States have been selected according to the degree of groundwater exploitation and degradation, established legal and regulatory instruments, institutional readiness, and experience in implementing initiatives related to groundwater management.
• These states represent about 25% of the total number of over-exploited, critical and semi-critical blocks in terms of groundwater in India.
• They also cover two major types of groundwater systems found in India – alluvial and hard rock aquifers- and have varying degrees of institutional readiness and experience in groundwater management.

Implementation:

• Funds under the scheme will be provided to the states for strengthening the institutions responsible for groundwater governance, as well as for encouraging community involvement for improving groundwater management to foster behavioural changes that promote conservation and efficient use of water.
• The scheme will also facilitate the convergence of ongoing Government schemes in the states by incentivizing their focussed implementation in identified priority areas.

About:

• The Union Cabinet has approved the Rs 20,050-crore Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) to bring about Blue Revolution through sustainable development of the fisheries sector over the next five years.
• The Scheme will be implemented during a period of 5 years from FY 2020-21 to FY 2024-25.

Objectives:

1. Harnessing of fisheries potential in a sustainable, responsible, inclusive and equitable manner
2. Enhancing of fish production and productivity through expansion, intensification, diversification and productive utilization of land and water
3. Modernizing and strengthening of the value chain – post-harvest management and quality improvement
4. Doubling fishers and fish farmers incomes and generation of employment
5. Enhancing contribution to Agriculture GVA and exports 
6. Social, physical and economic security for fishers and fish farmers
7. Robust fisheries management and regulatory framework

Implementation:

• The PMMSY will be implemented as an umbrella scheme with two separate components namely Central Sector Scheme and Centrally Sponsored Scheme.
• Majority of the activities under the Scheme would be implemented with the active participation of States/UTs.

Focus Areas:

• Thrust will be given for infusing new and emerging technologies like Re-circulatory Aquaculture Systems, Biofloc, Aquaponics, Cage Cultivation etc.
• Special focus on Coldwater fisheries development and expansion of Aquaculture in Brackish Water and Saline Areas.
• Activities like Mariculture, Seaweed cultivation and Ornamental Fisheries having the potential to generate huge employment will be promoted.
• Focused attention would be given for fisheries development in Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Islands, Northeast, and Aspirational Districts through area-specific development plans.
• Collectivization of fishers and fish farmers through Fish Farmer Producer Organizations (FFPOs) to increase the bargaining power of fishers and fish farmers is a key feature of PMMSY.
• Insurance coverage for fishing vessels has been introduced for the first time.
• Youth would be engaged in fisheries extension by the creation of Sagar Mitrasin coastal fisher villages. 

Beneficiaries:

• Fishers, Fish farmers,  Fish workers, Fish vendors, SCs/STs/Women/Differently abled persons, Fisheries cooperatives/Federations, FFPOs, Fisheries Development corporations, Self Help Groups (SHGs)/Joint Liability Groups (JLGs) and  Individual Entrepreneurs.

About:

• Government of India has restructured and subsumed the ongoing National Rural Drinking Water Programme(NRDWP) into Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM).
• Under NRDWP, one of the objectives was to “enable all households to have access to and use safe & adequate drinking water within premises to the extent possible”.
• It was proposed to achieve the goal by 2030, coinciding with the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals.
• But now, it is has been planned to achieve the goal by 2024 through Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM). 
• It envisages supply of 55 litres of water per person per day to every rural household through Functional Household Tap Connections (FHTC).
• The fund sharing pattern between the Centre and states is 90:10 for Himalayan and North-Eastern States, 50:50 for other states, and 100% for Union Territories.

Objectives:

• The mission focuses on integrated demand and supply-side management of water at the local level.
• The aim is to give connection and supply to 50 lakh houses by 2024 (Har Ghar Nal Se Jal).
• In the current financial year, the aim is to supply drinking water to 10 lakh households through the pipe. 
• It is based on a community approach to water and includes extensive Information, Education and Communication as a key component of the mission.
• It aims to create a Jan Andolan for water, thereby making it everyone’s priority.