Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana
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MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE & FARMERS WELFARE |
- Context:
- The scheme completes five years.
- About PMFBY:
- Launched in 2016.
- Merged schemes include National Agricultural Insurance Scheme (NAIS) and Modified National Agricultural Insurance Scheme (MNAIS).
- It aims to reduce the premium burden on farmers and ensure early settlement of crop assurance claim for the full insured sum.
- Coverage:
- The Scheme covers all Food & Oilseeds crops and Annual Commercial/Horticultural Crops for which past yield data is available and for which requisite number of Crop Cutting Experiments (CCEs) are being conducted under General Crop Estimation Survey (GCES).
- PMFBY to PMFBY 2.0:
- Completely Voluntary: It has been decided to make enrolment 100% voluntary for all farmers from 2020 Kharif.
- Limit to Central Subsidy: The Cabinet has decided to cap the Centre’s premium subsidy under these schemes for premium rates up to 30% for unirrigated areas/crops and 25% for irrigated areas/crops.
- More Flexibility to States: The government has given the flexibility to states/UTs to implement PMFBY and given them the option to select any number of additional risk covers/features like prevented sowing, localised calamity, mid-season adversity, and post-harvest losses.
- Penalising the Pendency: In the revamped PMFBY, a provision has been incorporated wherein if states don’t release their share before March 31 for the Kharif season and September 30 for rabi, they would not be allowed to participate in the scheme in subsequent seasons.
- Investing in ICE Activities: Insurance companies have to now spend 0.5% of the total premium collected on information, education, and communication (IEC) activities.
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Ayushman Bharat: Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY)
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Ministry of health and family welfare |
- Context:
- The 'Ayushman CAPF' scheme was launched recently, extending the benefit of the central health insurance programme to the personnel of all armed police forces in the country.
- Key features of the scheme:
- Under this scheme, around 28 lakh personnel of CAPF, Assam Rifles, and National Security Guard (NSG) and their families will be covered by 'Ayushman Bharat: Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana' (AB PM-JAY)
- Key Features of PM-JAY:
- The world’s largest health insurance/ assurance scheme fully financed by the government.
- It provides coverage of 5 lakhs per family per year, for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization across public and private empaneled hospitals in India.
- Coverage: Over 10.74 crore poor and vulnerable entitled families (approximately 50 crore beneficiaries) are eligible for these benefits.
- Provides cashless access to health care services for the beneficiary at the point of service.
- Eligibility:
- No restrictions on family size, age, or gender.
- All pre–existing conditions are covered from day one.
- Covers up to 3 days of pre-hospitalization and 15 days of post-hospitalization expenses such as diagnostics and medicines.
- The benefits of the scheme are portable across the country.
- Services include approximately 1,393 procedures covering all the costs related to treatment, including but not limited to drugs, supplies, diagnostic services, physician’s fees, room charges, surgeon charges, OT and ICU charges, etc.
- Public hospitals are reimbursed for the healthcare services at par with the private hospitals.
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Faceless tax scheme
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Ministry of Finance |
- Context:
- The government’s faceless tax assessment scheme has managed to deliver about 24,000 final orders since its introduction in August 2020.
- About Faceless tax scheme:
- In the Union Budget 2019, the Finance Minister proposed the introduction of a scheme of faceless assessment.
- It is an attempt to remove individual tax officials’ discretion and potential harassment for income taxpayers.
- The scheme allows for appropriate cases where a certain hearing is necessary, so then after following protocols, a hearing is given.
- The main objective is to remove physical interaction as much as possible.
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New Industrial Development Scheme for Jammu & Kashmir (J&K IDS,2021)
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Ministry of Commerce & Industry |
- Context:
- The government of India has formulated New Industrial Development Scheme for Jammu & Kashmir (J&K IDS, 2021) for the development of Industries in the UT of Jammu & Kashmir.
- About the scheme:
- J&K IDS, 2021 is a Central Sector Scheme. The scheme aims to take industrial development to the block level in UT of J&K, which is the first time in any Industrial Incentive Scheme of the Government of India.
- The financial outlay of the proposed scheme is Rs.28400 crore for the scheme period 2020-21 to 2036- 37.
- Scheme while encouraging new investment, also nurtures the existing industries in J&K by providing them working capital support at the rate of 5% for 5 years.
- Objective:
- The main purpose of the scheme is to generate employment which directly leads to the socio-economic development of the region.
- • It aims at the development of Manufacturing as well as Service Sector Units in J&K.
- Key Features of the Scheme:
- The scheme is made attractive for both smaller and larger units.
- It attempts for a more sustained and balanced industrial growth in the entire UT.
- The scheme has been simplified on the lines of ease of doing business by bringing one major incentiveGST Linked Incentive- that will ensure less compliance burden without compromising on transparency.
- It is not a reimbursement or refund of GST but gross GST is used to measure eligibility for industrial incentives to offset the disadvantages that the UT of J&K faces.
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PM KISAN
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MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE & FARMERS WELFARE |
- Context:
- ₹1,364 crores given to wrong beneficiaries of PM-Kisan.
- About Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi:
- It is implemented as a central sector scheme by the Government of India.
- This scheme was introduced to augment the source of income of many small and marginal farmers.
- Under the Scheme, an amount of Rs.6000/- per year is transferred directly into the bank accounts of the farmers, subject to certain exclusion criteria relating to higher-income status.
- The entire responsibility of identification of beneficiaries rests with the State / UT Governments.
- Ambit:
- The Scheme initially provided income support to all Small and Marginal Farmers’ families across the country, holding cultivable land up to 2 hectares. Its ambit was later expanded w.e.f. 01.06.2019 to cover all farmer families in the country irrespective of the size of their landholdings.
- Exceptions:
- Affluent farmers have been excluded from the scheme such as Income Taxpayers in the last assessment year, professionals like Doctors, Engineers, Lawyers, Chartered Accountants, etc and pensioners drawing at least Rs.10,000/- per month (excluding MTS/Class IV/Group D employees).
- Similar programmes by states:
- Bhavantar Bhugtan Yojana- MP.
- The Rythu Bandhu scheme- Telangana.
- Krushak Assistance for Livelihood and Income Augmentation (KALIA)- Odisha.
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Soil Health Card Scheme
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Ministry of Agriculture
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- Context:
- The scheme is being implemented in 32 States and UTs.
- About the Scheme:
- Launched by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare on December 5, 2015.
- Under the scheme, village-level Soil Testing Labs will be set up by youth having education in agriculture, Women Self Help Groups, FPOs etc.
- The scheme also focuses on enabling employment generation after appropriate skill development.
- What is the Soil Health Card (SHC)?
- SHC is a printed report that a farmer will be handed over for each of his holdings.
- Soil Health Card provides two sets of fertilizer recommendations for six crops including recommendations of organic manures.
- It will contain the status of his soil with respect to 12 parameters, namely: pH, Electrical Conductivity (EC), Organic Carbon (OC), Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), Potassium (K), Sulphur (S), Zinc (Zn), Boron (B), Iron (Fe), Manganese (Mn), Copper (Cu) of farm holdings.
- Objectives of SHC:
- An SHC is meant to give each farmer the soil nutrient status of his/her holding.
- Advise him/her on the dosage of fertilizers and also the needed soil amendments that s/he should apply to maintain soil health in the long run.
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Parivar Pehchan Patra (PPP) Scheme
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Government of Haryana
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- It is Haryana's unique identity card scheme.
- Any family with a Haryana residential address can enrol for the scheme
- The family ID or PPP, an eight-digit alphanumeric ID, is provided to those who are residents of Haryana.
- A registration ID is provided to those who live in Haryana but have not completed residency requirements.
- As of now, over 110 services and schemes being delivered to citizens via the Saral platform have been linked to the PPP scheme.
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Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro food processing Enterprises (PMFME) Scheme
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Ministry of Food Processing Industries |
- Context:
- The Food Processing Ministry had inked an agreement with NAFED for developing 10 brands as the One District One Product brands under the Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro food processing Enterprises (PMFME) Scheme.
- About the Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro food processing Enterprises (PMFME) Scheme:
- Launched in 2020, the scheme will be implemented for five years until 2024-25.
- It is for the Unorganized Sector on an All India basis.
- Objectives:
- Increase in access to finance by micro food processing units.
- Increase in revenues of target enterprises.
- Enhanced compliance with food quality and safety standards.
- Strengthening capacities of support systems.
- The transition from the unorganized sector to the formal sector.
- Special focus on women entrepreneurs and Aspirational districts.
- Encourage Waste to Wealth activities.
- Focus on minor forest produce in Tribal Districts.
- Salient features:
- Centrally Sponsored Expenditure to be shared by Government of India and States at 60:40.
- 2,00,000 micro-enterprises are to be assisted with credit-linked subsidies. Micro enterprises will get credit-linked subsidy at 35 per cent of the eligible project cost with a ceiling of Rs. 10 lakh.
- The beneficiary contribution will be a minimum of 10 per cent and a balance from the loan. Seed capital will be given to SHGs (Rs. four lakh per SHG) for a loan to members for working capital and small tools.
- Cluster approach.
- Focus on perishables.
- Administrative and Implementation Mechanisms:
- The Scheme would be monitored at the Centre by an Inter-Ministerial Empowered Committee (IMEC) under the Chairmanship of Minister, FPI.
- A State/ UT Level Committee (SLC) chaired by the Chief Secretary will monitor and sanction/ recommend proposals for expansion of micro-units and setting up of new units by the SHGs/ FPOs/ Cooperatives.
- The States/ UTs will prepare Annual Action Plans covering various activities for implementation of the scheme, which will be approved by the Government of India.
- A third-party evaluation and mid-term review mechanism would be built into the programme.
- A national-level portal would be set up wherein the applicants/ individual enterprise could apply to participate in the Scheme. All the scheme activities would be undertaken on the National portal.
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Rooftop solar scheme
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Ministry of New and Renewable Energy |
- Context:
- The Ministry of New & Renewable Energy has allowed households to get rooftop solar panels installed by themselves or by any vendor of their choice and a photograph of the installed system for distribution utility is sufficient to avail benefits or subsidies under the Rooftop solar scheme.
- Earlier under the rooftop solar scheme, the households were required to get that from the listed vendors only to avail the benefits and subsidy under the scheme.
- About the scheme:
- Implemented by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.
- Presently under implementation is the Grid-Connected Rooftop Solar Scheme (Phase II):
- It aims to achieve a cumulative capacity of 40,000 MW from Rooftop Solar Projects by the year 2022.
- This scheme is being implemented in the state by distribution companies (DISCOMs).
- Under this scheme, the Ministry is providing a 40% subsidy for the first 3 kW and 20% subsidy beyond 3 kW and up to 10 kW of solar panel capacity.
- The residential consumer has to pay the cost of the rooftop solar plant by reducing the subsidy amount given by the Ministry as per the prescribed rate to the vendor.
- The major objective of the programme includes:
- To promote the grid-connected SPV rooftop and small SPV power generating plants among the residential, community, institutional, industrial and commercial establishments.
- To mitigate the dependence on fossil fuel-based electricity generation and encourage environment-friendly Solar electricity generation.
- To create an enabling environment for investment in the solar energy sector by the private sector, state government and individuals.
- To create an enabling environment for the supply of solar power from rooftops and small plants to the grid.
- Benefits of rooftop solar:
- An alternative source of electricity to that provided by the grid.
- It reduces the dependence on fossil-fuel generated electricity.
- Ability to provide electricity to those areas that are not yet connected to the grid — remote locations and areas where the terrain makes it difficult to set up power stations and lay power lines.
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