1. Agricultural Growtha And Farmers Welfare

• Agriculture is the principal source of livelihood for about 48 per cent of the population of the country.

• PM has given a new vision of ‘making a New India’. This ‘New India’ cannot become a reality unless the villages in far flung areas are developed. With 69 percent of the rural population, agriculture becomes a vital sector of the Indian economy. Along with meeting of food and nutritional requirements of 121 crore Indians

• The resources under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) have been seen as a livelihood resource and efforts have been made to use them to diversify livelihoods of households

• The micro credit plan under the Deen Dayal Antayodaya Yojana - National Rural Livelihood Mission (DAY-NRLM), works through women Self Help Groups (SHGs) to provide institutional credit to households for economic activities

• The reduction of input costs is the first element towards raising farm incomes. Soil Health Card scheme, and the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana are important steps towards reducing input costs.

• Raising farm incomes through diversification in farming activities. Along with crop growing, farmers could opt for timber plantation along the edges of their fields, and also begin animal husbandry.

• The more the farmers are empowered, and financially enabled to stand on their own feet, the stronger the country will become, and the faster will be the pace of development.

• Rabi sowing is up by 6 per cent compared to last year. Fertilizer off take is up by 9 per cent. During this period, the Government has taken care to ensure that farmers do not suffer for want of access to seeds, fertilisers and credit.

• Farmers who have taken loans for the Rabi crop from District Cooperative Central Banks and Primary Societies, will not have to pay interest on such loans for a period of 60 days. Farmers who have paid interest during the last two months, will receive these amounts back, directly into their bank accounts.

• NABARD created a fund of 21,000 crore rupees. Government is adding 20,000 crore rupees more to it. The loss that NABARD suffers by giving loans to cooperative banks and societies at low interest rates, shall be borne by the Government of India.

• Government provided 3 crore farmers who have Kisan Credit Cards, RuPay debit cards within three months. Kisan Credit Cards were launched in 1998, but so far, it was essential to go to a bank, to use them. Now, farmers will have RuPay Debit Cards, which they can use anywhere.

• BHIM (Bharat Interface for Money) will connect the trading community, and farmers to connect with BHIM as much as possible.

• The focus of the Budget 2017-18 is also on agriculture, rural development and infrastructure which is also a reflection of the Government’s commitment to raise investment and create employment

• The next revolution in Indian agriculture has to be built on technology and modernization, and the eastern part of India has maximum potential to achieve it. The Government is working towards this goal.

• Rural development holds the key to sustainable economic growth and human development. India’s emergence as a global power depends on its ability to tackle the challenge of rural poverty and development effectively.

• In last few years, a series of measures have been taken for the upliftment of the rural masses.

• Doubling the farmers income by 2022

• PM Krishi Sinchayee Yojana

• Soil health cards

• E-NAM

• PM Fasal Bima Yojana

• PM Gram Sadak Yojana

• PM Awas Yojana

• PM Ujjawala Yojana

• PM Jan Dhan Yojana

• Swachh Bharat Mission

• MGNREGA

• And many more…

• With these schemes and the visible progress in these areas, hopes for creating ‘New India’ has increased.

• Rural economy, prosperity of Indian villages and self-content requirement of pastoral clusters can only usher in a progressive and modern India. It is the rural work force and Indian agriculturalists who can play the pivotal role for the overall development and well-being of the country. But ultimately, it ought to be underlined that it will be wrong to visualise a uniform and single pattern of farming or rural development methodology in the entire country.

• Each region, state and at times districts and blocks have their unique traditional methodologies of water preservation, farming and rural planning.

• Transforming Lives Through Livelihoods

• The reduction in poverty is fastest when rural economies are resurgent, providing opportunities for diversification of livelihoods in farm and non-farm sectors.

 

Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY)

• To reduce the “carbon footprint” of rural roads, reduce environmental pollution, increase the working season and bring cost effectiveness, PMGSY is aggressively encouraging use of “Green Technologies” and non-conventional materials like waste plastic, cold mix, geo-textiles, fly-ash, iron and copper slag etc. in rural roads

 

Pradhan Mantri Awas yojana Grameen ( PMAY- G )

• The new Rural Housing programme is designed to meet the needs and aspirations of households. With a higher unit cost, it allows for construction using local materials and local house designs.

 

2. Transforming Rural India Through Skill Development

• Transforming rural India is an imperative to make in India a developed nation. In this process, youth have a special role to play. PM has often talked about skill, scale and speed. Out of these, skill is the most important. Workforce will turn into human resource only when workers are skilled.

• Previously, three different agencies were responsible for skill development

• 1. PM council for skill development

• 2. National Skill Development Corporation

• 3. National Skill Development Agency

• Presently, a new ministry was formed who was devoted to Skill Development and Entrepreneurship. Its aim is to prepare a framework for skill development, bridge the gap between demand and supply of skilled labour through vocational education and technical training, develop new skill sets and evaluate and certify the existing skill development programs.

 

Skill Development in India

• The National Skill Development Corporation has a capacity to train 82 million through 159 training partners. Many ministries have been involved in the skil development initiative- department of rural development, ministry of textiles, ministry of micro, small and medium enterprises.

• A person in an urban area has 93% greater chance of acquiring training than someone in a rural area. The wider gap between those who have access to education and skill development opportunities and those who do not, is a challenge that has to be overcome.

• One of the biggest challenges faced by the country is not the absence of skill but the lack of a proper mechanism to train and certify workforce.

 

Skill Development and Rural Youth

• About 69% of population lives in villages. Agriculture is largest employer (48% of its 490 million workforce) but results only in 13% share of GDP.

• Several challenges prevent India’s rural poor youth from competing in the modern market, such as lack of formal education and marketable skills.

• The government is making efforts to engage, educate, employ and make rural youth entrepreneurs.

• Many schemes such as Deen Dayal Upadhaya Grameen Kaushal Yojana, Skill India Mission, USTAAD, ASPIRE, Nai Manzil etc. to ensure skill training, capital funds, connectivity and jobs for the country’s rural youth.

 

DDU-GKY

• Aim- to make rural poor youth economically independent.

• It is a placement linked skill training programme which in partnership with private industries, which is empowering rural youth with skills and giving placements.

 

PMKVY

• Aim- to impart skills to 1 crore people om four years.

• Post placement is given directly to the beneficiaries through DBT.

• Mobilisation, monitoring and post training placement of trainees is to be done through Rozgar melas and Kaushal Shivirs.

• It will also focus in imparting skills which are helpful in overseas employment.

 

USTAAD

• 1. Upgrading the Skills and Training in Traditional Arts/Crafts for Development.

• 2. Launched by ministry of minority affairs for skill development of artisans and craftsmen of minority communities.

• 3. Many hunar hars, shipl utsavs are organised and engagement with knowledge partners like NIFT and NID is undertaken.

 

Nai Manzil

• It is an educational and livelihood initiative supported by World Bank.

• It can be availed by school drop outs out of six notified minority communities- Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Parsis and Jains.

 

ASPIRE

• It is a scheme for promotion of Innovation, Rural Industry and Enterprise which has set up a network technology centres, incubation centres to accelerate entrepreneurship and to promote start-ups for innovation and entrepreneurship in rural and agriculture based industry.

• Planned outcomes of ASPIRE is setting up Technological Business Incubators, Livelihood Business Indicators and creation of a fund with SIDBI.

• 12 million people are expected to join the workforce every year. It should be dream of every Indian workforce population to be skilled. The government has been successful in creating an ecosystem for skill development but still there is a need to make efforts in a sustained manner. With Make in India as a national dream and acceptance of skill development as a priority for the next decade, reforms will be visible when government integrates skill development, education system and Indian industry.

 

3. Reaching Poor, Bridging Disparities

• Though state resources are continuously utilised in the name of poverty alleviation and disparity reduction, a series of welfare schemes over the past 60 years failed to end the miseries of bottom segments of population in economic ladder. Barriers to

 

Demand side

• Complexity- excluded section feel that it is not necessary to go to bank for small transaction which is time wasting and perplexing.

• Place of living- excluded population find it difficult to reach nearest bank due to transportation cost and wages loss in travelling to bank.

• Limited literacy- financial literacy and lack of basic education are prohibiting factors

• Affinity towards informal sector- they develop affinity with money lenders which drives them to approach them for their credit needs.

 

Supply side

• Legal identity- inability to provide a legal identity such as voter id, residence proof, birth certificates etc.

• Outreach issue- service and transaction are not cost effective.

• Approaches to break the barrier

 

3.1. Government initiatives

"Pradhan Mantri Jan-Dhan Yojana

• (PMJDY)" is a National Mission on Financial Inclusion encompassing an integrated approach to bring about comprehensive financial inclusion of all the households in the country. The plan envisages universal access to banking facilities with at least one basic banking account for every household, financial literacy, access to credit, insurance and pension facility.

• Aadhaar is a 12 digit unique-identity number issued to all Indian residents based on their biometric and demographic data. The data is collected by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), a statutory authority established by the Government of India, under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, under the provisions of the Aadhaar Act 2016. Most of the schemes are integrated with this to avoid duplication of beneficiaries.

• JAM (short for Jan Dhan-Aadhaar-Mobile) trinity refers to the government of India initiative to link Jan Dhan accounts, Mobile numbers and Aadhar cards of Indians to plug the leakages of government subsidies.

• Direct Benefit Transfer is an attempt to change the mechanism of transferring subsidies launched by Government of India. This program aims to transfer subsidies directly to the people through their bank accounts. It is hoped that crediting subsidies into bank accounts will reduce leakages, delays etc.,

• Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana under the Micro Units Development and Refinance Agency (MUDRA) Bank is a new institution being set up by Government of India for development and refinancing activities relating to micro units.

• Atal Pension Yojana is a government-backed pension scheme in India targeted at the unorganized sector. In Atal Pension Yojana, for every contribution made to the pension fund, The Central Government would also co-contribute 50% of the total contribution or Rs. 1,000 per annum, whichever is lower, to each eligible subscriber account, for a period of 5 years. The minimum age of joining APY is 18 years and maximum age is 40 years. The age of exit and start of pension would be 60 years. Therefore, minimum period of contribution by the subscriber under APY would be 20 years or more.

• Digital boost to MNREGA is a commendable initiative. A total of 35000 gram panchayats are covered to ensure better implementation through mobile monitoring system.

• The Department of posts launched e-Money order initiative to 70 percent of ots post offices. This service will enable the India Post to deliver the money next day to the doorstep that earlier took about a week.

• Twitter Samvad will enable the citizens to know about new government initiatives and actions. It is a service which makes a communication between people and government through tweets and messages.

• Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana is a government-backed Life insurance scheme in India. Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana is available to people between 18 and 50 years of age with bank accounts. It has an annual premium of Rs.330. The amount will be automatically debited from the account. In case of death due to any cause, the payment to the nominee will be Rs.2 lakh.

• Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana is a government-backed accident insurance scheme in India. Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana is available to people between 18 and 70 years of age with bank accounts. It has an annual premium of Rs. 12 exclusive of taxes. The amount will be automatically debited from the account. The accident insurance scheme will have one year cover from June 1 to May 31 and would be offered through banks and administered through public sector general insurance companies.

• Digital Life Certificate for Pensioners Scheme of the Government of India known as Jeevan Pramaan seeks to address this very problem by digitizing the whole process of securing the life certificate. It aims to streamline the process of getting this certificate and making it hassle free and much easier for the pensioners. With the help of Digital Locker, the sharing of the e-documents will be done through registered repositories thereby ensuring the authenticity of the documents online. Residents can also upload their own electronic documents and digitally sign them using the e-sign facility. These digitally signed documents can be shared with Government organizations or other entities.

• PRAGATI is a unique integrating and interactive platform. The platform is aimed at addressing common man’s grievances, and simultaneously monitoring and reviewing important programmes and projects of the Government of India as well as projects flagged by State Governments

 

4. Strengthening The Agricultural System

• Along with meeting food and nutritional requirements of 121 crore Indians, agriculture significantly contributes to production, employment and demand generation through various forward and backward linkages.

• The role of agriculture sector in alleviating poverty and in ensuring the sustainable development of the economy is well recognised.

• Though its contribution to the overall GDP has fallen from 19% in 2004-05 to 14% in 2013-14, a trend that is expected in the development process of any economy, yet agriculture forms the backbone of development.

 

4.1. Agricultural initiatives for enhancing production

• Though the sector has made huge strides in achieving goals of food security, it is still being challenged by the agrarian crisis.

• The pressures emanating from natural resources constraints, increasing fragmentation of holdings, frequent climatic variations, rising input costs and post-harvest losses pose an enormous challenge to sustain agricultural growth.

• Against this scenery, government has formulated different policies and programmes such as

• o Increase farmers’ welfare through improved employment opportunities

• o Better farm practices

• o Improving soil health

• o Increasing investment

• o Creating rural infrastructure

• o Ensuring timely delivery of credit and technology

• o Encouraging market reforms

• o Reducing risk through new insurance scheme

• Knowing the schemes…

 

PM Fasal Bima Yojana

• Implemented from kharif season 2016 along with pilot Unified Packaged Insurance Scheme (UPIS) and Restructured Weather based Crop Insurance Scheme (RWBCIS)

• Under this scheme, a uniform maximum premium will be paid- 2% for all kharif crops, 1.5% for all rabi crops, 5% for annual commercial and horticulture crops

• The premiums paid by farmers are very low and the balanced will be paid by government- equally by state and central governments.

• They are being implemented in the country on ‘Area approach’ basis where yield of notified areas under PMFBY and weather data of notified reference Automatic

• Weather Station under RWBCIS are taken as one unit for assessment/payment of claims for widespread calamities.

• Interest subsidy for short term credit to farmers

• Crop loans upto 3laks per annum to 7.5 crore farmers at 7% annual interest and at 4% on timely repayment of crop loans is given.

• The scheme aims to increase annual growth in food grain productivity by 2%S.

• Market Intervention Scheme and Price Support Scheme

• Objective- to provide remunerative prices to all the farmers in case of glut in production and fall in prices.

• In case the prices falls below MSP/MIP, central/state agencies start the purchase operations by paying MSP/MIP to farmers.

• These are central sector schemes

 

Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana

• Launched in 2007-08 wherein funds are provided as a 100% grant to states to choose projects specifically tailored to their conditions for enhancing growth in agriculture and allied sector.

 

PM Krishi Sinchayee Yojana

• Launched in 2015, it aims to boost irrigation facilities.

• Motto- ‘Har khet ko pani’ and ‘more crop per drop’

• The scheme will coordinate the ministries, departments, agencies and research and financial institutions so that holistic view of entire ‘water cycle’ is taken into account and proper water budgeting is done.

 

PMKSY amalgamates

• o Accelerated irrigation benefit programmes (Ministry of water resources, river development and ganga rejuvenation)

• o Integrated watershed management programme (department of land resources)

• o On-farm water management (OFWM) (component of national mission on sustainable agriculture)

• Other Krishi Unnati Schemes are

 

Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture

• o Promote horticulture sector through regionally differentiated strategies which includes research, technology, promotion, extension, post harvest management, processing and marketing and more.

• Integrated Scheme on Agriculture Census % Statistics

• o To collect/compile data of operational holdings to provide aggregates for basic agricultural characteristics for use as the benchmark for inter-census estimates.

 

Integrated Scheme on Agriculture Marketing

• o Aims at creation of agricultural marketing infrastructure by providing backend subsidy support to state, cooperative and private sector investments promotion of integrated value chains use ICT to sensitize and orient farmers to respond to new challenges in agricultural marketing establish nation wide information network system for speedy collection and dissemination of market information and more…

 

National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture

• o To make agriculture more productive, sustainable, remunerative and climate resilient by promoting location specific integrated/composite farming systems, conserving natural resources through appropriate soil and moisture conservation measure adopting soil health management optimise utilisation of water resources through efficient water management to expand coverage for achieveing ‘more crop per drop’.

 

National Mission on Agriculture Extension and Technology

• o Aims to disseminate information and knowledge to farming community in local language/dialect in respect of agricultural schemes

• o It has four sub components

•  Sub mission on agriculture extension

•  Sub mission on seed and planting material

•  Sub mission on agricultural mechanisation

•  Sub mission on plant protection and plant quarantine

• These are centrally sponsored schemes

 

Conclusion

• Agriculture provides food and livelihood activities to majority of Indian population. while the magnitude of impact varies greatly by region, climate change is expected to impact on agricultural productivity and shifting crop patterns. Hence, success of all the schemes and programmes implemented by government depends upon its outreach to the intended groups. This can be enhanced by increasing the communication process in an efficient manner where the intended benefits can understand the scheme and take advantage of it. Simultaneously with traditional extension system, there should be widening of digital and mobile technology to reach out to farmers to establish two-way communication.

 

5. PROSPERITY THROUGH PANCHAYATS

• Even before 73rd CAA, the constitution of India recognised only a village panchayat under art 40 (state shall take steps to organise village panchayats and endow them with such powers and authority as may be necessary to enable them as a unit of a self-government.)

• Even entry 5 in 7th schedule mentions only establishment of Local Self Government Institutions.

• After 73rd CAA, the three tier panchayati Raj system recognised the gram panchayat as one of the three tiers, leaving it at the discretion of each state to decide the degree of devolution of funds, functions and functionaries.

• A few states like Kerala may have taken striding steps to truly empower gram panchayats but overall performance of the states is not very encouraging even after lapse of 25 years of passing of 73rd CAA.

• Village panchayats are still treated as limbs of the states or a state tends to create parallel institutions under line departments outside panchayat to implement/deliver the programmes including those pertaining to 29 subjects in the 11th schedule which should be rightfully in the domain of panchayats.

• Most of the states have unfinished agenda with regards to 29 subjects.

• However, in spite of these constraints, central government had adopted an ingenious and innovative strategy, without interfering in the autonomy of the states and remaining within confines of laws- to empower the PRIs and also encourage states to follow the suit.

 

5.1. Mission Panchayat Empowerment

14th Finance Commission

• o 100% funds provided under the Award for Panchayats to be transferred exclusively to Gram Panchayats (GPs).

• o It is insisted to be treated as a United Grant which gives full authority and autonomy to GP for implementation of concept of ‘Hamara Gaon, Hamara Vikas’.

• o Linking performance component of 14th FC with reforms to be adopted by GPs in stipulated time will create a sense of responsibility.

•  Digital Funds Transfer

• o The services the GP is expected to deliver should reach the beneficiary in transparent, speedy and timely manner through a Bharatnet Mission which is broadband project

• o CSC- a GOI sponsored programme, a village level entrepreneur is encouraged to provide B-C, G-G, G-C online services- free or reasonable fees to the villagers.

 

Gram Uday to Bharat Uday

• o Launched on 14th April 2016 and culmination on 24th August 2016, the rural community was sensitised to create an atmosphere of social harmony in villages through Gram Sabhas and other activities.

• o It is to promote that attitudinal and behavioural changes in community can happen only by involving their own grass root innovations, hence the focus on sensitisation and active involvement of the Gram Panchayats and Gram Sabhas in spreading the message and practices entailing social transformation.

 

Community Ownership through Panchayati Raj

• o All the developmental acitivites taken up from any public resources including CSR funds or non-monitory support goes towards enhancing community ownership, involvement and accountability through panchayati raj institutional network.

• In a nutshell, government’s agenda is

• CUP (Corruption-unemployment-poverty which has filled up rural administration should be emptied and filled with

• TEA (Transparency-Entrepreneurship-Affluence) that will infuse freshness, energy and efficiency in rural governance.

 

Conclusion

• There is 25% increase in the central budgetary allocation for 2017-18 budget for rural sector programmes. It is not only quantitative increase but also the qualitative modifications brought in the spending pattern and grassroot institutional involvement.

• Emphasis on skill development in educational contents from the schooling level to increase not only the employability but to inculcate entrepreneurial spirit amongst youth to aspire for self-enterprise formation.

• Market oriented skills and values through education and interventions like Business Correspondent model, Mini mobile ATM van network, making villages 100% cashless transaction villages, DBT with opening of Jan Dhan bank accounts will make the dream of bringing prosperity through governance a reality. This will enable them to become employment-giver rather than employment seeker.

 

Gram Uday to Bharat Uday

• o Launched on 14th April 2016 and culmination on 24th August 2016, the rural community was sensitised to create an atmosphere of social harmony in villages through Gram Sabhas and other activities.

• o It is to promote that attitudinal and behavioural changes in community can happen only by involving their own grass root innovations, hence the focus on sensitisation and active involvement of the Gram Panchayats and Gram Sabhas in spreading the message and practices entailing social transformation.

 

Community Ownership through Panchayati Raj

• o All the developmental acitivites taken up from any public resources including CSR funds or non-monitory support goes towards enhancing community ownership, involvement and accountability through panchayati raj institutional network.

• In a nutshell, government’s agenda is

• CUP (Corruption-unemployment-poverty which has filled up rural administration should be emptied and filled with

• TEA (Transparency-Entrepreneurship-Affluence) that will infuse freshness, energy and efficiency in rural governance.

 

Conclusion

• There is 25% increase in the central budgetary allocation for 2017-18 budget for rural sector programmes. It is not only quantitative increase but also the qualitative modifications brought in the spending pattern and grassroot institutional involvement.

• Emphasis on skill development in educational contents from the schooling level to increase not only the employability but to inculcate entrepreneurial spirit amongst youth to aspire for self-enterprise formation.

• Market oriented skills and values through education and interventions like Business Correspondent model, Mini mobile ATM van network, making villages 100% cashless transaction villages, DBT with opening of Jan Dhan bank accounts will make the dream of bringing prosperity through governance a reality. This will enable them to become employment-giver rather than employment seeker.

 

6.Rural Electrification : Changing India's Landscape

6.1. India's

• The demand of power in rural areas is increasing day by day due to changing consumer base and improving living standards for which augmentation of rural infrastructure needs to be regularly undertaken.

• The rural agricultural and non-Agriculture consumers (domestic and non-domestic load) of the country are generally serviced through the local distribution network. Many rural areas of the country face insufficient electricity supply, consequently the distribution utilities are forced to resort to load shedding, thus affecting the power supply to both Agriculture and non-Agriculture consumers.

• The demand of power in rural areas is increasing day by day due to changing consumer base, improving living standards for which augmentation of rural infrastructure needs to be regularly undertaken.

• The investment in the distribution network is low due to bad financial health of the distribution companies. Therefore in order to augment the reliability and quality of supply distribution network needs to be strengthened.

 

Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana

• To improve the commercial viability of power distribution, there is need for metering of all categories of the consumers. Keeping in view the above problems, Ministry of Power, Government of India has launched Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana for rural areas having following objectives:

• To provide electrification to all villages

• Feeder separation to ensure sufficient power to farmers and regular supply to other consumers

• Improvement of Sub-transmission and distribution network to improve the quality and reliability of the supply

• Metering to reduce the losses

• Electrification of villages has resulted in socio economic improvements and villagers are able to utilise electrical appliances for additional convenience and education of their children. habits. Access to TV has opened to new world to information which was not available before.

• Business of Small and household enterprises shall grow resulting into new avenues for employment.

• Improvement in Health, Education, Banking (ATM) services.

• Improvement in accessibility to radio, telephone, television, internet and mobile etc.

• Accessibility of electricity to schools, panchayats, hospitals and police stations etc.

• Rural areas shall get increased opportunities for comprehensive development.

• It has substantially reduced burden of women by reducing number of hours spent on household activities.

• Women feel a great deal of safety and are not afraid to venture outside the house in the evening. Electricity safeguards them and their children from intruders including in certain areas in wild animals