28-Oct-2022: NSDC International partners with Perdaman to enhance India Australia trade in Innovation, Skills and Education

In a step towards Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s vision to make India, the skill capital of the world, NSDC International (NSDCI) and Perdaman got into a partnership to create an interface between Indian skilled youth and market opportunities in Australia. This partnership will enable a gateway for the Indian skilled youth to Australia. This agreement will lead to deeper cooperation between the two companies and is another chapter in fast growing India and Australia mutual co-operation. This association will empower the skilled youth of India by connecting them to opportunities in Australia, gain global exposure and contribute to the overall well-being of the globe. This is aligned to the vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat which is about building self-reliance while also contributing to global good.

The collaboration will also provide students from India/Australia with the opportunity to study in the reciprocal country through various channels. Going forward, it would also explore the scholarship opportunity and the possibility of a reduction of the fee for students coming from economically weaker backgrounds. The association will work in various industry sectors including manufacturing, hospitality, agriculture, renewable energy and electric vehicles.

Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Minister of Education Skill Development and Entrepreneurship recently visited Australia During the visit, Shri Pradhan reiterated India’s interest in collaborations with Australia’s skilling institutions.

Pursuant to his visit, Shri Ved Mani Tiwari, CEO, NSDC & Managing Director NSDC International visited Perth to launch NSDC International with Perdaman in WA. The six (6) member delegation met with the Premier of Western Australia, Hon. Mark McGowan MLA.

Premier Mark McGowan welcomed the decision by NSDCI and Perdaman to establish the office in Western Australia, and the opportunity to further strengthen ties with India. Mr. McGowan said that my Government is committed to enhancing our State’s already strong relationship with India, which is underpinned by common values, strong people-to-people connections, and substantial trade and investment links. Earlier this year, our largest ever business delegation travelled to India with a clear message – Western Australia is open for business and warmly welcomes students, workers, visitors and investors, he added.

Shri Ved Mani Tiwari said that while India has a huge network of training institutions consisting of Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs), Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendras (PMKKs) and other institutions skilling millions of youths every year, Australia is facing an acute shortage of skilled workers. As a result, there is an urgent need to create an enabling and facilitating environment to benefit both countries. It is my firm belief that this partnership will not only make the process of international mobility by a smooth process by removing any bottlenecks and procedural challenges but also meet the aspirations of Indian youth to earn a livelihood in foreign countries, he added.

Chairman of Perdaman, Mr. Vikas Rambal said that we welcome the Government of India’s initiative to build stronger ties with Australia and they have chosen WA as a state to establish the network. This is a historic moment for both the countries to have organization like NSDC International to establish with local partner Perdaman, for building the vision for the next generation of entrepreneurs and businesses, he added.

About NSDCI: The National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) launched NSDCI as a 100% subsidiary to play role in steering national and international partnerships for overseas employment through specific programmes, positioning India as the preferred hub for the supply of skilled workforce across the globe.

About Perdaman Global Services: Perdaman is a multinational group based in Western Australia with a long-standing track record in involvement within a diverse range of markets. It works in myriad areas like agriculture, ownership and management of shopping centres, the production and distribution of pharmaceuticals, recruitment & migration services and advanced energy solutions.

11-Aug-2022: MoU signed between NHIDCL and NSDC for collaboration in skill development initiatives

A MoU was signed between MD, NHIDCL (National Highways Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited) and COO & Officiating CEO NSDC (National Skill Development Corporation) on 08.08.2022. The MoU provides a formal basis interaction between NHIDCL and NSDC, and will play a significant role in realizing the aims and objectives of Prime Minister’s skill development program.

The purpose of this MoU is to establish the basis of collaboration between   NHIDCL and NSDC, to take up multiple initiatives contributing towards making India the Skill Capital of the World.

Both NHIDCL and NSDC are leading premier National organizations in their respective fields and are desirous of working together as a team to achieve national objectives, undertaken with their best abilities and maximum mutual co-operation with the intent of helping each other.

19-Jul-2022: Pact for training 18,000 students, especially from rural & tribal areas to be trained in the next three years

National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) today announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Toyota Kirloskar Motor [TKM] and Automotive Skill Development Council (ASDC) to train 18,000 students in three years, with special focus on rural areas, making them more employable through the company’s unique training initiative — Toyota Technical Education Program (T-TEP). These students will be trained across five automotive job roles such as General Technician, Body and Paint Technician, Service Advisor, Sales consultants and Call Center Staff.

The MoU was exchanged between Mr. Ved Mani Tiwari, Chief Operating Officer and Officiating CEO, NSDC, Mr. Arindam Lahiri, CEO, ASDC, and Mr. Sabari Manohar R, GM, TKM in the presence of Shri Rajeev Chandrasekhar Minister of State for Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship and Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and Mr. Vikram Gulati, Executive Vice President, TKM.

Aimed at generating talented and technically skilled professionals for the automobile industry, T-TEP is strongly aligned with Skill India Mission and so far, been associated with 56 ITI/Polytechnic colleges covering 21 states. Currently more than 10,000 students have been trained and 70% of the students are working in various automobile companies.

On this occasion, Shri Rajeev Chandrasekhar said that Toyota Kirloskar Motor’s initiative, in collaboration with NSDC and ASDC, to establish skill development centers across the country with a special focus on rural areas will have a big impact in making the students highly skilled, employable, and future ready. This effort is aligned with the Government of India’s Skill India Mission. The government is committed to encouraging, supporting and collaborating with industry partners like Toyota by providing them with a platform that will boost their efforts in bridging the existing skills gap and help develop a workforce of global standards, he added.

The Minister further added that Automotive sector is an important pillar of Indian economy and offers huge scope in the manufacturing economy over the next 5-6 years. India can also be the Principal Pole for future of Automobile Sector in India thereby creating huge opportunities for Skilling. The partnership with Toyota is going to be an important one to shape this new direction to Skilling and also serves as a shining example for other manufacturing companies to partner with Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship through NSDC to take PM’s vision of making India a Global Skills Hub forward, he added.

Lauding the initiative, Mr. Ved Mani Tiwari, COO and Officiating CEO, NSDC, said that Automotive industry is growing tremendously and since 2006 T-TEP has become a benchmark in imparting automotive training and providing immense benefits to the automotive service industry and society at large. By partnering with TKM and ASDC, NSDC will not only be able to build a highly skilled technical workforce, with greater career prospects in the automotive service industry, but also enable youngsters earn a decent livelihood by providing them with employment opportunities. This partnership will also encourage other automotive players to step forward in making India a Skill Capital of the World, he added.

Talking about this partnership, Mr. Arindam Lahiri, CEO, ASDC said with advancements in technology in the auto industry and unprecedent growth in motorization, we need to ensure that the consumers receive the best-in-class services, especially in rural areas. To align with it we will be needing highly skilled technicians, making it imperative that students at technical training centres have access to advanced technologies and gain hands-on training experience. With this collaboration, training partners will get an opportunity to understand Toyota’s values, best practices, and advanced technologies which will benefit not only the students but also the entire industry, thereby contribute toward the Skill India Mission, he added.

Expressing his views Mr. Vikram Gulati, Executive Vice President, Toyota Kirloskar Motor said that Toyota is known for its exceptional quality products and services, which stems from developing world-class people, processes, and infrastructure. We are continuously growing and adapting to the changing needs and dynamics of the auto industry. Through the T-TEP initiative, we are striving to provide talented youths with training and access to advanced technologies. It is my firm belief that this new collaboration with NSDC and ASDC will strengthen the talent available at the grassroot level and help them upskill as per the market requirements, he added.

As a part of this initiative, ASDC will identify the institute as per the requirements and Toyota will support the institute with latest curriculum covering automobile fundamentals, safety, Toyota values and basic soft skills. In addition, the company will provide e-learning content, engines, transmissions, practice kits and train the institute’s faculty through Train The Trainer approach. Further Toyota dealer partner will support skill development centers in sustenance and extend On-Job-Training to all the students. ASDC would support in infrastructure enhancement and ensure student training. TKM, dealer partners and ASDC will also conduct quarterly audits to ensure the training quality. Post successful completion of T-TEP course the student will be certified by Toyota, NSDC & ASDC.

21-Mar-2022: Skill sector funding

National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), under the aegis of Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship has, so far, formed 37 Sector Skill Councils (SSCs) which cover the major sectors to fulfill the skilling needs of their respective sectors.

Under Skill India Mission, Ministry is implementing its flagship scheme Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) to impart skill development training to youth in various sectors across the country, including the State of Karnataka. PMKVY has two components, namely, Central component being implemented through NSDC, and State component being implemented through State Skill Development Mission (SSDM) of the State/UT. Under Central component of PMKVY, there is no provision of State-wise funds allocation. However, under the State component of PMKVY, funds and corresponding physical targets have been allocated to the States for the implementation of scheme through SSDMs. As on 31.12.2022, total volume of funds disbursed to State of Karnataka under PMKVY is Rs. 282.24 crore.

The allocation of skilling targets and funds amongst the States under PMKVY 2.0 has been done on the basis of the various parameters such as State Population in the age group (15 to 35 years); Human Development Index (HDI) of the State; and Unemployment Percentage of the State.

While parameters such as weighted mean of indicator values under three categories, namely, population, industry and labour supply has been used for allocation of skilling targets and funds amongst the States under PMKVY 3.0

Establishment of further SSCs is based on multiple criteria like support from industry for creation of SSC, interest from industry to participate in the activities of SSC, demand for and need for skilling by the industry, existing work force of sector, need for upskilling/ reskilling of existing workforce, etc. SSCs can also be approved if the target segment is special and unorganized but is sizable and needs skilling for better opportunities of employment, e.g., Skill Council for PwD, Domestic Workers Skill Council, etc.

13-Dec-2021: Sector Skill Council

National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), under the aegis of Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship has, so far, formed 37 Sector Skill Councils (SSCs) which cover all the major sectors to fulfil the skilling needs of their respective sectors. Establishment of further Sector Skill Councils is based on multiple criteria like support from Industry for creation of SSC, interest from Industry to participate in the activities of SSC, existing work force of sector, need for upskilling/reskilling of existing workforce, likely addition of new workplace in the next 5-10 years, etc. SSCs can also be approved if the target segment is special and unorganized but is sizable and needs skilling for better opportunities of employment, e.g., Skill Council for PwD, Domestic Workers Skill Council etc.7 SSCs are working for the needs of artisans/weavers/farmers.

2-Aug-2021: Skill Development for Divyangjan under NSDC

National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) is implementing central component of Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) across the country including Parbhani and Osmanabad district of Maharashtra, which is for all sections of the society, including Divyangjan (Persons with Disability). Under PMKVY, there are incentives to encourage participation of Divyangjan in the skill training, namely, monthly conveyance support (Rs. 1500 for Conveyance outside the Home District/ Rs.1000 for conveyance within the Home District) being directly paid to the candidates while financial support of Rs.5000 for assistive devices, aid and appliances; and boarding and lodging as per Common Cost Norms being provided to the Training Provider (TP).

Also, an exclusive Sector Skill Council for Divyangjan known as Skill Council for PwD (SCPwD) has been created for addressing the skilling needs of the Divyangjan. SCPwD empanels Divyangjan-friendly training centres, which are structurally designed to cover Braille, computer screen reader for visually impaired; sign language interpreter for speech and hearing impaired, etc.

48,476 Divyangjan have been trained/oriented as on 10.07.2021 under central component of PMKVY across the country.

Rozgar Melas are being conducted by NSDC for all persons including Divyangjan.

30-Jul-2021: Steps taken by the government to increase skill development trainers in various sectors

Under short-term skilling eco-system, trainers are being trained through Training of Trainers (ToT) programme, which is being conducted by Sector Skill Councils (SSCs) and facilitated through National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC). Under Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), all the trainers for short-term training have to be ToT certified. As on 19.07.2021, 58,112 trainers under 37 sectors have been ToT certified across the country. 

NSDC under the aegis of Ministry is implementing training program for the professional development of “Skill Trainers” in the short-term skill eco-system through Sector Skill Councils (SSCs). In order to further enhance the ToT programme, Ministry has provisioned for the direct funding under third phase of PMKVY to create a pool of certified trainers.

Also, Takshashila, a dedicated technology platform has been developed to support the trainer development framework such as Trainer registration, demand aggregation, batch-life cycle and certification.  Further, a dedicated capacity of ‘Trainer-Assessor Academies’ is being established which are responsible for the implementation of training of trainers program along with Continuous Professional Development programs.

8-Mar-2021: National Skill Development Corporation to bridge the skill gap

The Government of India had constituted a Committee known as Common Norms Committee (CNC) for providing recommendations on cost norms for skill development schemes/programmes implemented by Government of India. Common Norms Committee (CNC) for Skill Development Schemes has decided that 1.5% of the average training cost per trainee for 3 months, or 1.5% of the hourly base cost rate (as applicable as per category of trade undergoing the training) may be allowed as COVID Allowance. The COVID allowance would be funded out of the grants already made available for training.

During the pandemic induced lockdown, the National Skill Development Corporation has promoted online skilling through eSkill India portal. This e-learning aggregator portal offers online skill training on a variety of sectors and modules which included IT, Electronics, Retail, Construction, Automotive, Plumbing, Healthcare, Media, Telecom etc. eSkill India has been instrumental in aggregating digital skilling avenues from the leaders in the field of digital skilling. Almost 17 lakh minutes of e-Content is aggregated and most of the e-courses are free. The enrollment for various e-courses is around 7.5 lakh.

29-Jan-2019: Renault-Nissan signs pact with NSDC

Renault-Nissan has signed a pact with National Skill Development Corporation to train its workforce in the alliance plant in Chennai for future technologies. NSDC would assist the Renault-Nissan workforce develop competency standards in emerging manufacturing technologies. In the first year, the carmaker aims to get 10% of staff trained to support its growth and expansion plans in India.

20-Oct-2022: The activities of Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare under Special Campaign 2.0.

Government of India under the guidance of DARPG has taken up Special Campaign 2.0 covering all ministries, government departments, Subordinate bodies and their field offices all over India.

The Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare has also made elaborate plans to cover all Subordinate Offices, autonomous bodies and all field units under its administrative control. A total of 263 sites were selected where various activities are being conducted with full enthusiasm by participation of employees, Public and all stake holders. The various activities covered are cleaning up exercises both within and outsides office premises, removal of scrap and freeing the area for useful purposes, disposal of all files and reducing pendency, State references, Grievances and other pending issues.

DA&FW has made excellent progress so far in terms of disposal of public Grievances and PMO references, Number of physical file reviewed and weeded out, Number of cleanliness campaign conducted at various sites, Revenue generated through scrap disposal, space freed etc.

During Monitoring Phase, 370 Public Grievances were disposed of, 38249 files were reviewed and 25445 files are wedded out and Outdoor cleanliness campaigns were conducted at 105 sites which covers all the field offices of DA&FW in remotest parts of the country. This is creating a good awareness among the public about the Swachhta campaign. In addition Rs. 95650/- were generated as revenue receipt and 6102 sq. ft. space was freed.

The beautification of office spaces are being done by removing all furniture, unused electronic items etc. from office gallery as well as from the rooms to create the space & improved the lightings inside the offices to create a better working condition for staffs. The Madhubani-painting are being carried on the walls of the office of Department of Agriculture &Farmers Welfare.

Madhubani painting depicting various themes of agriculture in the corridor of Krishi Bhawan created during Special campaign 2.0.

5-Aug-2022: Financial assistance to develop Regional Agricultural Produces

The Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) has been incentivizing setting of food processing industries through Central sector umbrella scheme ‘Pradhan Mantri Kisan SAMPADA Yojana (PMKSY), Production Linked Incentive Scheme for Food Processing Industry (PLISFPI) and centrally sponsored scheme ‘PM Formalization of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME) scheme across all the country. Under scheme of creation of infrastructure for agro processing clusters, a component scheme of PMKSY, the scheme is aimed at development of modern infrastructure and common facilities to encourage entrepreneurs to set up food processing units based on cluster approach and also to create modern infrastructure for food processing closer to production areas and to provide integrated and complete preservation infrastructure facilitates from the farm gate to the consumer.

For One District One Product (ODOP), the Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) under Centrally Sponsored Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises Scheme (PM FME Scheme), in partnership with the States, provides financial, technical and business support for upgradation of existing micro food processing enterprises. The scheme adopts ODOP approach to reap the benefit of scale in terms of procurement of inputs, availing common services and marketing of products. The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has advised states for convergence of resources towards ODOP from ongoing centrally sponsored schemes such as Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH), National Food Security Mission (NFSM), Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY), Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY) etc. Similar approach has been suggested to Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying for convergence of their schemes towards ODOP.

In addition, Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare under Horticulture Cluster Development Programme (HCDP) had identified 55 clusters of selected high value horticulture crops and 12 clusters have already been launched in first phase.

2-Aug-2022: Alternatives for Tobacco Farmers

The Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (DA&FW) has been implementing Crop Diversification Programme (CDP), a sub-scheme of Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY), in 10 tobacco growing states of Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal to encourage farmers to shift to alternative crops/cropping system since 2015-16. Under CDP, tobacco growing states have been given the flexibility to take suitable activities / interventions to shift from tobacco crops to alternative agricultural / horticultural crops.

For implementation of the scheme in the 10 tobacco growing states, the Central share of Rs. 667.00 lakh, 667.00 lakh, 667.00 lakh, 1000.00 lakh and 1000.00 lakh were allocated during the year 2017-18, 2018-19, 2019-20, 2020-21 and 2021-22, respectively.

A total of 111889 acres land has been shifted from tobacco farming during last five years i.e. 2017-18 to 2021-22 to other alternative crops/cropping system.

In addition to CDP, the Government of India is also providing flexibility to the States for state specific needs/priorities under RKVY and the States can promote crop diversification under RKVY with the approval of State Level Sanctioning Committee (SLSC) headed by Chief Secretary of the respective states. The DA&FW also implements various crop development programmes such as the National Food Security Mission on Rice, Wheat, Pulses, Nutri Cereals, Coarse Cereals, Oilseeds and Commercial Crops (Cotton, Jute & Sugarcane), Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) etc. for promotion of agricultural / horticultural crops.

ICAR- Central Tobacco Research Institute, Rajahmundry has recommended alternative cropping system to the States for replacing tobacco.    

26-Jul-2022: Budget for Agriculture

The Government of India is continuously working for enhancing agricultural productivity, farmers’ income and their welfare in a sustainable manner. Accordingly, the Budget for Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare (DA&FW) has been increased from Rs. 21933.50 crore (2013-14) to Rs. 124000 crore (2022-23), which is 465% increase for implementation of various agricultural development and welfare schemes aiming to increase agriculture production and farmers’ welfare across the country. Besides, Rs. 8513.62 crore have been allocated during 2022-23 to Department of Agricultural Research and Education for development of several new high yielding, biotic/ abiotic stress tolerant, disease/ insect resistant and bio-fortified varieties of seed, etc.

In order to enhance production and productivity of food crops, the Government is implementing a Centrally Sponsored Scheme of National Food Security Mission (NFSM) in the country. The mission aims at increasing foodgrains/ food crop production through area expansion in niche regions and productivity improvement. The mission also provides support to Indian Council of Agricultural research (ICAR) & State Agriculture Universities (SAUs)/Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKS) for technology back stopping and transfer of technology to the farmer under supervision of Subject Matter Specialists/Scientists. The research organizations are supported for undertaking research projects that can help enhancing production and productivity of crops. For welfare of farmers’, Government has launched various initiatives viz. Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman  Nidhi (PM-KISAN), Pradhan  Mantri Kisan Maan Dhan Yojana (PM-KMY), Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyan (PMAASHA), Price Support Scheme (PSS) for pulses and oilseeds, Price Deficiency Payment  Scheme (PDPS), Interest Subvention Scheme, Kisan Credit Card (KCC), etc.

Further, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare is implementing Per Drop More Crop (PDMC) which focuses on enhancing water use efficiency at farm level through Micro Irrigation viz. Drip and Sprinkler Irrigation System. An area of 68 lakh ha under micro-irrigation has been covered during 2015-16 to 2020-21 under PMKSY-PDMC.

22-Jul-2022: Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare has taken a number of steps to deal with the extreme weather situation

The DA&FW has taken a number of steps to deal with the situation arising out of this extreme weather event. The DA&FW issues advisories to the States through the Crop Development Directorates (CDDs) in consultation with State Agricultural Universities (SAUs)/Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVKs) for creating an awareness campaign and to implement contingency plans as per local need.  Besides, the India Meteorological Department under the Ministry of Earth Science issues weather based operational agro-meteorological advisories jointly with ICAR and SAUs under the Gramin Krishi Mausam Sewa (GKMS) Scheme.  Besides, Agromet advisories are communicated to farmers through multichannel dissemination systems like the print and electronic media, Doordarshan, radio, internet etc.  A mobile App viz., ‘Meghdoot’ has been launched by the Ministry of Earth Sciences, to help farmers to obtain weather information including alerts and related Agromet advisories specific to their districts.

Climate resilient varieties of seeds in different crops tolerant to climatic stresses have been developed by Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). So far 8 varieties were released in rice, green gram, maize and lentil. Apart from this, 177 climate resilient varieties have reached the farmer’s field through large scale demonstrations across the country. ICAR has also launched a flagship network project ‘National Innovations in Climate Resilient Agriculture’ (NICRA) in 2011. The project is being implemented through different components viz., strategic research on adaptation and mitigation, demonstration of technologies on farmers’ fields in 151 clusters of villages one each from climatically vulnerable districts and creating awareness among farmers and other stakeholders to minimize the climatic change impacts on agriculture. The project aims to develop and promote climate resilient technologies that help the districts and regions prone to extreme weather conditions like droughts, floods, frost, heat waves, etc., to cope with such extremes.

To deal with long term impacts of Climate Change, the Government of India is taking several steps. National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA) is one of the Missions within the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC). The mission aims to evolve and implement strategies to make Indian agriculture more resilient to the changing climate.    

7-Apr-2022: Improving Irrigation

As per the latest available information provided by Directorate of Economics and Statistics, Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, in the year 2018-19, against total agricultural land of 1,80,888 thousand hectares, the cultivated land in the country was 1,53,888 thousand hectare, out of which net 71,554 thousand hectares was irrigated.

Water being a State subject, it is for the State Governments to take up projects for providing irrigation in rain-fed regions under their jurisdiction. Role of Government of India is limited to being catalytic, providing technical support and in some cases partial financial assistance in terms with the existing schemes under implementation.

A centrally sponsored scheme, namely Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY), was launched during the year 2015-16, with an aim to enhance physical access of water on farm and expand cultivable area under assured irrigation, improve on-farm water use efficiency, introduce sustainable water conservation practices, etc.

PMKSY is an umbrella scheme, inter alia consisting of two major components implemented by Department of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation, namely, Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (AIBP), and Har Khet Ko Pani (HKKP). HKKP, in turn, consists of four sub-components, being Command Area Development & Water Management (CAD&WM), Surface Minor Irrigation (SMI), Repair, Renovation and Restoration (RRR) of Water Bodies, and Ground Water (GW) Development component. In addition, PMKSY has Watershed Development (WD) component being implemented by Department of Land Resources. Further, during the years 2015-22, Per Drop More Crop (PDMC) component was being implemented by Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare under PMKSY, which has now been taken up under Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY).

Extension of PMKSY for 2021-22 to 2025-26 has been approved with an overall outlay of Rs. 93,068.56 crore (central assistance of Rs. 37,454 crore, debt servicing to NABARD for Rs. 20,434.56 crore and State share to be borne by the State Governments being Rs. 35,180 crore). Component-wise details for the central assistance part are as given below:

17-Dec-2021: Modernization and Mechanization in Agriculture Sector

The practices of cultivation followed by farmers and use of farming equipments depend on various factors such as geographical conditions, crop grown, irrigation facilities etc. The Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare is implementing various missions/schemes that promotes and extend supports to the farmers for modernization and mechanization of agriculture. Infrastructure development supports for establishment of Custom Hiring Centres (CHCs)/Hi-tech Hubs of agricultural machines is provided under Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanization. Under this scheme, during the period from 2014-15 to 2021-22, the central funds amounting to Rs. 5490.82 Crores have been released to various States and 1352255 number of machines have been distributed on subsidy to individual farmers, 15261 CHCs, 352 Hi-tech Hubs & 15750 Farm Machinery Banks (FMBs) have been established. Under Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH)Scheme, for protected cultivation of horticulture and vegetable crops, since 2014-15 to 2021-22, an amount of Rs.2767 crore have been released and an area of more than 2.33 lakh hectare has been covered. Resources conservation technologies for water use efficiency enhancement through micro irrigation has been promoted under Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana – Per Drop More Crop (PMKSY-PDMC). Under PMKSY-PDMC, funds of Rs.15280.38 Crore have been released since 2015-16 to 2021-22 and an area of 59.37 lakh hectare was brought under micro irrigation. Soil Heath Cards distribution to farmers for soil test based balanced and judicious use of fertilizers has been undertaken and a total of 10.74 Crores soil health cards have been issued during Cycle-I (2015-17) and 11.97 during cycle –II (2017-19).  Under Model Village Programme during 2019-20, 19.64 lakh Soil Heath Cards have been issued to farmers. Precision farming is promoted by use of drones in pesticide spraying for locust control.

The Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare has developed various mobile applications for the benefit of farmers such as Kisan Suvidha mobile application facilitates dissemination of information to farmers on the critical parameters viz., Weather; Market Prices; Plant Protection; input Dealers (Seed, Pesticide, Fertilizer) Farm Machinery; Soil Health Card; Cold Storages & Godowns, Veterinary Centres and Diagnostic Laboratories. A multi-lingual ‘FARMS’ (Farm Machinery Solutions) mobile app   facilitates hiring and renting of farm machinery from and by the Custom Hiring Centres/owners of the farm machinery through a fair and transparent rental process. The Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR) has also compiled various mobile apps developed by ICAR, State Agricultural Universities and Krishi Vigyan Kendras and uploaded on its website. These mobile apps developed in the areas of crops, horticulture, veterinary, dairy, poultry, fisheries, natural resources management and integrated subjects, offer valuable information to the farmers, including package of practices, market prices of various commodities, weather related information, advisory services, etc.

The impact evaluation study of Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanization conducted in 2018-19,  indicate that farm mechanization has played a positive role in addressing the issues of shortage of farm labour and helped in increasing employment in rural areas through generation of opportunities for operators, mechanics, salesmen etc. of the agricultural machines.

6-Aug-2021: Government announced additional funds of Rs.14,775/- Crore for DAP and P&K Fertilizers

Recently there was an increase in the international prices of raw materials for manufacturing P&K fertilizers and finished P&K fertilizers. To avoid any distress arising out of this increase, the Govt. announced additional funds of Rs.14,775/- Crore for DAP and P&K fertilizers. The Government of India has notified new NBS rates for P&K fertilizers on 20.05.2021 till Kharif season 2021 i.e. till Oct. 2021, wherein the subsidy on P&K fertilizers has been increased in order to keep the MRP of DAP and other P&K fertilizers at affordable prices in order to mitigate/minimize the adverse effect arising due to such increase in the international prices.

Besides, the MRP of Urea is statutorily fixed by the Government of India. MRP of 45 kg of bag of urea is Rs. 242 per bag (exclusive of charges towards neem coating and taxes as applicable).

Apart from the above, DA&FW has informed that the Govt. has adopted several developmental programmes, schemes, reform and policies that focus on higher income for the farmers. All these policies and programmes are being supported by higher budgetary allocation, non-budgetary financial resources by way of creating Corpus Funds like Micro Irrigation Fund and Agri-marketing schemes to strengthen eNAM and GrAMs, as also in the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying to promote dairy and fisheries sectors. There have been several reforms to unleash the potential and these include Market Reforms like model APLMC (Promotions and Facilitations) Act, 2017; Establishment of Gramin Agriculture markets (GrAMs); Agri Export Policy, 2018; The Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020; Amendments to Essential Commodity Act, 1955; Promotion of 10,000 FPOs with necessary financial support under Atma Nirbhar Package (Agriculture) and Supplementary Income transfers under PM-KISAN; Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojna (PMFBY); Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojna (PMKSY); Increase in Minimum Support Price (MSPs) for all Kharif and Rabi Crop ensuring a 50% of profit margin on the cost of production; Har Med Par Ped; Bee-Keeping; Rashtriya Gokul Mission; Blue Revolution; Interest Subvention Scheme; Kisan Credit Card (KCC) that now offers production loan to even dairy & fishery farmers besides agricultural crops etc.

27-Apr-2021: Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers Welfare (DAC&FW) is working to identify Traditional Organic Areas to transform them into certified organic production hubs

Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers Welfare (DAC&FW) is working to identify Traditional Organic Areas to transform them into certified organic production hubs. The Government of India has certified 14,491 ha of such area under Car Nicobar and Nancowry group of islands in UT of A&N Islands. This area becomes the first large contiguous territory to be conferred with organic certification under the ‘Large Area Certification’ (LAC) scheme of the PGS-India (Participatory Guarantee System) certification programme.

Car Nicobar and Nancowry group of Islands have been traditionally organic for ages. The administration has also banned the sale, purchase and usage of any chemical inputs of GMO seeds in these islands. The administration of UT in collaboration with local communities prepared the island-wise and farmer wise database of land holding, practices being adopted, input usage history etc. An expert committee has verified their organic status and recommended for declaration of the area as certified organic under the PGS-India certification programme.  Based on these reports, the Government of India certified 14,491 ha area under Car Nicobar and Nancowry group of islands in UT of A&N Islands.

Besides these islands, agriculture areas in States like Himachal, Uttarakhand, North Eastern states and tribal belts of Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh, desert districts of Rajasthan which are essentially free from the use of chemical inputs can be transformed to certified organic. Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers Welfare (DAC&FW) in consultation with states is working to identify such areas, transform them to certified organic and facilitate the marketing of area-specific niche products through branding and labelling.

Additionally, to bring isolated individual farmers to the certified organic fold, DAC&FW has also launched an organic certification support scheme under PKVY (Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana). Under the scheme, individual farmers can avail financial assistance for certification under any of the prevailing certification systems of NPOP or PGS-India. Assistance will be available as reimbursement of certification cost directly to certification agencies through the states.

After A&N Islands, UTs of Lakshadweep and Ladakh are proactively taking steps for the transformation of their traditional organic areas to certified organic. Armed with organic certification these hitherto unexplored areas will have direct access to the emerging organic food market of the country.

Targeting Traditional Agricultural Area to Organic through Large Area Certification: Despite deep inroads of modern agricultural practices, still, there are large contiguous areas in hills, tribal districts, desert and rained areas in India that continue to remain free from chemical input usage. With little efforts, such traditional/ default organic areas can be brought under organic certification almost immediately. Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare under its flagship scheme of Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojna (PKVY) has launched a unique quick certification programme “Large Area Certification” (LAC) to harness these potential areas.

As per the established norm of organic production systems, the areas having chemical input usage history are required to undergo a transition period of minimum 2-3 years to qualify as organic. During this period, farmers need to adopt standard organic agriculture practices and keep their farms under the certification process. On successful completion, such farms can be certified as organic after 2-3 years. The certification process also requires elaborate documentation and time to time verification by the certification authorities. Whereas under LAC requirements are simple and the area can be certified almost immediately. LAC is a Quick certification process that is cost-effective and farmers do not have to wait for 2-3 years for marketing PGS organic certified products.

Under LAC, each village in the area is considered as one cluster/group. Documentations are simple and maintained village-wise. All farmers with their farmland and livestock need to adhere to the standard requirements and on being verified get certified en-mass without the need to go under conversion period. Certification is renewed on annual basis through annual verification by a process of peer appraisals as per the process of PGS-India.

Background: Organic farming has been identified as a viable option promising safe and chemical residue-free food and long-term sustainability of food production systems. COVID-19 pandemic has further augmented the importance, need and demand. World over the demand for organic food is growing and India is no exception. Realising the importance of environmental and human benefits of chemical-free farming, the Government of India through the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare has been promoting organic/ natural farming through various schemes of Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana, Organic Mission in North East etc. since 2014.   India now has more than 30 lakh ha area registered under organic certification and slowly more and more farmers are joining the movement. As per the international survey report (2021) India ranks at 5th place in terms of area and is at the top in terms of total number of producers (base year 2019).

27-Jun-2020: Department of Agriculture Cooperation & Farmers’ Welfare, Government of India hosts two webinars on Reforms in Indian Agriculture, Strategic Policy Shifts and Investment Opportunities

Department of Agriculture Cooperation & Farmers’ Welfare, Government of India hosted two webinars on 25th & 26th June 2020 – the first webinar was on the topic “Landmark Reforms in Indian Agriculture – Investment Opportunities Arising in Agri Enterprises”, while the second webinar dealt with “Ushering a new dawn in Agri Reforms – Strategic Policy Shifts : The Policy Makers’ View”. The webinars were addressed by Shri Sanjay Agarwal, Secretary, Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, Shri Atul Chaturvedi, Secretary, Animal Husbandry & Dairying, Dr. Rajeev Ranjan, Secretary, Fisheries and Smt. Pushpa Subrahmanyam, Secretary, Food Processing, Government of India.

While addressing the webinars, Shri Sanjay Agarwal, Secretary, Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, appreciated the path-breaking futuristic steps taken by the Government of India under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi for the agriculture sector and welfare of farmers, during the crisis created by the Covid-19 pandemic. The competence of Indian farmers and efforts of the industry in this crisis situation is evident by the fact that the area covered by kharif sowing this year is 316 lakh ha as compared to 154 lakh ha last year and an average of 187 lakh ha during the last five years.

Shri Sanjay Agarwal emphasized that India has a strong advantage in the Agriculture sector which contributes to about 15% of the GDP and livelihood for more than 50% of the population. The country is the fourth largest producer of agrochemicals, has the largest livestock population of around 31% of world’s livestock and largest land area under irrigation. However food processing in India is less than 10% and the target is to increase it to 25%. There is increasing demand for value-added health-fortified and processed food. The global organic market is growing at 12% per annum. He reiterated that developing a strong Agri ecosystem by providing access to better marketing avenues for farmers’ produce and freeing up the sector from restrictive laws is a key focus area for the government, for which three new ordinances have been announced recently. The Agri ecosystem is also being strengthened by several enabling schemes like the Agri Infra Fund of Rs. 1 lakh crore for post-harvest infrastructure, scheme for 10000 FPOs, special drive to include 25 million farmers who still do not have the KCC, and developing a digital Agri-stack which will be a key enabler for online market places and smart agriculture. The Secretary, Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, projected an aspirational vision for ‘Aatmanirbhar Agriculture’ by transforming farmers into entrepreneurs with higher incomes and better quality of life, making agriculture the “go to” investment opportunity, and making India the “Food Basket” for the world.

Comparing livestock rearing to an ATM machine for farmers, Shri Atul Chaturvedi, Secretary, Animal Husbandry & Dairying, said that no product is as fast moving as milk for a retailer. However, the per capita consumption of milk in India is still only 394 gms per day as compared to 500-700 gms per day in US & Europe. The aim is to raise market demand in dairy sector from 158 million mt tonne presently to 290 million mt tonnes over next five years. The share of the organized sector in milk processing is targeted to be raised to 50% from present 30-35%.

Shri Chaturvedi said that Government of India has taken several measures to boost the animal husbandry sector. This includes giving one billion doses of vaccine in a year for FMD which is a bigger drive than in any other country to ensure that cattle are disease-free; animal tagging of five species through Pashu-Aadhar – about 57 crore animals will have unique ID over next 1.5 years on digital platform for mapping their parentage, breed and productivity; improving cattle breeds through artificial insemination, IVF and surrogacy; and aiming to unleash rural entrepreneurs by growing better feed and fodder for animals. Several incentives have been announced like Dairy Infra Development Fund in 2018 and Animal Husbandry Infra Development Fund this month.

Describing fisheries as a sunrise sector, Dr. Rajeev Ranjan, Secretary, Fisheries, said that from 2014-15 to 2018-19, fisheries sector has grown by 10.87%, fish production by 7.53%, fisheries exports have grown by 9.71% and India’s global share of fish production has grown to 7.73%. India is now the 2nd largest aquaculture producer in the world and 4th largest sea food exporter. The USPs of the fisheries sector are its high growth rate, vast and diverse resources, low investment with high returns, low gestation period, strong technical backup, huge consumer base and export opportunities.

Dr. Rajeev Ranjan projected the key targets of Government of India in this sector in next five years – fish production targeted to be raised from 137.58 lakh tons in 2018-19 to 220 lakh tons in 2024-25, average aquaculture productivity to be raised from 3.3 tons/ha to 5.0 tons/ha in 2024-25, fisheries exports to Rs 1 lakh crore by 2024-25 and Rs 2 lakh crore by 2028, and employment generation from about 15 lakhs in 2018-19 to about 55 lakhs in 2024-25. He also elaborated on the recent policy reforms and government initiatives in fisheries sector like Fisheries Infrastructure Development Fund and KCC facility to fishermen. The Secretary outlined the investment opportunities in fish farming like brackish water aquaculture, cage farming, seaweed farming, ornamental fisheries; and in support services like brood banks, hatcheries, feed manufacturing, value chain and processing, etc.

3-Apr-2020: Measures to ensure farmers do not suffer during the lockdown period

For ensuring that the farmers do not suffer from any adverse fall out during the lockdown period, the Department of Agriculture Cooperation and Farmers Welfare, Government of India is taking several measures for smooth harvesting of Rabi Crop and sowing of summer crop.

Video conference was conducted with all States and Insurance companies to review the payment of claims, status of Conduct of CCEs for Rabi 2019-20 crops, crop loss survey and implementation of Smart Sampling Technique.

For facilitating farm insurance, letters issued to all States to issue passes to representatives of concerned Insurance companies for co-witnessing Crop Cutting Experiments and to relax the norms for conducting field level survey for intimation received for Post-Harvest crop losses due to unseasonal rainfall and hailstorm.

Phytosanitary certification for export consignments and Import releases of plant and plant products are continuing. From the date of lockdown i. e. 24.03.2020 to 02.04.2020, a total of 3776 PSCs have been issued for export consignments and 1074 import consignments have been released.

For providing support to horticulture crops necessary coordination is being done with growers, aggregators, wholesalers, mandi associations, State Horticulture Missions, for smooth transport of the commodities and to sort out all difficulties.

In lockdown period, Kisan Call Centres at all 21 locations are being operated by diverting calls to individual mobile numbers of Farm Tele Advisors, who are now operating from homes. All 454 KCC seats are being operated daily between 6 AM to 10 PM. Call flow is about 15,000 to 20,000 per day.