Government Schemes & Programmes Module
Rural Development, Agriculture & Employment Schemes
Government welfare interventions in rural India prioritize employment generation, agricultural income support, and crop risk mitigation. The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA 2005) provides a statutory guarantee of at least 100 days of wage employment per financial year to rural households. For direct income support, the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) delivers ₹6,000 annually in three equal installments directly to landholding farmers' bank accounts. In agrarian risk management, the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) offers subsidized crop insurance against non-preventable natural risks, while PM Krishi Sinchayee Yojana expands farm-level irrigation access.
Key Concepts & Examination Highlights
- MGNREGA was enacted in September 2005 and guarantees 100 days of unskilled wage employment per year to every rural household whose adult members volunteer to do manual work.
- PM-KISAN, operationalized from December 1, 2018, provides direct income support of ₹6,000 per year in three equal tranches of ₹2,000 to all landholding farmer families across India.
- Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), launched in 2016, features uniform farmer premium rates of 2% for Kharif crops, 1.5% for Rabi crops, and 5% for annual commercial/horticultural crops.
- Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) was launched in 2015 with the motto 'Har Khet Ko Pani' and 'More Crop Per Drop' to expand cultivable area under assured irrigation.
Curriculum & Reference Sources: Ministry of Rural Development, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, and PM-KISAN Portal.