Yojana Magazine December 2023 - 3 | Current Affairs & Hindu Analysis: Daily, Weekly & Monthly - UPSC PDF Download

 Page 1


51 December 2023
he Meri Maati Mera Desh campaign is a tribute to the veers and veeranganas who have made 
the supreme sacrifice for the country. i n the spirit of Jan Bhagidari, the campaign comprises 
many activities and ceremonies conducted across the country at Panchayat/village, Block, urban 
Local Body, state and national levels. the activities included the building of shilaphalakam 
(a memorial) to express heartfelt gratitude to all the bravehearts who have made the supreme sacrifice; 
‘Panch Pran’ pledge taking by the people at shilaphalakam; planting of saplings of indigenous species 
and developing ‘Amrit vatika’ (vasudha vandhan), and felicitation ceremonies for honouring the freedom 
fighters and the families of deceased freedom fighters ( veeron ka vandan), among others.
the campaign became a massive success, with over 2.3 lakh shilaphalakams built in 36 s tates/ut s; 
nearly 4 crore Panch Pran pledge selfies uploaded; 2 lakh plus ‘ veeron ka vandan’ programmes nationwide; 
more than 2.36 crore indigenous saplings have been planted; and 2.63 lakh Amrit vatikas created under the 
vasudha vandan theme across the country.
t he ‘Meri Maati Mera Desh’ campaign also includes the Amrit Kalash Yatra, which comprises a collection 
of mitti (soil) and rice grains from over 6 lakh villages in rural areas and from wards in urban areas, which is 
sent to block level (where mitti of all villages in the block is mixed) and then to the state capital. t he mitti 
from the state level is sent to the national c apital, accompanied by thousands of Amrit Kalash Yatris.
t he Amrit Kalash Yatra witnessed all the states and ut s represented by their respective blocks and urban 
Local bodies putting mitti from their Kalash in one giant Amrit Kalash in the spirit of ‘ek Bharat shreshtha 
Bharat’ .  t he Amrit vatika and Amrit Mahotsav Memorial, whose foundation stone was laid by the Prime 
Minister, will be built from the soil collected from every part of the country.                                                          ?
Source: PIB
T
MERI MAATI MERA DEsH
51 deCeMBer 2023
Page 2


51 December 2023
he Meri Maati Mera Desh campaign is a tribute to the veers and veeranganas who have made 
the supreme sacrifice for the country. i n the spirit of Jan Bhagidari, the campaign comprises 
many activities and ceremonies conducted across the country at Panchayat/village, Block, urban 
Local Body, state and national levels. the activities included the building of shilaphalakam 
(a memorial) to express heartfelt gratitude to all the bravehearts who have made the supreme sacrifice; 
‘Panch Pran’ pledge taking by the people at shilaphalakam; planting of saplings of indigenous species 
and developing ‘Amrit vatika’ (vasudha vandhan), and felicitation ceremonies for honouring the freedom 
fighters and the families of deceased freedom fighters ( veeron ka vandan), among others.
the campaign became a massive success, with over 2.3 lakh shilaphalakams built in 36 s tates/ut s; 
nearly 4 crore Panch Pran pledge selfies uploaded; 2 lakh plus ‘ veeron ka vandan’ programmes nationwide; 
more than 2.36 crore indigenous saplings have been planted; and 2.63 lakh Amrit vatikas created under the 
vasudha vandan theme across the country.
t he ‘Meri Maati Mera Desh’ campaign also includes the Amrit Kalash Yatra, which comprises a collection 
of mitti (soil) and rice grains from over 6 lakh villages in rural areas and from wards in urban areas, which is 
sent to block level (where mitti of all villages in the block is mixed) and then to the state capital. t he mitti 
from the state level is sent to the national c apital, accompanied by thousands of Amrit Kalash Yatris.
t he Amrit Kalash Yatra witnessed all the states and ut s represented by their respective blocks and urban 
Local bodies putting mitti from their Kalash in one giant Amrit Kalash in the spirit of ‘ek Bharat shreshtha 
Bharat’ .  t he Amrit vatika and Amrit Mahotsav Memorial, whose foundation stone was laid by the Prime 
Minister, will be built from the soil collected from every part of the country.                                                          ?
Source: PIB
T
MERI MAATI MERA DEsH
51 deCeMBer 2023 52 December 2023
ivelihood security and financial 
empowerment of rural people are 
key priorities of the government of 
india in its path towards Atmanirbhar 
Bharat. continuing with its commitment this 
year, the government has taken strategic steps to 
accelerate a transformation in agriculture and rural 
development sectors, eyeing an inclusive growth 
in villages. centrally-sponsored welfare schemes 
and programmes intend to develop rural areas as 
hubs of profitability, productivity, and prosperity. 
to achieve the goal, budget allocations for 2023-24 
The year 2023 was declared the ‘International Year of Millets’ by the United 
Nations General Assembly. A mission was launched to boost production, 
processing, and marketing of millets and to position India as the global hub 
for millets. The Government has announced the facilitation of the ‘World’s 
Largest Grain Storage Plan in the Cooperative Sector’ this year. The plan 
entails setting up various types of agri-infrastructure, such as warehouses, 
custom hiring centres, and processing units, at the level of Primary 
Agricultural Credit Societies. 
have been increased substantially for ongoing 
schemes and new initiatives. the Ministry of 
Agriculture and Farmers’  Welfare has been allocated 
rs1,25,036 crore for FY 2023-24, 5 per cent higher 
than the revised estimates for 2022-23. in addition 
to allocations for continuing schemes, budget 
provisions were made for development of Digital 
Public infrastructure and to set-up an Agriculture 
Accelerator Fund. the target for agriculture credit 
was increased to rs 20 lakh crore and a provision of 
rs 6,000 crore was made to launch a new scheme 
PM Matsya Sampada Yojana. t he union Budget also 
dr jagdeep Saxena the author is former Chief editor, indian Council of Agricultural research, New delhi. email: jagdeepsaxena@yahoo.com
L
AGRIcUl TURE AND RURAl DE vEl OPMENT 
KEy INITIATIvE s & AcHIE vEMENTs
Page 3


51 December 2023
he Meri Maati Mera Desh campaign is a tribute to the veers and veeranganas who have made 
the supreme sacrifice for the country. i n the spirit of Jan Bhagidari, the campaign comprises 
many activities and ceremonies conducted across the country at Panchayat/village, Block, urban 
Local Body, state and national levels. the activities included the building of shilaphalakam 
(a memorial) to express heartfelt gratitude to all the bravehearts who have made the supreme sacrifice; 
‘Panch Pran’ pledge taking by the people at shilaphalakam; planting of saplings of indigenous species 
and developing ‘Amrit vatika’ (vasudha vandhan), and felicitation ceremonies for honouring the freedom 
fighters and the families of deceased freedom fighters ( veeron ka vandan), among others.
the campaign became a massive success, with over 2.3 lakh shilaphalakams built in 36 s tates/ut s; 
nearly 4 crore Panch Pran pledge selfies uploaded; 2 lakh plus ‘ veeron ka vandan’ programmes nationwide; 
more than 2.36 crore indigenous saplings have been planted; and 2.63 lakh Amrit vatikas created under the 
vasudha vandan theme across the country.
t he ‘Meri Maati Mera Desh’ campaign also includes the Amrit Kalash Yatra, which comprises a collection 
of mitti (soil) and rice grains from over 6 lakh villages in rural areas and from wards in urban areas, which is 
sent to block level (where mitti of all villages in the block is mixed) and then to the state capital. t he mitti 
from the state level is sent to the national c apital, accompanied by thousands of Amrit Kalash Yatris.
t he Amrit Kalash Yatra witnessed all the states and ut s represented by their respective blocks and urban 
Local bodies putting mitti from their Kalash in one giant Amrit Kalash in the spirit of ‘ek Bharat shreshtha 
Bharat’ .  t he Amrit vatika and Amrit Mahotsav Memorial, whose foundation stone was laid by the Prime 
Minister, will be built from the soil collected from every part of the country.                                                          ?
Source: PIB
T
MERI MAATI MERA DEsH
51 deCeMBer 2023 52 December 2023
ivelihood security and financial 
empowerment of rural people are 
key priorities of the government of 
india in its path towards Atmanirbhar 
Bharat. continuing with its commitment this 
year, the government has taken strategic steps to 
accelerate a transformation in agriculture and rural 
development sectors, eyeing an inclusive growth 
in villages. centrally-sponsored welfare schemes 
and programmes intend to develop rural areas as 
hubs of profitability, productivity, and prosperity. 
to achieve the goal, budget allocations for 2023-24 
The year 2023 was declared the ‘International Year of Millets’ by the United 
Nations General Assembly. A mission was launched to boost production, 
processing, and marketing of millets and to position India as the global hub 
for millets. The Government has announced the facilitation of the ‘World’s 
Largest Grain Storage Plan in the Cooperative Sector’ this year. The plan 
entails setting up various types of agri-infrastructure, such as warehouses, 
custom hiring centres, and processing units, at the level of Primary 
Agricultural Credit Societies. 
have been increased substantially for ongoing 
schemes and new initiatives. the Ministry of 
Agriculture and Farmers’  Welfare has been allocated 
rs1,25,036 crore for FY 2023-24, 5 per cent higher 
than the revised estimates for 2022-23. in addition 
to allocations for continuing schemes, budget 
provisions were made for development of Digital 
Public infrastructure and to set-up an Agriculture 
Accelerator Fund. the target for agriculture credit 
was increased to rs 20 lakh crore and a provision of 
rs 6,000 crore was made to launch a new scheme 
PM Matsya Sampada Yojana. t he union Budget also 
dr jagdeep Saxena the author is former Chief editor, indian Council of Agricultural research, New delhi. email: jagdeepsaxena@yahoo.com
L
AGRIcUl TURE AND RURAl DE vEl OPMENT 
KEy INITIATIvE s & AcHIE vEMENTs
53 December 2023
announced setting-up of a decentralised storage 
capacity and multi-purpose co-operative societies. 
Prime Minister narendra Modi, while 
addressing 17
th
 indian cooperative congress  
(3 July 2023), said, “on an average, the g overnment 
is spending more than rs 6.5 lakh crore yearly on 
agriculture and farmers” . t he Prime Minister called 
upon cooperatives to work towards increasing 
production of oilseeds and pulses, and help the 
country become self-reliant on cooking oils. on the 
other hand, the Ministry of rural Development has 
been allocated rs 1,59,964 crore for FY 2023-24. t he 
Ministry, in addition to its social responsibilities, 
aims to develop rural infrastructure for growth and 
optimise the use of land resources in the country. 
in the budget, outlay on the Pradhan Mantri 
Awas Yojana (rural and urban components taken 
together) was increased by 66 per cent to rs 79,590 
crore. Budget also announced the empowerment 
of rural women sHgs through the formation of 
large producer collectives. they will be provided 
raw materials and support to scale up operations.
r aising the bar
Based on the proposal of the government of 
india, the year 2023 was declared the ‘international 
Year of Millets’ by the united nations general 
Assembly. A mission was launched to boost 
production, processing, and marketing of millets 
and to position india as the global hub for millets. 
Meanwhile, india renamed Millets as Shree Anna 
to express its high regard and esteem, especially 
in a national context. With many promotional 
and supportive schemes at the core, the at-
home consumption of millets has increased to 
14 kilograms per month per person, which was 
previously not more than 3 kilograms. in recent 
times, the sale of millet-based food products has 
also seen a boost of around 30 per cent with demand 
growing in international markets as well. Millets 
have been selected in 19 districts of the country 
under the ‘one District, one Product’ scheme for 
further promotion and expansion. More than 500 
startups and a large number of Farmer Producer 
organisations are now engaged in the processing 
and packaging of various millet-based nutri-foods 
for direct sales in super-markets and malls. on 
the same pattern, women sHgs are producing 
millet products in small villages that are making 
their way into urban markets. the Millet Mission 
has significantly contributed to the improvement 
of quality of life and the uplift of socio-economic 
conditions of about 2.5 crore farmers engaged in 
the cultivation of millets. india organised the global 
Millets conference (March 2023) in new Delhi 
to bring forth the immense possibilities of Shree 
Anna from global perspectives. t he Prime Minister 
inaugurated the conference and also unveiled 
a commemorative stamp and commemorative 
coin, especially designed to mark the occasion. 
Along with national and international dignitaries, 
experts, and stakeholders, over 75 lakh farmers also 
participated in the conference in virtual mode.
on the front of food production, the country set 
a new record for both food grain and horticultural 
produce in 2022-23 with an estimated production 
of 330 million tonnes and 352 million tonnes 
respectively. While foodgrain production touched 
an increase of over 4 per cent (14 million tonnes), 
the output of horticultural produce showed an 
increase of over one per cent (5 million tonnes) 
compared to the previous year. chief food grains, 
paddy (rice), and wheat recorded an all-time high 
production in 2022-23 (July-June cycle) at 135 
million tonnes and 110 million tonnes respectively. 
Among horticultural crops, fruit production stood 
at 108 million tonnes, and vegetables reported a 
record production of 213 million tonnes.
Page 4


51 December 2023
he Meri Maati Mera Desh campaign is a tribute to the veers and veeranganas who have made 
the supreme sacrifice for the country. i n the spirit of Jan Bhagidari, the campaign comprises 
many activities and ceremonies conducted across the country at Panchayat/village, Block, urban 
Local Body, state and national levels. the activities included the building of shilaphalakam 
(a memorial) to express heartfelt gratitude to all the bravehearts who have made the supreme sacrifice; 
‘Panch Pran’ pledge taking by the people at shilaphalakam; planting of saplings of indigenous species 
and developing ‘Amrit vatika’ (vasudha vandhan), and felicitation ceremonies for honouring the freedom 
fighters and the families of deceased freedom fighters ( veeron ka vandan), among others.
the campaign became a massive success, with over 2.3 lakh shilaphalakams built in 36 s tates/ut s; 
nearly 4 crore Panch Pran pledge selfies uploaded; 2 lakh plus ‘ veeron ka vandan’ programmes nationwide; 
more than 2.36 crore indigenous saplings have been planted; and 2.63 lakh Amrit vatikas created under the 
vasudha vandan theme across the country.
t he ‘Meri Maati Mera Desh’ campaign also includes the Amrit Kalash Yatra, which comprises a collection 
of mitti (soil) and rice grains from over 6 lakh villages in rural areas and from wards in urban areas, which is 
sent to block level (where mitti of all villages in the block is mixed) and then to the state capital. t he mitti 
from the state level is sent to the national c apital, accompanied by thousands of Amrit Kalash Yatris.
t he Amrit Kalash Yatra witnessed all the states and ut s represented by their respective blocks and urban 
Local bodies putting mitti from their Kalash in one giant Amrit Kalash in the spirit of ‘ek Bharat shreshtha 
Bharat’ .  t he Amrit vatika and Amrit Mahotsav Memorial, whose foundation stone was laid by the Prime 
Minister, will be built from the soil collected from every part of the country.                                                          ?
Source: PIB
T
MERI MAATI MERA DEsH
51 deCeMBer 2023 52 December 2023
ivelihood security and financial 
empowerment of rural people are 
key priorities of the government of 
india in its path towards Atmanirbhar 
Bharat. continuing with its commitment this 
year, the government has taken strategic steps to 
accelerate a transformation in agriculture and rural 
development sectors, eyeing an inclusive growth 
in villages. centrally-sponsored welfare schemes 
and programmes intend to develop rural areas as 
hubs of profitability, productivity, and prosperity. 
to achieve the goal, budget allocations for 2023-24 
The year 2023 was declared the ‘International Year of Millets’ by the United 
Nations General Assembly. A mission was launched to boost production, 
processing, and marketing of millets and to position India as the global hub 
for millets. The Government has announced the facilitation of the ‘World’s 
Largest Grain Storage Plan in the Cooperative Sector’ this year. The plan 
entails setting up various types of agri-infrastructure, such as warehouses, 
custom hiring centres, and processing units, at the level of Primary 
Agricultural Credit Societies. 
have been increased substantially for ongoing 
schemes and new initiatives. the Ministry of 
Agriculture and Farmers’  Welfare has been allocated 
rs1,25,036 crore for FY 2023-24, 5 per cent higher 
than the revised estimates for 2022-23. in addition 
to allocations for continuing schemes, budget 
provisions were made for development of Digital 
Public infrastructure and to set-up an Agriculture 
Accelerator Fund. the target for agriculture credit 
was increased to rs 20 lakh crore and a provision of 
rs 6,000 crore was made to launch a new scheme 
PM Matsya Sampada Yojana. t he union Budget also 
dr jagdeep Saxena the author is former Chief editor, indian Council of Agricultural research, New delhi. email: jagdeepsaxena@yahoo.com
L
AGRIcUl TURE AND RURAl DE vEl OPMENT 
KEy INITIATIvE s & AcHIE vEMENTs
53 December 2023
announced setting-up of a decentralised storage 
capacity and multi-purpose co-operative societies. 
Prime Minister narendra Modi, while 
addressing 17
th
 indian cooperative congress  
(3 July 2023), said, “on an average, the g overnment 
is spending more than rs 6.5 lakh crore yearly on 
agriculture and farmers” . t he Prime Minister called 
upon cooperatives to work towards increasing 
production of oilseeds and pulses, and help the 
country become self-reliant on cooking oils. on the 
other hand, the Ministry of rural Development has 
been allocated rs 1,59,964 crore for FY 2023-24. t he 
Ministry, in addition to its social responsibilities, 
aims to develop rural infrastructure for growth and 
optimise the use of land resources in the country. 
in the budget, outlay on the Pradhan Mantri 
Awas Yojana (rural and urban components taken 
together) was increased by 66 per cent to rs 79,590 
crore. Budget also announced the empowerment 
of rural women sHgs through the formation of 
large producer collectives. they will be provided 
raw materials and support to scale up operations.
r aising the bar
Based on the proposal of the government of 
india, the year 2023 was declared the ‘international 
Year of Millets’ by the united nations general 
Assembly. A mission was launched to boost 
production, processing, and marketing of millets 
and to position india as the global hub for millets. 
Meanwhile, india renamed Millets as Shree Anna 
to express its high regard and esteem, especially 
in a national context. With many promotional 
and supportive schemes at the core, the at-
home consumption of millets has increased to 
14 kilograms per month per person, which was 
previously not more than 3 kilograms. in recent 
times, the sale of millet-based food products has 
also seen a boost of around 30 per cent with demand 
growing in international markets as well. Millets 
have been selected in 19 districts of the country 
under the ‘one District, one Product’ scheme for 
further promotion and expansion. More than 500 
startups and a large number of Farmer Producer 
organisations are now engaged in the processing 
and packaging of various millet-based nutri-foods 
for direct sales in super-markets and malls. on 
the same pattern, women sHgs are producing 
millet products in small villages that are making 
their way into urban markets. the Millet Mission 
has significantly contributed to the improvement 
of quality of life and the uplift of socio-economic 
conditions of about 2.5 crore farmers engaged in 
the cultivation of millets. india organised the global 
Millets conference (March 2023) in new Delhi 
to bring forth the immense possibilities of Shree 
Anna from global perspectives. t he Prime Minister 
inaugurated the conference and also unveiled 
a commemorative stamp and commemorative 
coin, especially designed to mark the occasion. 
Along with national and international dignitaries, 
experts, and stakeholders, over 75 lakh farmers also 
participated in the conference in virtual mode.
on the front of food production, the country set 
a new record for both food grain and horticultural 
produce in 2022-23 with an estimated production 
of 330 million tonnes and 352 million tonnes 
respectively. While foodgrain production touched 
an increase of over 4 per cent (14 million tonnes), 
the output of horticultural produce showed an 
increase of over one per cent (5 million tonnes) 
compared to the previous year. chief food grains, 
paddy (rice), and wheat recorded an all-time high 
production in 2022-23 (July-June cycle) at 135 
million tonnes and 110 million tonnes respectively. 
Among horticultural crops, fruit production stood 
at 108 million tonnes, and vegetables reported a 
record production of 213 million tonnes.
54 December 2023
in line with the government’s policy of fixing 
Minimum support Price (MsP) at a level of at 
least 1.5 times the all-india weighted average 
cost of production, the government announced 
the increase in MsP for mandated r abi crops for 
marketing season 2024-25. in absolute terms, the 
highest increase in MsP has been announced for 
lentils at rs 425 per quintal. this was followed by 
rapeseed and mustard (rs 200/quintal); wheat 
and safflower (rs 150/quintal); and barley and 
gram (rs 115 & rs 105/quintal respectively). 
With this increase, the expected margin over 
the cost of production now stands at 102% for 
wheat, 98% for rapeseed and mustard, 89% for 
lentil, 60% each for gram and barley, and 52% for 
safflower. the pattern of increase in MsP reflects 
the intent of the government to promote crop 
diversification towards oilseeds and pulses to 
strengthen food security, increase farmers’ income, 
and reduce dependence and imports. Meanwhile, 
the commission of Agricultural costs and Prices 
(cAcP), which recommends MsP, has suggested 
the government thoroughly review its open-ended 
procurement policy for wheat and rice. t he panel, 
in its latest report, highlighted the accumulation of 
high stocks of wheat and rice, distorted cropping 
patterns, and overexploitation of groundwater due 
to current policy. the country has more stocks of 
wheat and rice than are required by the national 
Food security Act and other welfare schemes.
in this reference and context, the government 
has announced the facilitation of the ‘World’s 
Largest grain storage Plan in the cooperative 
sector’ this year. t he plan entails setting up various 
types of agri-infrastructure, such as warehouses, 
custom hiring centres, processing units, etc. at the 
level of Primary Agricultural c redit s ocieties (PAcs). 
With a far-reaching network of over one lakh PAcs 
and more than 13 crore member farmers, the plan 
envisages a substantial reduction in food wastage, 
a strengthening of food security, and a boost to 
farmers’ income.
initiatives for Growth
As per Budget Proposal (2023-24), the 
government has approved the ‘PM Programme 
for restoration, Awareness generation, 
nourishment, and Amelioration of Mother-earth’ 
(PM-PrAnAM) scheme. the initiative aims to 
support the mass movement started by states/
union territories to save the health of Mother 
earth by promoting sustainable and balanced 
use of fertilisers, adopting alternate fertilisers, 
promoting alternate farming, and implementing 
resource conservation technologies. Further, 
the government has also approved market 
development assistance@rs 1500/M t to promote 
the field application of organic fertilisers, 
specifically manure produced at plants under 
the goBAr dhan initiative. in this context, the 
launch of the world's first nano-DAP liquid (Di-
Ammonium Phosphate) had been a momentous 
achievement (26 April 2023). Developed and 
produced by iFFco (i ndian Farmers Fertiliser 
cooperative Limited), nano-DAP and nano-
urea (Liquid) are patented items poised to bring 
a paradigm shift in the agriculture sector. the 
production of nano-urea was approved in 2021, 
and in 2023 the infrastructure to make about 
17 crore nano-urea bottles will have been built 
up in the country. nearly 6.3 crore bottles have 
been produced till March 2023. t he effect of one 
bottle of 500 ml on the crop is equivalent to that 
of a 45 kg bag of granular urea! enhanced use of 
liquid fertilisers will reduce quantum of fertiliser 
imports, thus saving the country’s valuable 
revenue and foreign currency. it will contribute 
towards Atmanirbharta in fertiliser sector. the 
government has recently approved rs 22,303 
crore subsidy for nutrient-based phosphatic 
and potassic fertilisers for the r abi season. t his 
will help increase the availability of fertilisers to 
farmers at cheaper prices.
Page 5


51 December 2023
he Meri Maati Mera Desh campaign is a tribute to the veers and veeranganas who have made 
the supreme sacrifice for the country. i n the spirit of Jan Bhagidari, the campaign comprises 
many activities and ceremonies conducted across the country at Panchayat/village, Block, urban 
Local Body, state and national levels. the activities included the building of shilaphalakam 
(a memorial) to express heartfelt gratitude to all the bravehearts who have made the supreme sacrifice; 
‘Panch Pran’ pledge taking by the people at shilaphalakam; planting of saplings of indigenous species 
and developing ‘Amrit vatika’ (vasudha vandhan), and felicitation ceremonies for honouring the freedom 
fighters and the families of deceased freedom fighters ( veeron ka vandan), among others.
the campaign became a massive success, with over 2.3 lakh shilaphalakams built in 36 s tates/ut s; 
nearly 4 crore Panch Pran pledge selfies uploaded; 2 lakh plus ‘ veeron ka vandan’ programmes nationwide; 
more than 2.36 crore indigenous saplings have been planted; and 2.63 lakh Amrit vatikas created under the 
vasudha vandan theme across the country.
t he ‘Meri Maati Mera Desh’ campaign also includes the Amrit Kalash Yatra, which comprises a collection 
of mitti (soil) and rice grains from over 6 lakh villages in rural areas and from wards in urban areas, which is 
sent to block level (where mitti of all villages in the block is mixed) and then to the state capital. t he mitti 
from the state level is sent to the national c apital, accompanied by thousands of Amrit Kalash Yatris.
t he Amrit Kalash Yatra witnessed all the states and ut s represented by their respective blocks and urban 
Local bodies putting mitti from their Kalash in one giant Amrit Kalash in the spirit of ‘ek Bharat shreshtha 
Bharat’ .  t he Amrit vatika and Amrit Mahotsav Memorial, whose foundation stone was laid by the Prime 
Minister, will be built from the soil collected from every part of the country.                                                          ?
Source: PIB
T
MERI MAATI MERA DEsH
51 deCeMBer 2023 52 December 2023
ivelihood security and financial 
empowerment of rural people are 
key priorities of the government of 
india in its path towards Atmanirbhar 
Bharat. continuing with its commitment this 
year, the government has taken strategic steps to 
accelerate a transformation in agriculture and rural 
development sectors, eyeing an inclusive growth 
in villages. centrally-sponsored welfare schemes 
and programmes intend to develop rural areas as 
hubs of profitability, productivity, and prosperity. 
to achieve the goal, budget allocations for 2023-24 
The year 2023 was declared the ‘International Year of Millets’ by the United 
Nations General Assembly. A mission was launched to boost production, 
processing, and marketing of millets and to position India as the global hub 
for millets. The Government has announced the facilitation of the ‘World’s 
Largest Grain Storage Plan in the Cooperative Sector’ this year. The plan 
entails setting up various types of agri-infrastructure, such as warehouses, 
custom hiring centres, and processing units, at the level of Primary 
Agricultural Credit Societies. 
have been increased substantially for ongoing 
schemes and new initiatives. the Ministry of 
Agriculture and Farmers’  Welfare has been allocated 
rs1,25,036 crore for FY 2023-24, 5 per cent higher 
than the revised estimates for 2022-23. in addition 
to allocations for continuing schemes, budget 
provisions were made for development of Digital 
Public infrastructure and to set-up an Agriculture 
Accelerator Fund. the target for agriculture credit 
was increased to rs 20 lakh crore and a provision of 
rs 6,000 crore was made to launch a new scheme 
PM Matsya Sampada Yojana. t he union Budget also 
dr jagdeep Saxena the author is former Chief editor, indian Council of Agricultural research, New delhi. email: jagdeepsaxena@yahoo.com
L
AGRIcUl TURE AND RURAl DE vEl OPMENT 
KEy INITIATIvE s & AcHIE vEMENTs
53 December 2023
announced setting-up of a decentralised storage 
capacity and multi-purpose co-operative societies. 
Prime Minister narendra Modi, while 
addressing 17
th
 indian cooperative congress  
(3 July 2023), said, “on an average, the g overnment 
is spending more than rs 6.5 lakh crore yearly on 
agriculture and farmers” . t he Prime Minister called 
upon cooperatives to work towards increasing 
production of oilseeds and pulses, and help the 
country become self-reliant on cooking oils. on the 
other hand, the Ministry of rural Development has 
been allocated rs 1,59,964 crore for FY 2023-24. t he 
Ministry, in addition to its social responsibilities, 
aims to develop rural infrastructure for growth and 
optimise the use of land resources in the country. 
in the budget, outlay on the Pradhan Mantri 
Awas Yojana (rural and urban components taken 
together) was increased by 66 per cent to rs 79,590 
crore. Budget also announced the empowerment 
of rural women sHgs through the formation of 
large producer collectives. they will be provided 
raw materials and support to scale up operations.
r aising the bar
Based on the proposal of the government of 
india, the year 2023 was declared the ‘international 
Year of Millets’ by the united nations general 
Assembly. A mission was launched to boost 
production, processing, and marketing of millets 
and to position india as the global hub for millets. 
Meanwhile, india renamed Millets as Shree Anna 
to express its high regard and esteem, especially 
in a national context. With many promotional 
and supportive schemes at the core, the at-
home consumption of millets has increased to 
14 kilograms per month per person, which was 
previously not more than 3 kilograms. in recent 
times, the sale of millet-based food products has 
also seen a boost of around 30 per cent with demand 
growing in international markets as well. Millets 
have been selected in 19 districts of the country 
under the ‘one District, one Product’ scheme for 
further promotion and expansion. More than 500 
startups and a large number of Farmer Producer 
organisations are now engaged in the processing 
and packaging of various millet-based nutri-foods 
for direct sales in super-markets and malls. on 
the same pattern, women sHgs are producing 
millet products in small villages that are making 
their way into urban markets. the Millet Mission 
has significantly contributed to the improvement 
of quality of life and the uplift of socio-economic 
conditions of about 2.5 crore farmers engaged in 
the cultivation of millets. india organised the global 
Millets conference (March 2023) in new Delhi 
to bring forth the immense possibilities of Shree 
Anna from global perspectives. t he Prime Minister 
inaugurated the conference and also unveiled 
a commemorative stamp and commemorative 
coin, especially designed to mark the occasion. 
Along with national and international dignitaries, 
experts, and stakeholders, over 75 lakh farmers also 
participated in the conference in virtual mode.
on the front of food production, the country set 
a new record for both food grain and horticultural 
produce in 2022-23 with an estimated production 
of 330 million tonnes and 352 million tonnes 
respectively. While foodgrain production touched 
an increase of over 4 per cent (14 million tonnes), 
the output of horticultural produce showed an 
increase of over one per cent (5 million tonnes) 
compared to the previous year. chief food grains, 
paddy (rice), and wheat recorded an all-time high 
production in 2022-23 (July-June cycle) at 135 
million tonnes and 110 million tonnes respectively. 
Among horticultural crops, fruit production stood 
at 108 million tonnes, and vegetables reported a 
record production of 213 million tonnes.
54 December 2023
in line with the government’s policy of fixing 
Minimum support Price (MsP) at a level of at 
least 1.5 times the all-india weighted average 
cost of production, the government announced 
the increase in MsP for mandated r abi crops for 
marketing season 2024-25. in absolute terms, the 
highest increase in MsP has been announced for 
lentils at rs 425 per quintal. this was followed by 
rapeseed and mustard (rs 200/quintal); wheat 
and safflower (rs 150/quintal); and barley and 
gram (rs 115 & rs 105/quintal respectively). 
With this increase, the expected margin over 
the cost of production now stands at 102% for 
wheat, 98% for rapeseed and mustard, 89% for 
lentil, 60% each for gram and barley, and 52% for 
safflower. the pattern of increase in MsP reflects 
the intent of the government to promote crop 
diversification towards oilseeds and pulses to 
strengthen food security, increase farmers’ income, 
and reduce dependence and imports. Meanwhile, 
the commission of Agricultural costs and Prices 
(cAcP), which recommends MsP, has suggested 
the government thoroughly review its open-ended 
procurement policy for wheat and rice. t he panel, 
in its latest report, highlighted the accumulation of 
high stocks of wheat and rice, distorted cropping 
patterns, and overexploitation of groundwater due 
to current policy. the country has more stocks of 
wheat and rice than are required by the national 
Food security Act and other welfare schemes.
in this reference and context, the government 
has announced the facilitation of the ‘World’s 
Largest grain storage Plan in the cooperative 
sector’ this year. t he plan entails setting up various 
types of agri-infrastructure, such as warehouses, 
custom hiring centres, processing units, etc. at the 
level of Primary Agricultural c redit s ocieties (PAcs). 
With a far-reaching network of over one lakh PAcs 
and more than 13 crore member farmers, the plan 
envisages a substantial reduction in food wastage, 
a strengthening of food security, and a boost to 
farmers’ income.
initiatives for Growth
As per Budget Proposal (2023-24), the 
government has approved the ‘PM Programme 
for restoration, Awareness generation, 
nourishment, and Amelioration of Mother-earth’ 
(PM-PrAnAM) scheme. the initiative aims to 
support the mass movement started by states/
union territories to save the health of Mother 
earth by promoting sustainable and balanced 
use of fertilisers, adopting alternate fertilisers, 
promoting alternate farming, and implementing 
resource conservation technologies. Further, 
the government has also approved market 
development assistance@rs 1500/M t to promote 
the field application of organic fertilisers, 
specifically manure produced at plants under 
the goBAr dhan initiative. in this context, the 
launch of the world's first nano-DAP liquid (Di-
Ammonium Phosphate) had been a momentous 
achievement (26 April 2023). Developed and 
produced by iFFco (i ndian Farmers Fertiliser 
cooperative Limited), nano-DAP and nano-
urea (Liquid) are patented items poised to bring 
a paradigm shift in the agriculture sector. the 
production of nano-urea was approved in 2021, 
and in 2023 the infrastructure to make about 
17 crore nano-urea bottles will have been built 
up in the country. nearly 6.3 crore bottles have 
been produced till March 2023. t he effect of one 
bottle of 500 ml on the crop is equivalent to that 
of a 45 kg bag of granular urea! enhanced use of 
liquid fertilisers will reduce quantum of fertiliser 
imports, thus saving the country’s valuable 
revenue and foreign currency. it will contribute 
towards Atmanirbharta in fertiliser sector. the 
government has recently approved rs 22,303 
crore subsidy for nutrient-based phosphatic 
and potassic fertilisers for the r abi season. t his 
will help increase the availability of fertilisers to 
farmers at cheaper prices.
55 December 2023
this year, the government launched some 
specific it -based initiatives that aim to revolutionise 
agriculture, enhance financial inclusion, optimise 
data utilisation, and improve the lives of farmers 
across the nation. the first among these, called 
the Kisan rin Portal, is designed to facilitate 
access to credit services under the Kisan credit 
card (Kcc ). it will also assist farmers in availing of 
subsidised agriculture credit through the Modified 
interest subvention scheme (Miss). to further 
ensure unhindered access to credit facilities, 
the government initiated a special drive called 
‘ghar ghar Kcc Abhiyaan’ from 1 o ctober to  
31 December 2023. it aims to connect around 
1.5 crore beneficiaries of PM Kisan Samman Nidhi 
who are not yet connected to the Kcc scheme. 
A comprehensive WinDs (Weather information 
network Data systems) manual was launched to 
provide an in-depth understanding of the portal’s 
functionalities, data interpretation, and effective 
utilisation. WinDs is an effort to establish a network 
of automatic weather stations and rain gauges at 
the taluk/block and gram panchayat levels. Weather 
data will help improve crop management, resource 
allocation, and risk mitigation.
During prestigious Presidency of g20 this 
year, india organised a g20 Agriculture Ministers’ 
Meeting in Hyderabad (15 to 17 June 2023). various 
issues were discussed with the perspective of g20 
nations, such as food and nutrition; sustainable 
agriculture with climate smart approach; 
inclusive agri-value chains and food systems; and 
digitalisation for agricultural transformation. the 
two key outcomes of the meeting: (i) Deccan High 
Principles on Food security and nutrition 2023, 
and (ii) international Millets and other Ancient 
grains r esearch initiative (MAHArisHi). the g20 
nations also pledged to alleviate the immediate 
suffering and build resilience in communities 
affected by the food security crisis by providing 
assistance and support.
path of prosperity for rural i ndia
rural inhabitants, making up nearly 65 per 
cent of the population, are at the core of national 
development goals, with a specific agenda of 
building safety nets and enhancing livelihood 
opportunities. the Ministry of rural Development 
is all ready to chalk out a medium-term plan for 
2024-30, and a long-term plan for 2024-47, to chalk 
out the future of rural development in the country. 
t his year, in his independence Day address, Prime 
Minister announced an ambitious goal, “today,  
10 crore rural women are part of the self-help 
groups. When you go to a village, you will find  
‘bank-wali didi’, ‘Anganwadi didi’, and ‘dawai-wali 
didi’. it is my dream to make two crore lakhpati 
didis in the villages”. to realise this vision, the 
Ministry of rural Development has launched 
a special drive under its flagship programme, 
‘Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana– national rural 
Livelihoods Mission’ (DAY-nrLM). the drive aims 
to enable two crore ‘Lakhpati Didis – sHg Didis‘ 
who can earn a sustainable income of at least rs 1 
lakh per annum per household. During the drive, 
each sHg household is being encouraged to take 
up multiple livelihood activities coupled with 
value chain additions. ‘sangathan se samridhhi: 
Leaving no rural woman behind’ was another 
national campaign under DAY-nrLM’ that aimed 
at mobilising an additional one crore women from 
vulnerable and marginalised rural households under 
the lap of sHgs. t he campaign, organised in all the 
states, targeted the formation of over 1.1 lakh sHgs 
through interventions, motivation, facilitation, 
and trainings. on the successful completion of the 
campaign, a total of 10 crore rural women will be 
part of the sHg movement. As a digital step towards 
strengthening market support for products made 
by women sHgs, DAY-nrLM launched an innovative 
esAr As mobile app. it will be used for processing, 
packaging, and shipping of products that customers 
purchase through the esAr As portal and esAr As 
mobile app. it will handle the logistics required to 
bring an online order to a customer’s doorstep.