Prime Minister Narendra Modi today announced a significant increase in the government’s commitment to supporting farmers through enhanced crop insurance. The Cabinet approved a proposal to continue the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) and the Restructured Weather Based Crop Insurance Scheme (RWBCIS) until 2025-26 with an overall budget of Rs 69,515.71 crore.

In a tweet, Prime Minister Modi dedicated this decision to the country’s farmers, highlighting that the increased allocation would not only improve crop safety but also reduce farmers’ concerns over potential losses due to natural calamities. “The first decision of the new year is dedicated to our country’s farmers. We have approved the increased allocation for crop insurance, which will further safeguard their crops and reduce their worries about losses,” Modi tweeted, sharing the press release from the Government of India.

The initiative, which covers the risk of crop loss from unavoidable natural disasters, will benefit farmers nationwide. In addition to the increased funding, the Cabinet also approved the establishment of a Fund for Innovation and Technology (FIAT) with a corpus of Rs 824.77 crore. This fund will be used to implement technological advancements such as the YES-TECH and WINDS programs, aimed at improving transparency, claim calculations, and settlement processes.

Key features of the new initiative

1. PMFBY and RWBCIS Continuation: The schemes, which aim to provide financial support to farmers affected by natural calamities, will run until 2025-26.
2. Technological Infusion: The government will invest in cutting-edge technologies to enhance the accuracy of yield estimates and the speed of claims settlement. YES-TECH, for example, uses Remote Sensing Technology for yield estimation with a focus on a minimum 30% weightage based on technology. Currently, nine states, including Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu, are implementing YES-TECH.
3. Weather-based Data Systems: The WINDS initiative aims to expand the network of weather stations to provide hyper-local weather data crucial for farmers. Automatic Weather Stations (AWS) will be installed at the block level, and Automatic Rain Gauges (ARG) will be set up at the panchayat level. This initiative is currently being implemented in nine major states, including Kerala and Karnataka.
4. North Eastern States Priority: The center will continue to prioritize farmers in the North Eastern states, offering a 90% subsidy on premium costs. However, due to the voluntary nature of the scheme and low gross cropped area, the states will have flexibility in reallocating funds for other developmental projects.

Impact on Farmers

This move is expected to provide relief to farmers dealing with unpredictable weather conditions and natural disasters. The infusion of technology is expected to streamline claims processes, making them more efficient and transparent. Moreover, the central government’s support through premium subsidies will ensure wider coverage for farmers, particularly in regions like the North East, where agricultural challenges are more pronounced.

The initiative also aims to address the needs of farmers in rural areas who may have limited access to traditional insurance schemes. By providing a more accessible and reliable system, the government aims to mitigate the financial risks that farmers face, allowing them to focus on productivity rather than the unpredictability of weather and natural calamities.

This announcement is part of the government’s broader efforts to ensure that farmers remain financially protected against the increasing challenges posed by climate change and other environmental factors.

The scheme’s wider implementation across the country reflects the government’s ongoing commitment to supporting agriculture and rural economies.

For more information, check the official press release here.

In a moment of national sorrow, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has passed away at the age of 92 due to age-related medical conditions. The announcement was made by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi, where Singh had been receiving treatment in recent days.

According to the statement released by AIIMS, Singh was found unconscious at his residence earlier today, December 26, 2024. “He was promptly administered resuscitative measures at home and brought to the AIIMS medical emergency at 8:06 pm,” the statement said. Despite all efforts to revive him, he was declared dead at 9:51 pm.

Manmohan Singh, who served as the Prime Minister of India for two consecutive terms from 2004 to 2014, was a towering figure in Indian politics. His tenure is marked by his leadership in the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government. He was widely recognized for his calm and intellectual approach to governance, though it was his role as Finance Minister in the early 1990s that cemented his legacy as one of India’s most influential political figures.

Singh’s role in the landmark economic reforms of 1991, which included liberalizing India’s economy, reducing trade barriers, and opening the doors to foreign investment, is often credited with saving the country from economic collapse. These reforms transformed India’s economic landscape, setting the stage for its rapid growth in the subsequent decades.

In the wake of his passing, tributes poured in from across the political spectrum. Congress leaders Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Sonia Gandhi arrived at AIIMS soon after the news of Singh’s hospitalization became known. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and party MP Rahul Gandhi, currently in Belagavi for a Congress Working Committee meeting, are en route back to Delhi, according to reports.

Singh’s death marks the end of an era in Indian politics. He is survived by his wife, Gurcharan Singh, and their three daughters. Known for his humble and dignified nature, Singh’s contributions to India’s economic transformation will continue to resonate for generations to come.

On Wednesday, a dust storm with light to moderate rain is expected in numerous locations in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR). The India Meteorogical Department (IMD) stated the city’s maximum and minimum temperatures are predicted to be in the range of 40 and 25, respectively.

The IMD tweeted an advisory that thunderstorms, dust with light to moderate intensity rain and gusty winds with speed of 30-50 km/hr would occur over and adjoining areas of many places of Delhi, North Delhi, North East Delhi, North West Delhi, West Delhi, Central Delhi, East Delhi and NCR (Loni Dehat, Hindon AF station, Ghaziabad, Indirapuram, Chapraula) Sonipat, Rohtak, Kharkhoda (Haryana), Baraut, Bagpat, Meerut, Khekra, Modinagar, Kithor, Garhmukhteshwar, Pilakhua, Hapur, Gulaoti, Siyana, Sikandrabad, Bulandshahr, Jahangirabad (UP).

For the next two hours, light to moderate intermittent rain is expected over and near Adampur, Hissar, Hansi, and Meham (Haryana).

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On Thursday, May 18, light rain is predicted for in Delhi based on the seven-day prediction for the city. The sky will mainly be cloudy, with the potential of a light  rain or drizzle, according to the weather office.

The air quality will continue to be deteriorated in the city after strong winds with dust swept across the Delhi-NCR on Tuesday. Following this, visibility had reduced to 1000 metres. Kuldeep Srivastava, the head of regional forecasting centre, said the dry atmosphere is one of the reasons for the dust storms.

Following Tuesday’s severe winds and dust storm that blasted across the Delhi-NCR, the city’s air quality had taken an alarming dip.

The monsoons, which are awaited across India, are likely to make landfall in Kerala on June 4. Usually, the monsoon arrives on May 31 or June 1 but the delay will be made up as the phenomenon progresses on its south-west to north-east arc. With extreme temperatures right from a cold sytart to May to dust-laden winds in mid-May, the weather in the country is paying the price for accelerating climate change.

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