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Government boosts crop insurance with Rs 69,515 crore for farmers till 2026

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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.

India News

Delhi election: Arvind Kejriwal responds to PM Modi’s disaster remark on AAP govt, says BJP has no narrative

Countering PM Modi’s remark, Arvind Kejriwal said that the real disaster is within the BJP itself.

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Delhi election: Arvind Kejriwal responds to PM Modi’s disaster remark on AAP govt, says BJP has no narrative

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal launched a sharp three-point counterattack against Prime Minister Narendra Modi after he accused the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) of corruption and branded it AAPa, meaning disaster. Countering PM Modi’s remark, Arvind Kejriwal said that the real disaster lay within the BJP itself.

He said that the disaster is not in Delhi, but it is within the BJP. He continued that the first disaster is that the BJP doesn’t have a Chief Ministerial face. The second is that the BJP has no narrative, and the third is that the BJP has no agenda for the Delhi elections, he claimed.

The war of words erupted after PM Narendra Modi, while inaugurating a housing project for slum dwellers in the national capital, accused the AAP government of a series of alleged scams and corruption.

The Prime Minister said that the AAP has committed a liquor scam, school scam, and pollution scam, and are openly engaging in corruption and even publicising it. He claimed that it is a disaster for Delhi, and the residents have declared war against this disaster.

PM Modi also sought to underline his commitment to the welfare of Delhi’s underprivileged, stating that he could have built a sheeshmahal, but his dream is that his countrymen should get permanent houses.

Taking a dig at PM Modi’s reference to a sheeshmahal, Arvind Kejriwal said that mention of a sheeshmahal doesn’t sound appropriate coming from someone who built a house worth Rs 2,700 crore for himself, flies on a plane worth Rs 8,400 crore, and wears suits worth Rs 10 lakh.

The former Chief Minister further dealt blows to the BJP for failing to deliver on promises made to Delhi residents. He highlighted that the BJP’s 2020 manifesto had assured pucca houses for all in Delhi by 2022. Nonetheless, only 4,700 homes had been handed over in five years, he added.

Arvind Kejriwal noted that in 2020, the Prime Minister promised homes for everyone in Delhi by 2022, and in 2025, he has handed over keys to 1,700 homes and previously gave keys to 3,000 houses in Kalkaji. He showed a grim picture of the housing crisis in Delhi, mentioning that Delhi has 4 lakh slums, and 15 lakh people need homes. It seems BJP’s manifesto was meant for 200 years, not five, he said.

While accusing the Prime Minister of abusing the Delhi government for 39 minutes out of his 43-minute speech in Delhi, Arvind Kejriwal said even three hours wouldn’t be enough if he started listing the development work his party has carried out in Delhi in the last 10 years. 

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Education

CUET PG registration 2025 begins: Apply now at exams.nta.ac.in

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cuet pg 2025 registration process details and application guide

The National Testing Agency (NTA) has officially started the registration process for the Common University Entrance Test Postgraduate (CUET PG) 2025. Eligible candidates can apply via the official website, exams.nta.ac.in, until February 1, 2025.

The CUET PG exams are scheduled to be held from March 13 to March 31, 2025, across 312 cities, including 27 international locations. The examination will cover 157 subjects and will primarily be bilingual (English and Hindi), with specific exceptions for language-focused papers, M. Tech/Higher Sciences, and certain Acharya courses.

Key updates and timeline:

  • Registration Deadline: February 1, 2025.
  • Correction Window: February 3-5, 2025.
  • City Intimation Slip: First week of March 2025.
  • Admit Card Availability: Four days prior to the exam date.

Examination details:

This year, the duration of the exam has been reduced from 105 minutes to 90 minutes, while the number of questions remains unchanged. The exams will be conducted in two or three shifts daily to accommodate the extensive schedule.

Fee structure:

The registration fees have been increased by Rs 200 across all categories. Additional test paper fees have also risen by Rs 100 per paper. For international candidates, the registration fee is Rs 1,000 higher than last year for up to two test papers, with an extra Rs 1,500 for each additional paper.

Steps to apply for CUET PG 2025:

  1. Visit the official NTA website: exams.nta.ac.in.
  2. Click on the “CUET PG 2025” link on the homepage.
  3. Register by filling in the required details.
  4. Log in using your credentials and complete the application form.
  5. Pay the application fee as per your category.
  6. Submit the form and download the confirmation page for future reference.

About CUET PG:

Since 2022, the Ministry of Education and UGC have entrusted the NTA to conduct CUET for postgraduate admissions. The exam serves as a unified platform for admissions to Central Universities, as well as participating state, deemed, and private institutions across India.

Candidates are advised to complete their registrations promptly and stay updated with the official website for any changes or announcements.

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India News

MEA rejects report claiming India’s involvement in plot to oust Maldivian President Muizzu

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that both the newspaper and the reporter in question appear to nurse a compulsive hostility towards India.

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MEA rejects report claiming India’s involvement in plot to oust Maldivian President Muizzu

The Ministry of External Affairs today rejected a US media report claiming India’s involvement in a failed plot by the Maldivian opposition to impeach President Mohamed Muizzu. In the weekly briefing, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal accused The Washington Post of nursing a compulsive hostility towards India.

He said that both the newspaper and the reporter in question appear to nurse a compulsive hostility towards India. He added that one can judge the credibility of the report, if they see a pattern in the activities. As far as MEA are concerned, they have none, he continued.

The media report, based on an internal document titled, Democratic Renewal Initiative, asserted that the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) allegedly sought USD 6 million from India to oust Mohamed Muizzu.

Reportedly, the opposition planned to bribe around 40 MPs, including some from Muizzu’s own party, to garner votes for his impeachment. Nonetheless, it failed to materialise.

The development followed at a time when Maldives’s ties with India came under strain after some leaders from Muizzu’s Cabinet made derogatory remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. President Muizzu, who came to power based on an India Out campaign, also made India withdraw its troops from the country.

In addition, the MEA spokesperson also dismissed another Washington Post report that accused India of carrying out covert assassination campaigns in Pakistan. Without specifying the matter and quoting Hillary Clinton, spokesperson Jaiswal said as regards Pakistan, one cannot keep snakes in their backyard and expect them only to bite their neighbours.

Hillary Clinton made the statement in 2011 when she visited Pakistan as the US Secretary of State. With then Pakistan Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar by her side, Clinton demanded greater cooperation from the country to eliminate terrorists and squeeze the Haqqani network responsible for attacks in Afghanistan.

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