Though the Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee (DRPSC) has recommended increasing the support given under PM-KISAN (Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi) scheme to ₹12,000 per annum from the current ₹6,000, there is no such proposal by the Centre at present, according to Ramnath Thakur, Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare.

In a written reply in the Rajya Sabha on Friday, he said the DRPSC has recommended in its report that the support given under PM-KISAN scheme may be increased to ₹12,000 per annum from ₹6,000 at present and seasonal incentives given to farmers may also be extended to tenant farmers and farm labourers.

“At present, there is no such proposal under consideration for enhancing the financial assistance provided under PM-KISAN scheme and to extend the benefits of the PM-KISAN scheme to tenant farmers and farm labourers,” he said.

Catalyst of rural economy

Replying to a separate question, Thakur said the PM-KISAN scheme is a central sector scheme launched in February 2019 by the Prime Minister to supplement the financial needs of land-holding farmers. Maintaining absolute transparency in registering and verifying beneficiaries, the Government of India has disbursed over ₹3.46 lakh crore in 18 instalments since inception.

Referring to an independent study conducted by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) in 2019, he said funds disbursed under the PM-KISAN have acted as a catalyst in rural economic growth, aided in alleviating the credit constraints of farmers, and increased investments in agricultural inputs.

Further, the scheme has enhanced farmers’ risk-taking capacity, leading them to undertake riskier but comparatively productive investments. The funds received by recipients under PM-KISAN are not only helping them with their agricultural needs, but also catering to their other expenses such as education, medical, marriage, etc. “PM-KISAN has truly been a game changer for the farming community of our country,” he said.

Legally-binding MSP

The Minister said the DRPSC also recommended to implement a robust and legally binding Minimum Support Price (MSP) system, that can play a crucial role in reducing farmer suicides in India by providing financial stability, protecting against market volatility, alleviating debt burdens, and improving overall mental health among farmers.

Every year the Government fixes MSPs for 22 mandated agricultural crops for the country as a whole, based on the recommendations of Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP), after considering the views of State governments and Central ministries / departments concerned. The Union Budget for 2018-19 had announced the pre-determined principle to keep MSPs at levels of one and half times of the cost of production. Accordingly, the Government had increased MSPs for all mandated Kharif, Rabi and other commercial crops with a minimum return of 50 per cent over all-India weighted average cost of production from year 2018-19 onwards.

To make MSPs more effective and transparent, a committee has been constituted on July 12 2022. The subject matter of the committee also include suggestions on practicality to give more autonomy to CACP and measures to make it more scientific; and to strengthen the agricultural marketing system as per the changing requirements of the country to ensure higher value to the farmers through remunerative prices of their produce by taking advantage of the domestic and export opportunities.

The meetings of this committee are being organised regularly. Till date, six meetings have been held. Additionally, 39 meetings of various sub-committees have also been held.

He said Government’s price policy is to ensure remunerative prices to farmers by offering to procure their produce at MSP. However, farmers are free to sell their produce to the Government procurement agencies at MSP or in the open market, whichever is advantageous to them. Farmers of the country are benefited from the successful implementation of increased MSPs, he said.

Digital Agri Mission

To a separate question on Digital Agriculture Mission (DAM), Thakur said the Government has approved the DAM on September 2 2024 with an outlay of ₹2817 crore. The mission seeks to enable a robust digital agriculture ecosystem in the country for driving innovative farmer-centric digital solutions and making available timely and reliable crop-related information to all the farmers in the country.

He said the Mission envisages the creation of Digital Public Infrastructure for Agriculture such as AgriStack, Krishi Decision Support System, Comprehensive Soil Fertility and Profile Map, and other IT initiatives undertaken by Central and State governments.

Diamond exports

Answering a question on the export and import of diamonds in the Rajya Sabha on Friday, Piyush Goyal, Union Commerce and Industry Minister, said the consumer demand for luxury items has generally declined across the world due to effects of Covid and conflicts in Ukraine and West Asia.

Diamond being a luxury item has also seen a decline in consumer demand in India’s export destinations. Sanctions by G7 nations on Russian diamonds and the challenge of the identification and traceability of non-Russian diamonds by the importing G7 and EU countries have also impacted diamond trade.

The global export of cut and polished diamonds has declined from $86.4 billion in 2022 to $75.6 billion in 2023. Total export of diamonds from India decreased from $24.73 billion in 2022-23 to $18.37 billion in 2023-24.

Published on February 8, 2025