PM Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana: Aspirational Districts Model Comes to Agriculture
Design of the Scheme
- Converges 36 schemes across 11 Ministries with State schemes and private partnerships; no new standalone funding line.
- Districts chosen by three indicators: productivity, cropping intensity and credit access; at least one district per State/UT.
- District Dhan-Dhaanya Samitis, including progressive farmers, to prepare district agriculture and allied-activity plans.
- 117 key performance indicators tracked monthly on a dashboard; NITI Aayog reviews progress; central nodal officers assigned to each district.
Goals
- Enhance productivity and adopt crop diversification and sustainable practices.
- Augment post-harvest storage at panchayat and block level; improve irrigation and credit availability.
- Aligns with the goal of 'Viksit Bharat' by raising farm incomes in lagging regions.
Assessment
Convergence without new money risks re-labelling existing outlays, and district committees may be captured by dominant farmer groups. Yet the Aspirational Districts precedent shows that focused monitoring and competition can lift outcomes. Success indicators to watch: rise in cropping intensity, storage capacity created, and diversification away from paddy-wheat in water-stressed districts.
Test Yourself
1 graded question · Prelims format
With reference to the PM Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana, consider the following statements:
- 1.It is modelled on the Aspirational Districts Programme.
- 2.It creates a new standalone fund of ₹24,000 crore per year outside existing schemes.
- 3.Districts are selected on the basis of low productivity, low cropping intensity and low credit disbursement.
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