What will a legal guarantee of MSP involve?
Context: After a year-long agitation on the borders of Delhi, protesting farm unions are pushing for their other major demand for providing a legal guarantee that all farmers will receive remunerative prices for all their crops. Relevance: GS-III: Agriculture (Agriculture Pricing), GS-II: Governance (Government Policies & Interventions, Issues arising out of the design and implementation […]
Reforming the fertilizer sector
Context: Since 1991, when economic reforms began in India, several attempts have been made to reform the fertilizer sector to keep a check on the rising fertilizer subsidy bill, promote the efficient use of fertilizers, achieve balanced use of N, P and K (nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium), and reduce water and air pollution caused by […]
SKM seeks legal backing for MSP, repeal of electricity Bill
Context: The Samyukta Kisan Morcha – the umbrella body of farmer unions that is leading the agitation against the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s three contentious farm laws – demanded a legal guarantee of remunerative Minimum Support Price (MSP) and withdrawal of the draft of Electricity Amendments Bill, 2020/2021. Relevance: GS-III: Agriculture (Agriculture Pricing), GS-II: Governance […]
Government decides to repeal the three farm laws
Context: Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the repeal of three contentious farm laws, assuring farmer groups protesting against them for the past year that the legislative process for the repeal would be completed in the upcoming Winter Session of Parliament. Relevance: GS-III: Agriculture (Storage, transport & marketing of agro-produce and related issues & constraints; supply […]
Global Agricultural Productivity Report (GAP Report)
Context: According to the Global Agricultural Productivity Report (GAP Report) 2021 Global agricultural productivity is not growing as fast as the demand for food, amid the impact of climate change. Relevance: GS-III: Agriculture (Agricultural Marketing, Food Security), GS-III: Indian Economy (Growth and Development of Indian Economy) Dimensions of the Article: Highlights of the Global Agricultural […]
Minister on Licences for new sugar factories and ethanol
Context: Urging farmers in Maharashtra and other parts of the country to focus on producing ethanol from sugarcane juice instead of sugar, Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways said there was a pressing need to stop issuing fresh licenses to set up sugar factories in the State and elsewhere. Relevance: GS-III: Environment and Ecology […]
Amid protests, Centre hikes MSP for rabi crops
Context: The Centre has increased the minimum support price (MSP) for wheat for the upcoming rabi season. Oilseeds and pulses such as mustard, safflower and masoor dal saw higher MSP increases of up to 8% in a bid to encourage crop diversification. Relevance: GS-III: Agriculture (Agriculture Pricing), GS-II: Social Justice (Welfare Schemes) Dimensions of the […]
New initiative in J&K for Pashmina shawls
Context: A rare initiative to double the wages and ensure round-the-year orders by the Centre For Excellence (CFE) is poised to address the significant decline in the number of women associated with hand-spinning of yarns for Pashmina shawls in Kashmir. In the backdrop of this trend, the Directorate of Handicrafts and Handloom, Kashmir, has announced […]
Centre raises fair price of sugar cane
Context: The Central government has hiked the minimum price that sugar mills must pay to cane farmers setting the fair and remunerative price (FRP) at ₹290 a quintal for the 2021-22 sugar season. Relevance: GS-III: Agriculture (Agricultural Pricing and Marketing, Food Security) Dimensions of the Article: Sugar Industry in India and its isssues What is […]
Parliamentary Standing Committee on Decentralized Procurement Scheme (DCP)
Context: The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Food, Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution (Standing Committee) flagged the only 23 states have implemented the Decentralized Procurement Scheme (DCP) so far — 15 to procure rice and eight to procure wheat — despite the scheme being in place for 23 years. Relevance: GS-III: Agriculture (Public Distribution System PDS, […]