🌾 प्रधानमंत्री धन-धान्य कृषि योजना (PMDDKY): Agriculture का Aspirational Model

🌾 प्रधानमंत्री धन-धान्य कृषि योजना (PMDDKY): Agriculture का Aspirational Model

By: Suryavanshi IAS | For UPSC Aspirants | July 16, 2025

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🧭 Context | संदर्भ

The Union Cabinet on July 16, 2025, approved the “Prime Minister Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana” (PMDDKY) to enhance agricultural productivity, promote sustainable practices, and strengthen district-level agri-infrastructure.

This ₹24,000 crore per year scheme (2025–31) converges 36 existing schemes of 11 Ministries and is modeled on the Aspirational District Programme.

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🎯 Objective of PMDDKY | उद्देश्य

• 🧑‍🌾 Improve productivity and resilience in agriculture & allied sectors

• 💧 Strengthen irrigation, storage, and credit mechanisms

• 🌱 Promote natural & organic farming

• 📊 Focus on low-performing districts (100 selected)

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🔑 Key Features | प्रमुख विशेषताएं

Element	Details
Budget	₹24,000 crore/year for 6 years (2025–31)
Coverage	1.7 crore farmers across 100 districts
Convergence Model	36 schemes from 11 Ministries merged
Selection Criteria	Based on: Low productivity, Low cropping intensity, Low credit disbursement
District Plan	Made by “District Dhan Dhaanya Samiti”, with progressive farmers included
Monitoring	Monthly review at district, state, and national levels

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🧠 Key UPSC Terms Explained

Term	Meaning for UPSC
Cropping Intensity	Ratio of gross cropped area to net sown area. Reflects how often land is used.
Convergence Model	Integrating multiple schemes to avoid duplication and enhance impact.
Value Addition	Transforming raw agri-produce to higher-value products (e.g., milk → cheese)
Allied Activities	Non-crop rural income sources: dairy, poultry, fisheries, etc.
Natural Farming	Farming without chemicals; using natural inputs like cow dung, bio-enzymes

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📌 Why 100 Districts? | 100 ज़िलों का चुनाव क्यों?

Selection Based On:

1. Low productivity

2. Low cropping intensity

3. Less credit disbursal

✅ Minimum 1 district per State/UT
✅ Based on Net Cropped Area & Operational Holdings

Critique: Experts suggest replacing credit-based criteria with Net Agricultural Income per hectare.

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🚜 Committees for Implementation

• District Dhan Dhaanya Samiti: Progressive farmers included

• State/National Committees for monitoring

• Integration with private sector and State schemes

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🌿 Focus Areas | फोकस क्षेत्र

• 🌱 Crop Diversification

• 💧 Water-use efficiency

• 🧪 Soil health conservation

• 🧑‍🌾 Organic and Natural Farming

• 🔄 Agri-value chains & Local livelihoods

• 💼 Self-sufficiency and resilience building

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🌍 Link with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG	Alignment
SDG 1	No Poverty – Livelihood creation
SDG 2	Zero Hunger – Sustainable agriculture
SDG 13	Climate Action – Soil & water conservation
SDG 12	Responsible Consumption & Production

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📚 Linkage with Previous UPSC Questions

📝 Prelims

UPSC Prelims 2018:

With reference to the ‘National Adaptation Fund for Climate Change (NAFCC)’, which of the following statements is/are correct?

Relevance: PMDDKY includes soil health, water-use efficiency – similar to climate adaptation measures.

UPSC Prelims 2017:

What is/are the advantage/advantages of zero tillage in agriculture?

Relevance: PMDDKY promotes natural farming and soil conservation, similar to zero tillage.

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📝 Mains

GS Paper III – UPSC 2022
Q. “Agriculture in India needs to move from subsistence to sustainable and remunerative.” Elaborate with examples.

Write Points like:

• PMDDKY’s model of sustainability

• Convergence approach

• Long-term credit + value addition

• Shift from food security to farmer prosperity

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🔍 Criticism and Suggestions

Concern	Expert Suggestion
Credit focus flawed	Use net agri income/hectare as indicator
Monitoring burden	Use tech-based real-time monitoring
District capacity	Train district-level officers for implementation
Private sector	Ensure it doesn’t dominate farmer priorities

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📌 Sample Mains Practice Question

“Discuss the role of integrated schemes like PMDDKY in transforming Indian agriculture from input-driven to income-driven.”

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🧾 Summary for Prelims Notes

• PMDDKY: ₹24,000 crore/year (2025–31)

• 36 schemes merged across 11 ministries

• 100 low-performing districts

• Focus: Storage, irrigation, credit, soil, water

• Modelled on Aspirational District Programme

• Natural & Organic farming promotion

• Progressive farmers part of district committees

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🧠 Tip for Aspirants: PMDDKY is a paradigm shift in agricultural planning—moving from sectoral silos to convergent, district-level planning with farmer participation.

✍️ Keep revising smart. Keep growing wise. Jai Hind 🇮🇳

— Suryavanshi IAS