🔰 Step 1: ARD Schemes of the Last 6 Months (Jan–June 2025)

Here's a quick summary of some important schemes updated or highlighted recently.

These are high-probability MCQ topics:

✅ 1. Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY)

●​ Budget 2025-26 allocation: ₹13,625 crore
●​ Recent update: Crop insurance coverage expanded for new districts in Assam &
Bihar
●​ Claim settlement deadline reduced to 30 days

✅ 2. PM-KISAN
●​ ₹6,000 annual support to farmers (₹2,000 every 4 months)
●​ 15th installment was released in March 2025
●​ Coverage: 11 crore+ farmers

✅ 3. Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF)

●​ Total sanctioned amount: ₹45,000+ crore (as of May 2025)
●​ Focus: Cold storages, warehouses, grading units

✅ 4. Kisan Credit Card (KCC)

●​ Livestock farmers included
●​ Campaign to saturate KCC in 112 Aspirational Districts
●​ Interest subvention up to 3% continues

✅ 5. e-NAM
●​ New States onboarded: Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram
●​ Integration with ONDC under pilot mode
●​ Total e-NAM mandis: 1350+

✅ 6. National Livestock Mission (NLM)

●​ Focus on poultry & sheep rearing in tribal areas
 ●​ New guidelines issued in Feb 2025 for SHG-based implementation

✅ 7. PM Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY)

●​ Focus on “Har Khet Ko Pani”
●​ Micro-irrigation fund expanded by ₹5,000 crore
●​ States using most funds: Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu

✅ 8. National Beekeeping & Honey Mission (NBHM)

●​ New training modules launched
●​ Integration with Agri-Export clusters

🌾 Flagship Agriculture Schemes – Detailed Notes

1. ✅ Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF)
●​ Launch Year: 2020
●​ Objective: Provide medium-long term debt financing for agri-infra projects.
●​ Tenure: 10 years (2020–2030)
●​ Target: ₹1 lakh crore
●​ Loan beneficiaries: PACS, FPOs, startups, SHGs, agri-entrepreneurs.
●​ Interest subvention: 3% per annum up to ₹2 crore

Current Update (2025):

●​ ₹45,000+ crore sanctioned.

●​ Key focus: cold storages, silos, grading, primary processing units.

2. ✅ Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY)

●​ Launch Year: 2015
●​ Slogan: “Har Khet Ko Pani”
●​ Aim: Expand irrigation, improve water use efficiency.
●​ Components:
○​ Per Drop More Crop (PDMC) – micro irrigation
○​ Watershed Development
○​ Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (AIBP)
●​ Implementing Ministries:
○​ MoA&FW
○​ MoWR
 ○​ MoRD

Update (2025):

●​ Micro Irrigation Fund increased.

●​ Maharashtra, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu = top performing states.

3. ✅ Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY)

●​ Launch Year: 2016
●​ Aim: Provide crop insurance against natural calamities.
●​ Premium:
○​ 2% for Kharif
○​ 1.5% for Rabi
○​ 5% for horticulture
●​ Coverage: Pre-sowing to post-harvest losses.

Update (2025):

●​ Faster claim settlements

●​ Aadhaar-linked payments
●​ Crop Cutting Experiments (CCE) via smart tech

4. ✅ Pradhan Mantri Kisan Maan-Dhan Yojana (PM-KMY)

●​ Launch: 2019
●​ Pension scheme for small & marginal farmers
●​ Age: 18–40 years
●​ Pension: ₹3,000/month after 60 years of age
●​ Contribution: ₹55 to ₹200 per month (matched by govt.)

Eligibility: Landholding up to 2 hectares

5. ✅ e-NAM (National Agriculture Market)

●​ Launch: 2016
●​ Aim: Online trading platform to link mandis.
●​ Goal: Transparent price discovery & reduce middlemen.

Key Points:

●​ Over 1350 mandis integrated.

●​ Mobile App + single license for trading across India.
 ●​ Farmers get real-time prices via app.

Update (2025):

●​ Now integrating with ONDC (Open Network for Digital Commerce)

●​ Linking FPOs with buyers directly.

6. ✅ Kisan Credit Card (KCC)

●​ Launch: 1998 (updated continuously)
●​ Aim: Provide short-term crop loans
●​ Loan limit: Up to ₹3 lakh @ 4% interest with subvention
●​ Eligibility: Farmers, dairy, fishery, livestock holders
●​ Validity: 5 years, renewable

Update (2025):

●​ SHG members & livestock owners are being included.

●​ Drive to issue cards in Aspirational Districts.

✍️ Summary Table
Scheme Focus Year Key Update (2025)

AIF Infra loans 2020 ₹45,000+ Cr

disbursed

PMKSY Irrigation 2015 Micro-irrigation

boost

PMFBY Crop insurance 2016 Faster claim,

Aadhaar link

PM-KMY Pension 2019 SHG integration

discussed
e-NAM Online trading 2016 Linking with ONDC

KCC Credit 1998 Livestock inclusion

🏡 Flagship Rural Development Schemes – Detailed

Notes

1.✅ MGNREGA – Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment

Guarantee Act

●​ Launch: 2005 (under NREGA), renamed MGNREGA in 2006

●​ Legal guarantee: 100 days of wage employment/year to rural households
●​ Wages: Linked to state-wise minimum wages
●​ Eligibility: Adult member of any rural household
●​ Important feature: 33% reservation for women
●​ Implementing Ministry: Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD)

Update (2025):

●​ Focus on water conservation, plantation work, flood control

●​ Now linked with GIS mapping & Aadhaar-based attendance system

2.✅ NRLM – National Rural Livelihood Mission (also Deen Dayal

Antyodaya Yojana)

●​ Launch: 2011 (as Aajeevika), restructured in 2016

●​ Goal: Promote SHGs and provide skill-based employment
●​ Target: 9 crore rural poor households
●​ Support:
○​ Interest subvention for SHG loans
○​ Livelihood asset creation

Sub-schemes:

●​ Start-up Village Entrepreneurship Program (SVEP)

●​ Mahila Kisan Sashaktikaran Pariyojana (MKSP)

Update (2025):

●​ Major boost to SHG Bank Linkage program

 ●​ Focus on Digital Sakhi training (digital literacy for SHG women)

3. ✅ DDU-GKY – Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana

●​ Launch: 2014
●​ Goal: Skill development for rural youth (15–35 years)
●​ Part of: NRLM
●​ Training partners: PPP mode
●​ Minimum placement target: 70%

Update (2025):

●​ New training sectors added: drone maintenance, rural e-commerce

4. ✅ PMAY-G – Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana – Gramin

●​ Launch: 2016
●​ Goal: “Housing for All” in rural India
●​ Target: 2.95 crore houses by 2024
●​ Support: ₹1.2 lakh in plain areas, ₹1.3 lakh in hilly/difficult areas
●​ Amenities linked: Toilets (SBM), electricity (Saubhagya), gas (PMUY)

Update (2025):

●​ Completion: 2.85 crore houses

●​ Focus on eco-friendly & disaster-resilient construction

5. ✅ PMGSY – Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana

●​ Launch: 2000
●​ Objective: Provide all-weather road connectivity to unconnected rural habitations
●​ Coverage: 1,78,000+ habitations
●​ Phase 3 (2019–25): 1.25 lakh km rural roads upgradation

Update (2025):

●​ Use of plastic waste & green technology in road construction

●​ Monitoring through OMMAS portal

6. ✅ NRuM – National Rurban Mission

 ●​ Launch: 2016
●​ Goal: Develop rural clusters with urban-like facilities
●​ Concept: Bridging rural-urban divide without migration
●​ Focus: Infrastructure (roads, water, sanitation), skill development, e-governance

Update (2025):

●​ 300+ clusters developed with solar energy & digital centres

✨ Summary Table
Scheme Aim Key Points

MGNREGA Employment 100 days, GIS-based

monitoring

NRLM Livelihoods for poor women SHGs, interest-free loans

DDU-GKY Skill dev for youth Placement-focused

PMAY-G Rural housing ₹1.2L–₹1.3L, sanitation

linked

PMGSY Rural roads Green tech, all-weather

roads

NRuM Smart rural clusters Solar, e-governance

1. ✅ Census 2011 (Last available full census)

●​ Conducted by: Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India
●​ Next Census (2021) delayed due to COVID-19
●​ Key Data:
○​ Total Population: 121.08 crore
 ○​ Rural Population: ~83.3 crore (68.84%)
○​ Literacy rate: 74.04%
○​ Sex Ratio: 940 females/1000 males
○​ State with highest population: Uttar Pradesh
○​ Least populated state: Sikkim

2. ✅ SECC – Socio Economic and Caste Census 2011

●​ Purpose: Identify poor households for targeted government schemes
●​ Parameters used: Income, housing, occupation, assets
●​ Separate data for:
○​ Rural households: 17.91 crore surveyed
○​ Urban households: Covered separately

Application:

●​ Used in targeting beneficiaries for PMAY-G, NRLM, NSAP, Ujjwala

3. ✅ Annual Reports (MoA&FW, AH&D, NABARD)

i. MoA&FW Annual Report 2023–24 (Agriculture Ministry)

●​ Record food grain production: 329.7 million tonnes (FY 2023-24)

●​ Focus: Crop diversification, FPOs, digital agri-tech
●​ Increase in MSP for pulses and oilseeds

ii. Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying (AH&D) Report

●​ Milk production: ~230 million tonnes (India = largest milk producer)

●​ Focus: Breed improvement, fodder, dairy infra

iii. NABARD Annual Report

●​ Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF): Core funding support to state infra
●​ SHG Bank linkage program expanding
●​ Agri Startups supported via NABARD Agri Incubation Centre

4. ✅ Economic Survey 2023–24

●​ Released: Feb 2024
●​ GDP growth: 7.3% (projected for FY25)
●​ Agri sector growth: 3.5%
●​ Focus: Climate-smart agriculture, sustainable irrigation
 ●​ Credit to agriculture sector rose by 11%

5. ✅ Union Budget 2024–25 (relevant to NABARD)

●​ Digital Public Infrastructure for Agriculture (Agri DPI) expanded
●​ Agri credit target: ₹20 lakh crore
●​ Higher allocation to PMFBY, AIF, PMKSY
●​ Model Villages under SHG/NABARD initiatives
●​ Blue Economy Mission announced for fisheries sector

6. ✅ Indian State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2023

●​ Published by: Forest Survey of India
●​ Forest Cover: 21.7% of India’s geographical area
●​ Top States (by % area): Mizoram, Arunachal, Meghalaya
●​ Urban forests and agroforestry initiatives growing

7. ✅ Key Stats of Cooperative Banks (RBI/NABARD Reports)

●​ Rural Cooperative Banks:
○​ Short-term: PACS, DCCBs, State Co-op Banks
○​ Long-term: State and Primary Agri & Rural Dev. Banks
●​ Recent updates:
○​ PACS to act as CSCs (Common Service Centres)
○​ Digitalization mission for 63,000+ PACS under way

📅 APRIL 2025 – WEEKLY ARD CURRENT AFFAIRS

✅ Week 1 (1st–7th April 2025)
1. Launch of “PM Matsya Sampada Mobile App 2.0”

●​ Updated version with real-time tracking of fishery inputs and subsidies.

●​ Covers inland, marine, and aquaculture development sectors.
●​ Ministry: MoFAHD (Fisheries)

2. Soil Health Card 3.0 – Pilot Rollout

●​ AI-based soil testing devices to be distributed at Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs).

●​ Real-time crop-specific nutrient advisory.
 ●​ States: Maharashtra, UP, Tamil Nadu selected for pilot.

3. NABARD signs MoU with Banas Dairy (Gujarat)

●​ Focus: Credit access for dairy SHGs, chilling units.

●​ Dairy entrepreneurship schemes to get low-interest loans.

4. Krishi Udan Scheme 2.0 Extended

●​ Extension till 2027 for perishable agri cargo.

●​ Focus: North-Eastern states, hilly terrain logistics.

✅ Week 2 (8th–14th April 2025)

1. NABARD Launches “Agri Infra Booster Clusters”

●​ Cluster-based development in 5 states under AIF.

●​ Focus: Warehousing, cold chains, grading units.
●​ 100 FPOs linked with infra clusters.

2. National Bamboo Mission – Update

●​ New bamboo processing plant inaugurated in Tripura.

●​ Aim: Support NE states' livelihood and exports.

3. World Bank $500M Loan to MoRD

●​ Project: “Rural Resilience and Livelihoods Support”

●​ Focus: Climate-resilient infrastructure & SHG enterprises.

✅ Week 3 (15th–21st April 2025)

1. Agri Drone Subsidy Extended to FPOs

●​ 50–75% subsidy for precision agri use.

●​ NABARD to provide credit linkage via KCC route.

2. eNAM Integrates with J&K’s “Mandi Connect” Platform

●​ Interoperability to allow agri produce movement.

●​ Target: 1400+ mandis by December 2025.

3. PMFBY Crop Cut Experiment Goes Digital

●​ Mobile-based geo-tagging of crop samples.

●​ Immediate claim calculation using AI satellite imagery.
✅ Week 4 (22nd–30th April 2025)
1. National Agri Export Policy 2025 Draft Released

●​ Targets: Doubling processed agri exports in 5 years.

●​ Emphasis: Organic, GI-tagged, millet products.

2. WTO Raises Concern Over India’s MSP Wheat Procurement

●​ Global implications on price support.

●​ GoI response: Food security focus.

3. Celebration of National Panchayati Raj Day – April 24

●​ Theme 2025: “Technology for Transparent Gram Governance”

●​ Gram Panchayats to implement Rural Digital Index

📅 MAY 2025 – ARD & RURAL CURRENT AFFAIRS

✅ Week 1 (1st–7th May 2025)
1. PM Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) Portal 3.0 Launched

●​ New AI-based interface for claim tracking.

●​ Farmers can now track real-time claim status via WhatsApp.
●​ “Sachet” alert system for weather-based warnings introduced.

2. NABARD Signs MoU with HDFC Bank

●​ To provide working capital to Agri Startups and SHG enterprises.

●​ Special focus on millet-based FPOs and value-chain finance.

3. Revised KCC Guidelines Issued

●​ One-time documentation relaxation.

●​ Crop loans up to ₹3 lakh now need only Aadhaar-linked account and land
document.
●​ Interest subvention continues up to 7% → 4% on prompt repayment.

✅ Week 2 (8th–14th May 2025)

1. NABARD Foundation Day (12 May) Celebrated
 ●​ Theme 2025: “Inclusive Credit for Rural India”
●​ 3 new digital initiatives launched for SHGs, PACS & FPOs.

2. eNAM Adds 50 New Mandis

●​ Now integrated with state-level farm market platforms of Chhattisgarh & Assam.
●​ Total coverage: 1470+ mandis across India.

3. Launch of “Agri Data Portal”

●​ Public dashboard showing:

○​ Crop-wise sowing progress
○​ Water availability (reservoir data)
○​ Fertilizer sales & subsidies
○​ Price trends from eNAM & Agmarknet

✅ Week 3 (15th–21st May 2025)

1. National Conference on Rural Livelihoods – New Delhi

●​ Conducted by Ministry of Rural Development.

●​ Announced new scheme: “Gram Udyam Mission”
○​ Focus on agri-enterprise training for SHGs
○​ Digital training + market linkage via GeM platform

2. Launch of “Krishi Kavach” App

●​ AI-enabled pest and disease alert system.

●​ Piloted in Andhra Pradesh & Karnataka.

3. World Bank Report: “Agri Resilience in South Asia”

●​ India tops in agri-tech adaptation speed.

●​ Suggestions:
○​ Expand cold-chain storage
○​ Decentralize procurement
○​ Boost millet exports

✅ Week 4 (22nd–31st May 2025)

1. Annual Rural Development Budget Review Released

●​ 82% of rural housing targets under PMAY-G met for FY 2024–25.

●​ 74 lakh SHG women now linked with bank credit (up 13% YoY).

2. PMKSY Update – Micro Irrigation Fund Expansion

 ●​ Additional ₹10,000 crore sanctioned for drip and sprinkler systems.
●​ Tamil Nadu, Gujarat & Rajasthan to get priority funding.

3. ICAR Report 2025 Highlights

●​ Total agri research spending grew 18% YoY.

●​ ICAR aims to double farmer income via:
○​ Integrated farming
○​ Soil-less vertical farming
○​ Water-smart technologies

✅ Summary:
●​ Focus on digitization (PMFBY, KCC, Krishi Kavach, Agri Data Portal)
●​ Big push for Agri Startups, SHGs & Millet-based entrepreneurship
●​ Schemes like PMKSY, PMAY-G, and eNAM are getting major extensions