New Delhi, January 1: The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has on Wednesday approved the continuation of the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) and the Restructured Weather-Based Crop Insurance Scheme (RWBCIS) until 2025-26. The total outlay for these initiatives over the period from 2021-22 to 2025-26 will be Rs 69,515.71 crore. This decision aims to provide farmers across India with risk coverage for crops affected by non-preventable natural calamities.
In addition, the Cabinet has approved the creation of the Fund for Innovation and Technology (FIAT) with a corpus of Rs 824.77 crore. This fund will support technological advancements in the implementation of the schemes, enhancing transparency in claim calculations and settlements. Key technological initiatives under this fund include YES-TECH and WINDS, as well as ongoing research and development projects.
Key Features of the Schemes:
YES-TECH (Yield Estimation System using Technology): YES-TECH employs Remote Sensing Technology to estimate crop yields, with a minimum of 30% of the weightage derived from technology-based yield estimates. This system is already operational in nine major states—Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka. Other states are being brought on board. As YES-TECH expands, traditional Crop Cutting Experiments will be phased out, leading to more accurate and efficient crop yield assessments. Madhya Pradesh has already fully adopted technology-based yield estimation.
WINDS (Weather Information and Network Data Systems): WINDS aims to set up Automatic Weather Stations (AWS) at the block level and Automatic Rain Gauges (ARGs) at the panchayat level. The initiative envisions a fivefold increase in the current network density to develop hyper-local weather data. The Central and State Governments will cover the costs of data rental. Currently, nine states, including Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Puducherry, Assam, Odisha, Karnataka, Uttarakhand, and Rajasthan, are working on implementing WINDS. Other states have also shown interest in joining. Due to the preparatory work required in 2023-24, the implementation of WINDS will begin in 2024-25 instead, allowing state governments to benefit from a higher central fund share (90:10 ratio).
Prioritizing the Northeast:
The government has emphasized its commitment to ensuring that farmers in the northeastern states benefit from the scheme. However, since participation in the scheme is voluntary and the gross cropped area in these states is relatively small, flexibility has been provided to avoid fund surrender. Any unutilized funds will be reallocated to other development projects with urgent funding needs in the region.
