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Hyderabad: Find out how to write mains answer related to the current affairs topic given in the exam. In the previous articles, we learnt how to write a good answer related to the current affairs topic asked in the exam. We got good responses from the readers through emails and calls to continue this series […]
Hyderabad: Find out how to write mains answer related to the current affairs topic given in the exam. In the previous articles, we learnt how to write a good answer related to the current affairs topic asked in the exam. We got good responses from the readers through emails and calls to continue this series with more dynamic content. So, in this article, we are going to continue this theme of current affairs. This answer will serve as a guiding light, thus helping you in writing answers to similar topics you come across.
Today, we will see how to write a mains answer related to the current affairs topic. The topic for today is ‘Digital India’ specifically related to agriculture. Now we will see how to address this topic in question-and-answer format.
This question is related to the Economic Development and Technology part of the syllabus.
How can the ‘Digital India’ programme help farmers to improve farm productivity and income? What steps has the Government taken in this regard?
Answer:
Introduction: Digital India mission was launched by the Government of India as a programme to transform India into a digitally empowered nation and to mould India into a knowledge economy. Some of its important pillars include e-Kranti to deliver government services electronically, Information for All, Public Internet Access programmes, etc.
Body:
Significance of Digital India mission for farm sector:
1) Improving accessibility of farm extension services: Farmer extension services could be provided at the fingertips to farmers through digital mode. Weather forecasting reports, monsoon forecasts, etc., would help farmers in taking their cropping decisions in an informed manner.
2) Access to market information: Connecting farmers digitally would improve their access to market information such as market demand and prices of their commodities. This helps in obtaining better prices for their commodities and thus enhancing price realisation.
3) Providing leak-proof subsidies: Government can provide subsidies to farmers through direct benefit transfer to their bank accounts which would reduce systemic leakages and enhance the efficiency of subsidy delivery.
4) Access to institutional credit: Digital India mission in convergence with financial inclusion schemes help in providing institutional credit to small and marginal farmers. Example: PM Jan Dhan Yojana has achieved significant strides in bringing large sections of unbanked into the banking net.
5) Other ICT technologies: ICT technologies can be harnessed to improve the information available to farmers about the quality of their farmland. Example: Yantra is one such system that continuously monitors the soil temperature, moisture content of the soil and availability of nutrients, etc., with the help of embedded systems, which greatly improve soil productivity and reduce irrigation and fertilizer requirements.
Government Steps to improve farm productivity and enhance farmers’ income through digital initiatives:
1) Direct Benefit Transfer: DBT schemes such as PM Kisan have been made possible by the digital technology with the help of PM Jan Dhan Yojana, Aadhaar and mobile linkages (JAM Trinity)
2) Improving market access to agricultural commodities: e-NAM (electronic National Agricultural Market) is one initiative of the Government of India to integrate agricultural markets across different States and create a unified market for agricultural goods. Such schemes lead to better price realisation for farmers.
3) Digital Agricultural Mission 2021-25: This mission aims to use advanced and new technologies such as artificial intelligence, block-chain, GIS mapping, using drone surveying and delivery techniques to improve agricultural productivity.
4) Kisan Suvidha app: It is a mobile application that provides information on various farm related areas such as weather, market data, data on inputs such as seeds and pesticides, agricultural advisors, etc.
5) Soil Health Card Scheme: It is a biennial exercise in which every farm land holding would be assessed and the details of its health would be provided to farmers. Using the data on the soil health card, farmers may choose relevant crops which could be produced in the land with optimum productivity, the nature and mix of fertilizer that should be applied, etc.
6) Other government schemes: Kisan SMS scheme, AgriMarket app, mKisan portal, Kisan call centres, Agmarknet portal, etc., are also among various digital initiatives taken up by the government to improve the accessibility of information for farmers and thus improve agricultural productivity.
Conclusion:
Technological innovation greatly helps in improving agricultural yield and enhancing farmers’ income. Harnessing digital technologies is key in future-ready farming practices such as precision agriculture to ensure the prosperity of farmers while also ensuring sustainability.
Thus, today we discussed questions related to current affairs topics from Economic Development and Technology. Do make note of important points from the above questions and make your answers enriched. We will discuss a few more questions related to current affairs in the upcoming articles in this series.
