NEWS: Govt merges 36 schemes to float farm plan

GS-2 governance

The Union Cabinet has approved the Prime Minister Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana (PMDDKY), aimed at enhancing agricultural productivity and promoting sustainable practices by merging 36 schemes from 11 ministries

• PMDDKY announced in Union Budget 2025–26 with a ₹24,000 crore annual outlay for six years.
• 36 schemes across 11 ministries merged under a unified agriculture-focused program.
• Scheme to benefit 1.7 crore farmers across at least one district per State/UT.
• 100 districts will be selected based on low productivity, low cropping intensity, and low credit disbursement.
• Aims to improve post-harvest storage, irrigation facilities, and access to farm credit.
• Modeled on the Aspirational District Programme and includes local planning committees.
• Monthly monitoring with alignment to national goals like natural farming, crop diversification, and soil-water conservation.
• The PMDDKY is positioned as a convergent framework addressing productivity, sustainability, and self-sufficiency in agriculture.
• District-level plans will be created by Dhan Dhaanya Samitis, including progressive farmers, ensuring localised planning.
• Focus includes natural/organic farming, soil health, water conservation, and crop diversification.
• The consolidation of schemes aims to reduce duplication, streamline delivery, and enhance governance efficiency in rural and agricultural policy.
• Private sector partnerships and State scheme convergence are embedded for integrated development.
• Experts like Abhishek Jain (CEEW) suggest that district selection criteria should emphasize net agricultural income per hectare, not just credit flow.
• Emphasizes a shift from credit-dependent farming towards diversified income models and resilience-building.

NEWS:A tectonic shift in thinking to build seismic resilience

GS-1 geography

The July 10, 2025 earthquake in Delhi with a magnitude of 4.4 has renewed concerns about India’s seismic vulnerability, especially in urban centres with non-compliant infrastructure.

• Delhi experienced a 4.4 magnitude earthquake on July 10, 2025, exposing the fragility of its buildings.
• Over 80% of Delhi’s structures, especially pre-2000, do not meet seismic safety codes.
• India lies on an active tectonic boundary, with increasing seismic events across the region.
• The IS 1893:2016 seismic code is poorly enforced in high-risk cities like Delhi and Guwahati.
• Liquefaction-prone soils, poor retrofitting, and non-compliance elevate urban seismic risks.
• ₹50,000 crore is the estimated annual cost needed for retrofitting and seismic preparedness.

• Delhi lies in Seismic Zone IV, with a Peak Ground Acceleration (PGA) of 0.24g, putting over 33 million residents at risk.
• Seismic vulnerability extends beyond Delhi, with the Northeast and Andaman-Nicobar in Seismic Zone V.
• Recent quakes in Myanmar, Tibet, Greece, and India-Myanmar border highlight a regional tectonic restlessness.
• Many high-rises in cities are not compliant with IS 1893:2016, which mandates ductile detailing and shear walls.
• Poorly designed structures in liquefaction-prone zones, like East Delhi, risk collapse during moderate-to-high magnitude quakes.

• Seismic Zone Classification (II–V): A classification of Indian regions based on earthquake risk, with Zone V being the highest risk.
• Peak Ground Acceleration (PGA): Measures ground shaking severity; higher PGA indicates higher seismic risk.
• IS 1893:2016: Bureau of Indian Standards’ code for earthquake-resistant design of structures.
• Liquefaction: A phenomenon where saturated soil loses strength during seismic shaking, leading to structural collapse.
• Ductile Detailing: Engineering design practice ensuring that buildings deform without collapsing during quakes.
• Base Isolation: A seismic design technique that decouples a structure from ground motion, reducing earthquake impact.

NEWS:Safe havens no more,

GS-2 governance

The tragic death of a college student in Odisha, following repeated ignored complaints of sexual harassment, has reignited concerns over women’s safety in educational institutions and workplaces, which are assumed to be secure spaces.

• A 20-year-old B.Ed student in Balasore, Odisha, died from burn injuries after her complaints of sexual harassment were ignored.
• The accused, a senior teacher, and the college principal were arrested after the incident.
• She had approached multiple authorities, including the Chief Minister’s office, but was denied redress.
• The Odisha government ordered formation of Internal Complaint Committees (ICCs) in all colleges within 24 hours of the incident.
• Recent incidents across West Bengal, Karnataka, and Delhi show an alarming pattern of sexual violence in schools and colleges.
• Stringent laws exist post-Nirbhaya (2012), but their implementation remains poor.
• NCRB data (2022) reports 4.45 lakh cases of crimes against women, a 4% increase over 2021.

Legal Framework:

• The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013: Framed on the basis of Vishakha Guidelines of the Supreme Court, this act aims to create a safe working environment for women.
  • It mandates the creation of Internal Complaints Committees (ICCs) in organizations with over 10 employees, defines sexual harassment, and sets procedures for filing and investigating complaints.
• • The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO): Passed in 2012, it comprehensively deals with the issue of sexual offences against children. POCSO not only provides for the punishments for offences, but also sets out a system for support of victims and improved methods for catching offenders.
  • The Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006: This legislation aims to prevent child marriages, which disproportionately affect young girls, by setting the legal age of marriage at 18 for women and 21 for men.
  • The Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005: This landmark legislation provides a comprehensive definition of domestic violence and offers civil remedies to protect women from abuse within the home.
  • The Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act of 1986: It prohibits the indecent representation of women in various forms, including advertisements, publications, writings, paintings, figures or in any other manner and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.
  • The Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act (ITP) of 1956: It aims to prevent the commercialization of vices and trafficking of women by outlining the legal framework that prohibits running brothels and soliciting, while recognizing the legality of engaging in prostitution itself.

NEWS:Share of clean energy in electricity still below 30%

GS-3 environment and ecology

Despite achieving 50% of installed electricity capacity from non-fossil fuel sources, the actual share of clean energy in electricity generated in India remains below 30%, due to low capacity utilisation factors (CUF) of renewables like solar and wind.

• As of June 2025, 50% of India’s total installed power capacity (484 GW) is from non-fossil fuel sources.
• However, clean energy accounted for only 28% of electricity actually generated in 2024–25.
• Solar CUF is ~20%, wind ~25–30%, compared to coal (~60%) and nuclear (~80%).
• Coal still provides 75% of India’s base load demand, especially in evening hours.
• Experts highlight need for grid flexibility, smart grids, and differential pricing to improve clean energy usage.
• Hybrid projects integrating solar, wind, hydro, and battery storage are proposed to address demand-supply mismatches.

Technical Concepts Involved:

• Capacity Utilisation Factor (CUF): Ratio of actual output over a period to potential output if the plant operated at full capacity.
• Base Load Power: Minimum level of demand on an electrical grid over a span of time, typically supplied by coal or nuclear.
• Hybrid Energy Projects: Integration of different renewable sources with storage solutions to ensure stable power supply.
• Smart Grid: An electricity network that uses digital technology to monitor and manage energy flow efficiently

MAINS MOCK QUESTION

Even though agriculture is back bone of india credit availability forms the basis of it . examine the need of PRIME MINISTER DHAN DHAANYA KRISHI YOJANA.