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(Relevance: Government schemes are one of the favourite topics of the UPSC. With the increased use of AI in various sectors, this scheme and related ones become significant for your UPSC preparation.)
Last month, the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare launched CROPIC, a study to gather crop information using field photographs and AI-based models. The study is conducted for the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY). It aims to assist in creating a rich directory of crop signatures and also lead to the automation of loss assessment and compensation to eligible farmers under PMFBY.
1. CROPIC stands for Collection of Real Time Observations & Photo of Crops. Under this, crops will be photographed four to five times during their cycle, and the pictures will be analysed to assess their health and potential mid-season losses.
2. For the collection of field photographs, the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare has developed the CROPIC mobile app. The photographs from the field will be crowd-sourced directly from farmers. Then, they will be analysed for information including crop type, crop stage, crop damage, and its extent.
3. It will use an AI-based cloud platform for photo analysis and information extraction, and a web-based dashboard for visualisation. The mobile app will be used to provide compensation or insurance to farmers.
“I see a big role for AI in empowering agriculture, healthcare, education, creating next-generation urban infrastructure and addressing urban issues.” – Prime Minister Narendra Modi
4. CROPIC will serve a dual purpose of monitoring crop health and stress and automation of crop loss assessment and payment of claims to affected farmers using computer vision technology and photo-analytic models. This initiative is part of digital innovations in agriculture for fostering financial resilience.
5. CROPIC will be rolled out initially in at least 50 districts per season. These districts will be well distributed in different agro-climatic zones covering the three major notified crops (notified crops are those covered under insurance schemes like PMFBY) in each district for each season, initially.
6. The Fund for Innovation and Technology (FIAT) under PMFBY is used for funding CROPIC. The FIAT has a total outlay of around Rs 825 crore for different technology innovations under crop insurance schemes.
| FIAT |
| FIAT was approved by the Union Cabinet on January 1, 2025, with a corpus of Rs. 824.77 crore. It is used towards funding technological initiatives under schemes such as Yield Estimation System using Technology (YES-TECH), Weather Information and Network Data Systems (WINDS), etc, as well as research and development studies. |
1. PMFBY was launched in 2016 to replace the existing National Agricultural Insurance Scheme (NAIS) and the Modified National Agricultural Insurance Scheme (MNAIS). It works on the One Nation, One Crop, One Premium. Under the scheme, all farmers including sharecroppers and tenant farmers growing “notified crops” in the “notified areas” are eligible for coverage.
2. Under the PMFBY, a farmer is required to pay as a premium 2% of the sum insured or actuarial rate, whichever is less, for all kharif foodgrain and oilseed crops; 1.5% of sum insured or actuarial rate, whichever is less, for all rabi foodgrain and oilseed crops; and 5% for horticultural crops.
1. Kisan e-Mitra: It is an AI-powered chatbot to help farmers in their queries on the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme. It aims to enhance the efficiency and reach of the PM-KISAN scheme, while providing the farmers with “prompt, clear and accurate” responses to their queries. It supports 11 regional languages and is evolving to assist with other government programs
2. National Pest Surveillance System (NPSS): NPSS, launched in August 2024, is an AI-based platform aimed at helping farmers connect with agriculture scientists and experts on controlling pests. It uses AI and ML to provide quick and instant solutions regarding pest attacks, crop diseases, crop damages etc. by issuing real time crop protection advisory to the farmers.
3. YES-TECH: It uses Remote Sensing Technology for yield estimation with a minimum 30 per cent weightage to technology-based yield estimates. Nine states — Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka — are implementing it.
4. WINDS: It envisages setting up Automatic Weather Stations (AWS) at the block level and Automatic Rain Gauges (ARGs) at the Panchayat level. “Under WINDS, a 5 times increase in current network density is envisaged to develop hyper-local weather data. Under the initiative, only data rental costs are payable by Central and State Governments,” according to Agricultural ministry.
5. Digital Agriculture Mission: It was approved by the Union Budget on September 2, 2024, with a budget outlay of Rs 2,817 crore for the creation of the Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI). Three major components of DPI are envisaged under the Digital Agriculture Mission: AgriStack, Krishi Decision Support System (DSS), and Soil Profile Maps.
6. SATHI: Seed AUthentication, Traceability, and Holistic Inventory (SATHI) is a national portal envisioned and created by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Govt. of India, in partnership with the National Informatics Centre (NIC) with the vision “to build a digital ecosystem to effectively monitor the seed production and distribution chain and provide complete traceability of the seeds from the point of origin till they reach the farmer.” SATHI Phase 1 was launched by the Honourable Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shri. Narendra Singh Tomar, on April 19, 2023.
1. Namo Drone Didi is a central sector scheme that aims to empower women-led Self-Help Groups (SHGs) by equipping them with drone technology to aid agricultural services. It aims to provide drones to 15000 selected SHGs during the period from 2024-25 to 2025-26. Modi had announced that the goal was to create at least two crore Lakhpati Didis (rural women earning in lakhs) in the country through self-help groups (SHGs).
2. In his monthly Mann ki Baat radio address on May 25, Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised these “women who are working in the fields as well as touching the heights of the sky.” Referring to them as “sky warriors”, Prime Minister Modi said, “These women are telling us that change comes when technology and determination go together.”
3. Under the scheme, each woman receives a drone worth Rs 10 lakh for just Rs 2 lakh with 80% of the Drone Cost as a Subsidy up to 8 Lakh. Drone Pilot training is also part of the Drone Package.
(a) Enhance agricultural efficiency: The use of drone technology aims to enhance the precision application of pesticides and fertilizers. The use of advanced GPS and sensor technology will allow the drones to be programmed to follow precise flight paths over fields and ensure even and targeted application, minimizing the environmental impact with overuse of chemicals.
(b) Empower women and skill development: The specialised technology provided to drone didis through training will equip them with advanced skills. This will help them to perform tasks like crop monitoring, soil analysis, and precision farming more efficiently. With the skill sets women can also enhance irrigation management by identifying areas needing more or less water, detecting leaks, and managing water resources efficiently.
(c) Community and networking opportunities: It has helped women to connect with a supportive network of participants, fostering a sense of community and collaboration. It helps them to share their experiences, challenges and best practices. The scheme also provides access to industry experts and agricultural professionals, creating avenues for mentorship and professional growth.
Consider the following statements:
1. The purpose of CROPIC is to monitor crop health and stress, and assess the payment of claims to affected farmers using computer vision technology and photo-analytic models.
2. The AI-based cloud platform for photo analysis and information extraction is used by CROPIC.
3. The Multi-Donor Trust Fund (MDTF) is used for the funding of CROPIC.
How many of the above statements are correct?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) All three
(d) None
| Answer key |
| (b) |
(Source: Rs 500 crore for Namo Drone Didi scheme, Rs 365 crore for natural farming mission, New scheme to study crops using AI: What is CROPIC, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (MoAFW), Crop Insurance Schemes )
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