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18/03/2026

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CA-18/03/2026

• Legal Status: FPOs are registered bodies that can take various forms, including Farmer Producer Companies (FPCs) under the Companies Act, 2013, or Cooperative Societies under state acts.
• Membership: Typically formed by small and marginal farmers (86% of Indian farmers own less than 2 hectares) to gain "economies of scale".
• Ownership: They are "of the producers, by the producers, and for the producers," with management handled by member representatives. 

• Bargaining Power: Collective negotiation with bulk buyers for better prices and with suppliers for cheaper inputs (seeds, fertilisers).
• Value Addition: Moving beyond raw sales into cleaning, grading, processing, and branding (e.g., producing herbal ghee or cold-pressed oils).
• Eliminating Middlemen: Reducing dependency on traditional intermediaries to ensure farmers receive a larger share of the consumer price.
• Access to Technology: Facilitating shared use of expensive machinery like tractors and harvesters. 

• Financial Aid: Each FPO can receive up to ₹18 lakh over three years for management costs.
• Equity Grants: Matching grants of up to ₹2,000 per farmer (max ₹15 lakh per FPO) to strengthen their financial base.
• Credit Guarantee: Guarantee cover for project loans up to ₹2 crore to help FPOs secure bank funding without collateral.
• Digital Integration: Many FPOs are now linked to platforms like e-NAM and ONDC to sell products directly to online buyers. 

• Management Gaps: A lack of trained professionals to handle business planning, accounting, and compliance under the Companies Act.
• Financial Literacy: Many small farmers struggle with the "bankability" and financial discipline required to sustain a corporate entity.
• Thin Margins: Operating margins on basic input/output marketing are often as low as 3–6%, making long-term viability difficult without value addition.

• Official Launch: Prime Minister Narendra Modi officially launched the mission on October 11, 2025, following its approval by the Union Cabinet on October 1, 2025.
• Budgetary Commitment: The mission was first announced in the Union Budget 2025–26 with a massive financial outlay of ₹11,440 crore.
• Rising Import Bill: The mission responds to a sharp surge in imports, which reached a record $5.5 billion in FY25 due to stagnant domestic yields.

• Duration: Six years, spanning from 2025–26 to 2030–31.
• Budget: Total investment of ₹11,440 crore.
• Focus Crops: Special emphasis on Tur (Arhar), Urad, and Masoor, which face the largest production-demand gaps.
• Nodal Agency: Implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare. 

• Production Increase: Aiming to boost total pulse production to 350 lakh tonnes (up from ~242 lakh tonnes in 2023-24).
• Area Expansion: Expanding cultivation area to 310 lakh hectares (an addition of 35 lakh hectares).
• Yield Improvement: Raising average productivity to 1,130 kg per hectare from the current 881 kg/ha. 

• Assured Procurement: 100% procurement of Tur, Urad, and Masoor at Minimum Support Price (MSP) for the next four years through agencies like NAFED and NCCF.
• Seed Distribution: Supply of 126 lakh quintals of certified, climate-resilient seeds and distribution of 88 lakh free seed kits to farmers.
• Cluster-Based Approach: Interventions tailored to the specific needs of regional clusters to improve resource efficiency.
• Processing Infrastructure: Establishing 1,000 new pulse mills across the country with government subsidies of up to ₹25 lakh per unit to promote local value addition.
• Utilization of Rice Fallows: Promoting pulse cultivation in fallow lands left after rice harvests, particularly in states like West Bengal, Bihar, and Chhattisgarh. 

• SATHI Portal: A centralized portal for Seed Authentication, Traceability & Holistic Inventory to automate the seed supply chain and ensure quality.
• Climate Resilience: Focus on developing short-duration and pest-resistant varieties to mitigate weather risks, as 80% of pulses are currently rain-fed. 

• Nutritional Security: Increasing per capita protein intake to meet the recommended 85 grams per day.
• Economic Gains: Reducing the foreign exchange outflow used for imports and boosting the income of nearly 2 crore farmers.
• Soil Health: Leveraging the nitrogen-fixing properties of pulses to improve soil fertility and reduce dependency on synthetic fertilisers.

• Implementing Agency: The scheme is managed by the NCDC, a statutory body under the Ministry of Cooperation.
• Target Beneficiaries: It primarily assists Agricultural Credit Cooperative Societies (like PACS) by providing them with long-term funds to on-lend to their member farmers. 

• Long-Term Credit Flow: Ensuring a steady, uninterrupted flow of long-term loans for agriculture and allied activities (e.g., fisheries, dairy, and farm machinery).
• Capital Formation: Aims to boost capital assets in rural areas, such as warehouses, cold storage, and processing units.
• Non-Farm Employment: Supporting alternate employment opportunities in rural and semi-urban sectors through non-farm cooperative activities. 

• Assistance Type: Extending long-term financial assistance/advances for projects that are techno-economically viable.
• Rigorous Appraisal: Each project undergoes a strict evaluation of the cooperative's credibility and the project's financial feasibility to minimize default risks.
• Monitoring Mechanism: NCDC monitors fund utilization through its 19 Regional and 9 Sub-offices to ensure judicious use of the capital. 

• Higher Incomes: By reducing dependency on high-interest private lenders, the scheme helps farmers invest in long-term assets that improve yield and profitability.
• Diverse Activities: Loans can be used for various commodities and services falling under the NCDC’s wide mandate, including the development of local agri-infrastructure. 

• Financial Growth: The NCDC reported a net profit of ₹807 crore in 2025, reflecting the robust health of the cooperative funding ecosystem it oversees.
• Low NPA: The corporation has maintained zero net Non-Performing Assets (NPAs), indicating highly successful recovery and management of schemes like this one.

• Transition to PM E-DRIVE: FAME-II ended on March 31, 2024. After a brief transitional period under the Electric Mobility Promotion Scheme (EMPS) 2024, the government launched PM E-DRIVE on October 1, 2024.
• Target Milestones (2025–2026): By late 2025, the PM E-DRIVE scheme successfully met its subsidy targets for certain categories, such as e-3 Wheelers (L5), ahead of schedule.
• Budget 2025–2026 Update: The government allocated ₹4,000 crore specifically for PM E-DRIVE in the 2025–26 budget, shifting focus from broad consumer subsidies toward public transport and manufacturing efficiency.

Feature  FAME-II (Ended) PM E-DRIVE (Active) Duration April 2019 – March 2024 Oct 2024 – March 2026 (Ext. to 2028 for some) Total Outlay ₹11,500 crore ₹10,900 crore Vehicle Focus 2W, 3W, 4W (Private/Commercial), Buses 2W, 3W, Buses, E-Ambulances, E-Trucks Private Cars Included (E-4W) Explicitly Excluded Claim Process Dealer-led documentation Aadhaar-authenticated E-Vouchers

• ₹3,679 crore is allocated for demand incentives targeting 24.79 lakh e-2Ws and 3.16 lakh e-3Ws.
• Incentive Cap: Subsidies are generally capped at 15% of the ex-factory price.

• E-Ambulances: ₹500 crore allocated for high-tech medical transport.
• E-Trucks: ₹500 crore allocated; incentives are only available upon submission of a vehicle scrapping certificate from an approved centre.

• E-Buses: ₹4,391 crore allocated to support the deployment of 14,028 e-buses in nine major cities (Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru).

• Charging Network: ₹2,000 crore set aside to install 72,300 public fast chargers (including 22,100 for e-4Ws and 48,400 for e-2W/3Ws).
• Modernization: ₹780 crore allocated for upgrading testing agencies under the Ministry of Heavy Industries (MHI) to handle emerging EV technologies.

• Digital Innovation: Buyers use the PM E-DRIVE app to generate an e-voucher via facial recognition, which is then submitted to the dealer for an instant discount.
• Localisation: The scheme mandates a Phased Manufacturing Programme (PMP) with a minimum of 50% Domestic Value Addition (DVA) to encourage "Make in India". 

• Grant Disbursement: The Government of India has already disbursed ₹210 crore in grant-in-aid to these three parks to accelerate infrastructure development.
• Manufacturer Allotment: Land has been allotted to 194 manufacturers across these three parks, and 34 units have already commenced plant construction.
• Withdrawal of Himachal Project: Interestingly, Himachal Pradesh—originally one of the four selected states—withdrew its proposal in late 2024 due to funding and feasibility issues, leaving the focus on the remaining three. 

• Cost Reduction: By providing shared "Common Infrastructure Facilities" (CIFs), the parks aim to significantly lower production costs.
• Self-Reliance: Directly supporting the Atmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India initiatives to boost domestic production of high-end equipment like MRI and CT scan machines.
• Enhanced Competitiveness: Optimising resources through economies of scale to make Indian medical devices more affordable globally. 

• Grant-in-Aid: The central government provides up to 70% of the project cost for common facilities (90% for hilly/NE states), capped at ₹100 crore per park.
• Total Outlay: The original scheme was sanctioned with a total budget of ₹400 crore.
• State Implementation: Projects are executed by State Implementing Agencies (SIAs), such as the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA) in Uttar Pradesh. 

• Specialised Labs: Parks feature 13+ specialised laboratories, including IoMT (Internet of Medical Things), AI/ML computing, and bio-material testing.
• Technical Units: Essential facilities such as Gamma Irradiation labs (for cancer care sterilization), rapid prototyping, and 3D design centers.
• Integrated Ecosystem: Beyond manufacturing, they include support services like incubation centres, skill development hubs, and administrative offices. 

• Uttar Pradesh (Greater Noida): Set to be North India's largest integrated hub near the Noida International Airport.
• Madhya Pradesh (Ujjain): One of the three currently active projects receiving central funding.
• Tamil Nadu (Kanchipuram): Strategically located to leverage the existing industrial base in the state.
• Existing Hubs: Andhra Pradesh MedTech Zone (AMTZ) in Visakhapatnam remains one of the largest pre-existing operational hubs in the country. 

• Mutation: Caused by a tiny, spontaneous (de novo) mutation in the LMNA gene.
• Toxic Protein: The mutation leads to the production of an abnormal protein called progerin.
• Cellular Damage: Progerin makes cell nuclei unstable, leading to early cell death and rapid tissue deterioration.
• Inheritance: It is not typically inherited; it occurs randomly in about 1 in every 4 million live births. 

• Onset: Children appear normal at birth but show signs of rapid aging within 12 to 24 months.
• Appearance: Distinctive features include total hair loss (alopecia), thin wrinkled skin, a "beaked" nose, a small jaw, and prominent eyes.
• Growth: Severe growth failure and loss of body fat (lipodystrophy).
• Intellect: Unlike physical health, mental and motor development remains completely normal. 

• Cardiovascular Health: The most critical complication is severe atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries).
• Cause of Death: Over 80% of patients die from heart attacks or strokes.
• Average Lifespan: Approximately 14.5 years, though some individuals may live into their early 20s. 

• FDA-Approved Drug: Lonafarnib (Zokinvy), approved in 2020, is the first targeted therapy. It can extend lifespan by about 2.5 to 4.3 years.
• Supportive Care: Includes low-dose aspirin (to prevent strokes), physical therapy, and high-calorie diets.
• Future Frontiers: Researchers are exploring gene-editing (CRISPR) to correct the mutation and RNA-based therapies to block progerin production. 

• Unforeseeability: The event must not have been reasonably anticipated at the time the contract was signed.
• Externality: The cause must be completely outside the control of the claiming party (not due to negligence or bad planning).
• Impossibility: Performance must be rendered practically or legally impossible, not just more expensive or difficult.
• Mitigation: The affected party is typically required to prove they took all reasonable steps to minimize the disruption. 

• Natural Disasters: Floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, and wildfires.
• Human Actions: Wars, terrorist attacks, riots, and civil unrest.
• Legal/Government Actions: Embargoes, import/export restrictions, and sudden government-mandated lockdowns.
• Health Crises: Pandemics and epidemics (a major focus post-COVID-19). 

• Statutory Basis: Force Majeure is governed by the Indian Contract Act, 1872.
  • Section 32 (Contingent Contracts): Applies when a force majeure clause is explicitly written into the contract.
  • Section 56 (Doctrine of Frustration): Applies when there is no express clause, but an event makes the contract void due to "supervening impossibility".
• Judicial Precedents: Indian courts, particularly the Supreme Court in Energy Watchdog v. CERC, have held that mere economic hardship or a rise in fuel prices does not constitute force majeure. 

• Suspension: Temporary pausing of obligations while the event persists.
• Extension: Deadlines are typically pushed back by the duration of the event.
• Termination: If the event continues beyond a specified period (e.g., 90 days), parties may have the right to cancel the contract without penalty.

• Taxonomy: It belongs to the family Gecarcinucidae, a group of crabs highly adapted to freshwater habitats.
• Habitat:
  • Endemism: Strictly endemic to the Central Western Ghats, primarily in Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
  • Microhabitat: It is a nocturnal species that lives in damp, shaded areas like rocky streams, wet leaf litter, and waterlogged tree cavities.
• Physical Characteristics:
  • Appearance: Features an inflated, box-like shell (carapace) with a brown-yellow top and a paler underside.
  • Size: Described as a "tiny" crab, often less than an inch across.
• Ecological Significance:
  • Bioindicator: Its presence typically indicates unpolluted and healthy freshwater ecosystems.
  • Nutrient Cycling: Plays a vital role in local benthic nutrient recycling and detritus processing.
• Gynandromorphy vs. Hermaphroditism: Unlike hermaphrodites (which have functional organs of both sexes), a gynandromorph is a genetic mosaic where different parts of the body distinctly belong to different sexes due to early developmental anomalies. 

• Cause: A virus of the Picornaviridae family, genus Aphthovirus.
• Serotypes: There are seven distinct types (O, A, C, SAT1, SAT2, SAT3, and Asia1). In Asia, Serotype O is the most prevalent.
• Highly Contagious: Spreads via direct contact, airborne particles (aerosols), contaminated fodder, vehicles, and even on the clothing of handlers. 

• Blisters (Vesicles): Characterised by painful sores on the tongue, lips, mouth, teats, and between the hooves.
• Productivity Drop: Causes high fever, excessive salivation (drooling), lameness, and a sharp decline in milk production.
• Young Animals: High mortality in calves and piglets often occurs due to myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle). 

• Not Zoonotic: FMD does not pose a risk to human health and is distinct from the human "Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease" (HFMD).
• Economic Threat: The primary threat to humans is economic, due to international trade bans on meat and dairy from affected regions. 

• Target: The National Animal Disease Control Programme (NADCP) aims to control FMD by 2025 through 100% vaccination and achieve full eradication by 2030.
• Identification: Animals are tracked using ear-tagging and details are uploaded to the INAPH (Information Network for Animal Productivity and Health) portal.
• Strategy: Includes mass vaccination of the entire susceptible population at six-monthly intervals. 

• Trade Restrictions: FMD-free countries instantly ban imports from infected zones.
• National Loss: A major outbreak can cost billions in lost exports, compensation for culled animals, and vaccination expenses.

1. FPOs are only registered as cooperative societies under state laws.
2. They aim to improve farmers' bargaining power and reduce dependence on middlemen.
3. Membership mainly consists of large farmers owning more than 5 hectares.

1. It focuses on Tur, Urad, and Masoor pulses.
2. It guarantees 100% procurement at MSP for all crops indefinitely.
3. It promotes cultivation in rice fallow areas.

1. It includes subsidies for private electric cars.
2. It promotes domestic manufacturing through minimum value addition norms.
3. It includes support for e-ambulances and e-trucks.

1. Reducing production costs through shared infrastructure
2. Promoting import dependence on medical devices
3. Supporting domestic manufacturing under Make in India

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