📅 May 6, 2025, Post 10: Re 1 Crop Insurance Scrapped: Maharashtra Reverts to PMFBY | Target IAS-26 MCQs Attached: A complete Package, Dear Aspirants!
Re 1 Crop Insurance Scrapped: Maharashtra Reverts to PMFBY
🔹 NEWS DROP — PETAL 010
📅 May 6, 2025
🎯 GS Paper 3 | Agriculture – Insurance, Governance, and Public Policy
🌀 Intro Whisper
What began as a promise of ease for the farmer ended as a cautionary tale in the corridors of governance.
🔍 Key Highlights
- Re 1 Crop Insurance Scheme, launched in 2023, allowed farmers to pay only ₹1 as premium; rest subsidised by the state.
- Faced with a surge in fake applications, the Maharashtra government has scrapped the scheme and returned to the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY).
- Over 5.82 lakh bogus claims were uncovered in 2024, including false entries for government and religious trust lands.
- Fraud mostly routed through Common Service Centres (CSCs) using fake identities and falsified land documents.
- Estimated annual savings from scrapping: ₹5,000–6,000 crore. Funds redirected to agricultural infrastructure development.
- The government now emphasizes physical inspections, tighter verification, and use of PMFBY with safeguards.
🧭 GS Paper Mapping
Current Affairs: Maharashtra’s Rural Policy Shift
GS3: Agriculture – Crop Insurance, Subsidy Schemes
GS2: Governance – Accountability & Fraud Control
Target IAS-26: Daily MCQs :
📌 Prelims Practice MCQs
Topic:
🧠 Prelims MCQ (Type 4 – Direct Factual Question)
Q. Which of the following statements is correct regarding the recently withdrawn ₹1 Crop Insurance Scheme in Maharashtra?
A) It was introduced under the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana
B) The scheme covered all costs including irrigation subsidies
C) It was scrapped due to large-scale bogus claims
D) It was initially launched by the Government of India
🌀 Didn’t get it? Click here (▸) for the Correct Answer & Explanation
✅ Correct Answer: C) It was scrapped due to large-scale bogus claims
🧠 Explanation:
The scheme, though launched with noble intentions, was marred by fraudulent applications, leading to its cancellation and replacement by PMFBY.
