- Why in news
- On 4 August 2026, the Textiles Ministry told the Lok Sabha about the Mission for Cotton Productivity (KAPAS KANTI), approved on 5 May 2026, and its Karnataka allocations and targets.
- What it is
- KAPAS KANTI is a five-year central mission for cotton, run across several departments and bodies. It combines research, farm demonstrations of better planting methods, testing laboratories and incentives for certified cotton bales. Its aim is to raise yield and fibre quality.
- Approval and outlay
- Approved on 5 May 2026 with an outlay of Rs 5,659.22 crore for 2026-27 to 2030-31.
- Who implements Component-I
- Component-I(A) is run by DARE and Component-I(B) by the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.
- Components II and III
- Component-II goes to the Cotton Corporation of India (Rs 1,000 crore) and Component-III to the National Jute Board (Rs 300 crore), both under the Ministry of Textiles.
- District coverage
- Component-I(B) initially covers 140 districts in 14 major cotton-growing States. The district list is indicative and States may revise it.
- Testing laboratories
- Component-II provides for 50 cotton testing laboratories in cotton-producing clusters, in PPP mode.
- Monitoring
- Component-I(B) is monitored by State Level and District Level Committees.
Don’t confuse with Component-I(A) vs I(B): I(A) is research through DARE (including AICRP centres); I(B) is farm-level demonstrations and technology upscaling through DA&FW and the States.
Schemes: 52 Prelims questions since 2013, 10 in Prelims 2026 alone. They test features, the period and who funds it. In Mains, 33 news-triggered questions, mostly GS3.
Why it matters
- Raises cotton yield and fibre quality, supporting farmer incomes and the textile value chain.
- Traceability and certification can improve the quality and market value of Indian cotton.
Problems
- Yield gains depend on farmers adopting new planting methods such as HDPS and closer spacing.
- State targets for production and productivity are ambitious and need strong monitoring.
Way forward
- Strengthen district-level monitoring and extension, and link demonstrations to farmer adoption.
- Expand testing and certification capacity so that incentives reach ginning units.
Put in your answer
Mission outlay: Rs 5,659.22 crore over 2026-27 to 2030-31.
Karnataka target: Karnataka aims at 40 lakh bales and 860 kg lint/ha by 2030-31.
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UPSC’s own questions that come close to this issue, from our Prelims and Mains banks.
Prelims practice · Single answer
Ours, not from a UPSC paper
Consider the following statements about the Mission for Cotton Productivity (KAPAS KANTI), approved in May 2026: 1. It has an overall outlay of Rs 5,659.22 crore for five years from 2026-27 to 2030-31. 2. Component-I(A) is implemented by the Department of Agricultural Research and Education. 3. Component-III is implemented by the Cotton Corporation of India. 4. The list of districts under Component-I(B) is fixed and States cannot revise it. How many of the statements given above are correct?
How many of the statements given above are correct?
True or false?
1 of 7
Statements the way Prelims prints them. Say first, then see the fact.
1.KAPAS KANTI has an outlay of Rs 5,659.22 crore over five years from 2026-27 to 2030-31.
True. Outlay is Rs 5,659.22 crore for 2026-27 to 2030-31.
2.Component-I(A) of the Mission is implemented by the Department of Agricultural Research and Education.
True. DARE implements Component-I(A).
3.Component-III of the Mission is implemented by the Cotton Corporation of India.
False. Component-III is implemented by the National Jute Board; the Cotton Corporation of India implements Component-II.
4.Component-I(B) initially covers 140 districts across 14 major cotton-growing States.
True. 140 districts in 14 States.
5.The list of districts under Component-I(B) is fixed and States cannot revise it.
False. The list is indicative and States can revise districts based on annual plans, requirements or performance.
6.Under the Mission, output-based incentives are given to Ginning and Processing factories for producing Kasturi Cotton Bharat-certified bales.
True. Output-based incentives for certified bales go to eligible G&P factories.
7.The Mission fixes State-wise allocation of the cotton testing laboratories in advance.
False. The Mission does not specify State-wise or district-wise allocation of the laboratories.
Written by us from the release, not by UPSC; checked by a second model.
Worth revising until Prelims 2028: most news questions come within two years of the event.