- Why in news
- On 10 October 2026, a PIB backgrounder reviewed the first year of PM Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana, which completes one year on 11 October 2026. It reports that the average district score rose from 18.85 in April 2026 to 46.89 in August 2026.
- What it is
- PMDDKY is a six-year, district-focused agriculture scheme that began in 2025-26. It targets 100 districts that lag in productivity, cropping intensity and agricultural credit. It works by converging existing Central and State schemes and private participation, and tracks progress on a dashboard.
- Approval and launch
- Union Cabinet approved the scheme on 16 July 2025 for six years. The Prime Minister launched it on 11 October 2025.
- Convergence
- The scheme converges 36 Central schemes across 11 Ministries and Departments, besides State schemes and private participation.
- Three-tier structure
- The District Samiti is headed by the Collector/DM and the State Samiti by the Chief Secretary. At national level, the National Executive Committee is headed by the Agriculture Minister and the National Monitoring Committee by the Secretary, DA&FW.
- Monitoring
- Progress is tracked through 121 indicators (74 output, 47 outcome) across 36 schemes. Output rankings are monthly on the PM-DDKY dashboard.
- Score improvement
- The average score of the 100 districts rose from 18.85 (April 2026) to 46.89 (August 2026).
- District selection
- 100 districts are chosen on three criteria: low agricultural productivity, low cropping intensity and low agricultural credit disbursement.
- Six objectives
- Productivity, crop diversification and sustainable practices, post-harvest storage, irrigation, short- and long-term credit, and governance and service delivery.
- Indicators
- 121 indicators: 74 output and 47 outcome. Output indicators rank districts monthly on the dashboard.
- Dates
- Cabinet approval on 16 July 2025; launch by the Prime Minister on 11 October 2025.
- Role of KVKs
- Krishi Vigyan Kendras act as technical partners for capacity building and field interventions.
- Selection criteria
- Districts were chosen on three indicators: low crop productivity, low cropping intensity and low agricultural credit disbursement.
- Aims
- Higher productivity, crop diversification, sustainable practices, panchayat and block-level post-harvest storage, better irrigation and long- and short-term credit.
- Who prepares the plan
- The District Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana Samiti prepares and implements the District Action Plan; it is headed by the district collector.
- Launch and duration
- Launched by the Prime Minister on 11 October 2025 for six years, covering 100 districts.
- Model
- Draws inspiration from NITI Aayog's Aspirational District Programme, but is the first of its kind focusing only on agriculture and allied sectors.
- Implementation
- Runs through convergence of 36 existing schemes across 11 Departments, State schemes and private sector partnerships.
- Role of Lead Banks
- Lead Banks are to ensure success of KCC and PMFBY in these districts through specialised drives and financial inclusion efforts.
Don’t confuse with National Executive Committee vs National Monitoring Committee: The Agriculture Minister heads the Executive Committee; the DA&FW Secretary heads the Monitoring Committee.
Don’t confuse with Output vs outcome indicators: Monthly district rankings use output indicators; outcome indicator data is submitted yearly (FY 2025-26).
Don’t confuse with PM-DDKY vs Aspirational Districts Programme: Both target lagging districts with dashboards. PM-DDKY is farm-sector specific and converges 36 schemes. The Aspirational Districts Programme covers many sectors (health, education, etc.).
Don’t confuse with DDKY vs Aspirational Districts Programme: The Aspirational Districts Programme (NITI Aayog) covers many sectors; DDKY focuses only on agriculture and allied sectors.
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
- Targets lagging districts, so it can cut regional gaps in farm productivity, irrigation and credit.
- Convergence of 36 schemes avoids duplication and uses existing funds.
- Targets agriculturally lagging districts, helping regional balance in farm incomes.
- Convergence of many schemes reduces duplication and improves last-mile delivery.
- Targets lagging districts, so it addresses regional disparity in farm outcomes.
- Convergence of many schemes can cut duplication and fit local needs.
- Targets lagging agricultural districts through convergence, so no large new spending stream is needed.
- Brings in private and CSR resources, FPO linkages and manpower such as Young Professionals.
Problems
- Convergence depends on coordination across Centre, States and many departments.
- Early score gains rest on self-reported data and low starting scores, so lasting impact is uncertain.
- Coordination across 11 Ministries, States and districts is hard to sustain.
- Scores based on output tracking may not show real gains in farmers' incomes.
- Coordination across 11 departments and many schemes is hard at district level.
- Quality of District Action Plans and local capacity may vary.
- Coordinating 36 schemes across 11 Departments is hard.
- Private CSR funding is voluntary and may be small or uneven across districts.
Way forward
- Verify district data independently and track outcome indicators such as farmer income.
- Strengthen FPOs, post-harvest infrastructure and credit access, and extend CSR and private participation.
- Move monitoring from activities and spending to farmer-level outcomes, as the Beneficiary Progress Module plans.
- Involve farmers in District Dhan-Dhaanya Committees and use KVKs for extension.
- Use the monthly dashboard rankings for timely course correction.
- Build district-level capacity for planning and credit linkage.
- Strong monitoring with district-level outcome tracking and rankings.
- Long-term CSR engagement with capacity building, FPO linkages and market access.
Put in your answer
District score rise: Average district score rose from 18.85 to 46.89 between April and August 2026.
FPO Sangam: The December 2025 FPO Sangam brought together over 72 FPOs from 15 States and 33 districts.
CSR adoption: Department of Public Enterprises allowed CPSEs to adopt DDKY districts under CSR for FY 2026-27 and 2027-28.
Capacity building: From January to July 2026, 6,90,530 farmers and 88,961 extension workers were trained.
CSR convergence: The Department of Public Enterprises has included adoption of PM-DDKY districts for CPSE CSR activities in 2026-27 and 2027-28.
Convergence model: DDKY plans converge 36 Central Schemes of 11 Departments with state schemes and private participation.
CSR example: Canara Bank was felicitated for a Rs 50 lakh CSR grant to a DDKY district.
- 2018Mains GS3 · Q13Assess National Horticulture Mission's role in boosting farm production, productivity, income
- 2026Mains GS3 · Q13Explain policies for agricultural diversification after shift to food surplus
- 2014Mains GS3 · Q4Discuss cooperative credit for villages; agricultural finance constraints and technology use
- 2017Mains GS3 · Q14Reasons for declining rice-wheat yields; role of crop diversification
- 2013Mains GS2 · Q12Restructuring centrally sponsored schemes for state flexibility; critically evaluate
- 2018Mains GS1 · Q17Core strategies for aspirational districts; convergence, collaboration, competition
- 2023Prelims Q4Compares India and China on arable area, irrigation, and productivity per hectare
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UPSC’s own questions that come close to this issue, from our Prelims and Mains banks.
Prelims practice · Statements
Ours, not from a UPSC paper
Consider the following statements:
- 1.The PM Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana districts were selected on three indicators: low productivity, low cropping intensity and low agricultural credit disbursement.
- 2.The scheme is implemented through convergence of 36 Central schemes across 11 Ministries and Departments, along with State schemes and private sector participation.
- 3.The National Monitoring Committee under the scheme is headed by the Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
True or false?
1 of 26
Statements the way Prelims prints them. Say first, then see the fact.
1.The scheme was approved by the Union Cabinet for a period of six years beginning with 2025-26.
True. Six-year period starting 2025-26.
2.The districts under the scheme were selected on low productivity, low cropping intensity and low agricultural credit disbursement.
True. These three indicators were used.
3.The State-level Dhan Dhaanya Krishi Yojana Samiti is headed by the State Agriculture Minister.
False. It is headed by the Chief Secretary of the State.
4.The scheme is implemented through convergence of 36 Central schemes across 11 Ministries and Departments.
True. 36 Central schemes, 11 Ministries/Departments.
5.The National Monitoring Committee under the scheme is headed by the Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.
False. The Union Minister heads the National Executive Committee; the National Monitoring Committee is headed by the Secretary, DA&FW.
6.District performance is ranked monthly on output indicators through the PM-DDKY dashboard.
True. Monthly output-indicator ranking on the dashboard.
7.Of the 121 monitoring indicators, 74 are outcome indicators and 47 are output indicators.
False. 74 are output and 47 are outcome indicators.
8.PM Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana covers 100 districts selected on the basis of low agricultural productivity, low cropping intensity and low agricultural credit disbursement.
True. The three selection criteria are low productivity, low cropping intensity and low credit disbursement.
9.The scheme is implemented through the convergence of 36 Central schemes of 11 Ministries and Departments.
True. 36 Central schemes across 11 Ministries and Departments are converged.
10.The scheme is implemented only through Central schemes, with no role for State schemes or private-sector participation.
False. State schemes and private-sector participation are also part of implementation.
11.Among the scheme's six objectives are enhancing post-harvest storage capacity and improving irrigation infrastructure.
True. Storage and irrigation are two of the six objectives.
12.The scheme was approved by the Union Cabinet in October 2025 and launched in July 2025.
False. Cabinet approval was on 16 July 2025; the launch was on 11 October 2025.
13.District performance on output indicators is ranked every month through the scheme's dashboard.
True. Output indicators are ranked monthly on the PM-DDKY dashboard.
14.Districts under DDKY were identified using indicators of low crop productivity, low cropping intensity and low agricultural credit disbursement.
True. These three indicators were used.
15.The District Action Plan under DDKY is prepared by the District Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana Samiti.
True. The district Samiti prepares and implements the plan.
16.The District Action Plans are made in convergence of 36 Central Schemes of 11 Departments.
True. 36 Central Schemes of 11 Departments.
17.The District DDKY Samitis are headed by the Chief Development Officer of the district.
False. They are headed by the district collector.
18.DDKY provides for Central Nodal Officers assigned to each DDKY district for field visits and performance review.
True. CNOs are assigned to each district.
19.DDKY plans exclude private sector participation and rely only on Central schemes.
False. Plans converge Central schemes, state schemes and private sector participation.
20.PM Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana covers 100 districts.
True. The scheme covers 100 districts.
21.The scheme was launched for a period of ten years.
False. It was launched for six years.
22.It is implemented mainly through convergence of 36 existing schemes across 11 Departments.
True. 36 existing schemes across 11 Departments are converged.
23.The scheme is the first of its kind to focus exclusively on agriculture and allied sectors, drawing inspiration from the Aspirational Districts Programme.
True. It is modelled on NITI Aayog's Aspirational District Programme but is agriculture-only.
24.The scheme aims to augment post-harvest storage only at the district headquarters level.
False. It targets post-harvest storage at the panchayat and block levels.
25.The scheme aims to facilitate both long-term and short-term agricultural credit.
True. Credit availability, long and short term, is one of the five aims.
26.The scheme is run by the Ministry of Rural Development.
False. It is run by the Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare.
Written by us from the release, not by UPSC; checked by a second model.
Mains practice
15 marks · 250 words
PM Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana, which completes one year on 11 October 2026, targets 100 agriculturally lagging districts through convergence of existing Central and State schemes and a dashboard-based monitoring system. Examine the main provisions of the scheme and discuss its significance and the challenges in achieving its objectives.
Worth revising until Prelims 2028: most news questions come within two years of the event.