Question 1

PMDDKY introduces massive new standalone agricultural funding programs and direct subsidies.

Accepted Answer

It relies on the saturation-based convergence of 36 existing Central schemes, optimizing resource delivery rather than creating new entitlements.

Question 2

The 100 districts are selected uniformly across all states to ensure equal distribution.

Accepted Answer

The number of districts per state is proportional to its share of Net Cropped Area and operational agricultural holdings, though every state is guaranteed at least one district.

Question 3

Consider the following statements regarding the Prime Minister Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana (PMDDKY):
1. It draws inspiration from the Aspirational Districts Programme but focuses exclusively on the manufacturing and MSME sectors.
2. The 100 target districts are identified based on three indicators: low productivity, low cropping intensity, and less credit disbursement.
3. A District Agriculture and Allied Activities Plan under the scheme is finalised by the District Dhan-Dhaanya Samiti.
How many of the above statements are correct?

Accepted Answer

(b) Only two — Statement 1 is incorrect because PMDDKY focuses exclusively on agriculture and allied sectors, not manufacturing and MSMEs. Statement 2 is correct; these are the three exact parameters used for identifying the 100 lagging districts. Statement 3 is correct; local planning is decentralized through the District Dhan-Dhaanya Samiti, which includes progressive farmers.

Question 4

Match the PMDDKY feature (List I) with its corresponding detail (List II):
List I:
A. Digital Dashboard
B. District Selection Quota
C. Resource Convergence
D. District Dhan-Dhaanya Samiti

List II:
1. 36 schemes across 11 ministries
2. Tracking of 117 Key Performance Indicators
3. Inclusion of progressive farmers
4. Based on Net Cropped Area and operational holdings

Accepted Answer

(a) A-2, B-4, C-1, D-3 — A pairs with 2, as implementation is tracked via a digital dashboard using 117 KPIs. B pairs with 4, because the number of districts selected per state is based on its share of Net Cropped Area and operational holdings. C pairs with 1, as the scheme converges 36 central schemes. D pairs with 3, as the local Samiti includes progressive farmers.

Question 5

Assertion (A): The PM Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana avoids introducing new vertical agricultural entitlements and instead focuses on convergence.
Reason (R): Converging existing schemes helps eliminate administrative duplication, optimizes resource utilization, and ensures saturation-based delivery to the last-mile farmer.

Accepted Answer

(a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A — Both statements are correct. PMDDKY is designed as an umbrella initiative pooling 36 existing schemes across 11 ministries rather than creating a new vertical. The explicit reason for this design choice is to resolve inefficiency, avoid duplication, and deliver maximum impact to the targeted 1.7 crore farmers in underperforming districts.

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