Context: Recently, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved the PM Programme for Restoration, Awareness, Generation, Nourishment and Amelioration of Mother Earth (PM-PRANAM) scheme.

• The scheme designed for balanced use of fertilisers by farmers. With this scheme the reliability of chemicals by the farmers will be reduced.

What is PRANAM?

• The Yojana’s full form is ‘Programme for Restoration, Awareness, Nourishment and Amelioration of Mother Earth’ (PRANAM). 

• The scheme is to incentivise States and Union Territories to promote alternative fertilisers and counteracted use of chemical fertilisers.

Aim: The PM-PRANAM is aimed at restoring the “health of Mother Earth” through

• promoting balanced/sustainable use of chemical fertilisers

• adopting alternate fertilisers such as organic, bio and nano fertilisers

• promoting natural and organic farming

• This scheme strives to decrease the usage of chemical fertilisers in the states.

Financing: The scheme will not have a separate budget and will be subsidized by the savings of existing fertiliser assistance under schemes run by the Department of fertilisers.

• Under the PM-PRANAM, 50 per cent of the fertiliser subsidy saved by a State or Union Territory in a particular financial year by way of a reduction in consumption of chemical fertilisers (Urea, DAP, NPK, MOP) compared to the previous 3 years’ average consumption, will be given to that state or UT as a grant. The grant will be provided during 2023-2026.

• Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in Budget 2023, had announced the launch of “PM Pranam Yojana” for the promotion of alternative Fertilisers and balanced use of chemical fertilisers.

• Half of the subsidy savings will be passed on to the state that saves the money as a grant.

• Out of this grant, 70% can be used to create assets related to the technological adoption of alternate fertilisers and alternate fertiliser production units at the village block, and district levels.

• The remaining 30% of grant money can be used to reward and encourage farmers, panchayats, and other stakeholders involved in fertiliser reduction and awareness generation.

• The government will evaluate the utilisation of fertilisers in terms of increase or decrease in overall consumption in a year vis-a-vis consumption over the past three years.

• The Integrated Fertilisers Management System (iFMS) is the platform envisaged to track the use of fertilisers.

Government initiatives for promoting green agriculture

• National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA): It is one of the National Missions under National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC). NMSA aims to evolve and implement strategies to make Indian agriculture more resilient to the changing climate.

The various components being implemented in this regard are:

• Rainfed Area Development (RAD)

• On Farm Water Management (OFWM)

• Soil Health Management (SHM)

• Soil Health Card (SHC)

• Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY)

• Mission Organic Value Chain Development in North Eastern Region(MOVCDNER)

• Submission on Agro forestry (SMAF)

• Per Drop More Crop (PDMC) under Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinhchayee Yojana (PMKSY)