Prelims: Current events of national and international importance | Polity and Governance
Why in News?
Recently, Union Agriculture Minister and Environment Minister chaired a high‑level meeting on stubble management. A provision has been made for 2026‑27 under the CRM scheme.
- Aim – To address stubble burning in Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and NCT Delhi.
- To provide permanent solutions for stubble management, reduce air pollution, protect soil fertility, and increase farmers’ income.
- Type – Centrally Sponsored Scheme, not fully funded
- Centre–State Sharing – Funds are shared 60:40 between the Centre and Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh, while NCT Delhi receives 100% Central funding.
- Launched in – 2018, implemented under Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY)
- Nodal Ministry – Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare.
- Implementing Agency – State Agriculture Departments under the supervision of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).
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Subsidies for farmers
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Crop residue management machines.
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50% subsidy
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Custom Hiring Centres (CHCs).
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80% subsidy
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Paddy straw supply chain projects.
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65% subsidy
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Key Features
- Supply Chain – Paddy straw is collected, baled, and linked to industries such as biomass power plants, thermal power plants (co‑firing), bio‑CNG units, and ethanol plants.
- This converts stubble from waste into a resource, creating a permanent market and reducing burning.
- Awareness and Training – Information, Education and Communication (IEC) campaigns, technology demonstrations, and capacity-building programmes train farmers in Direct Seeded Rice (DSR), bio-decomposers, and CRM machinery to drive sustainable residue management
DSR – Sowing paddy seeds directly into the main field, eliminating labour-intensive nursery raising and manual transplantation into fields.
- Monitoring – Real‑time monitoring of stubble burning incidents, geotagging of Custom Hiring Centres (CHCs), and deployment of a Stubble Protection Force in NCR districts ensure strict enforcement and accountability.
- In‑situ (on-site) management – Promote retention, incorporation, mulching, bio‑decomposer use.
- Ex‑situ (off-site) management – Strengthen baling, transport, industrial use in biomass power, bio‑CNG, ethanol, pellet units.
- Coverage – Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, NCT Delhi, ICAR institutions, Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVK), State Agricultural Universities (SAU).
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Target 2026-2027
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- Machines – Distribute 46,000 crop residue management machines to farmers.
- CHCs – Establish 910 Custom Hiring Centres for rental access.
- Supply Chains – Develop 141 projects linking farmers with straw‑using industries.
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References
- PIB | CRM
- Farmech | Operational Guidelines
