RAS question
How many existing agricultural schemes does PMDDKY consolidate?
Correct answer: (C) 36 schemes across 11 ministries.
PMDDKY consolidates 36 existing agricultural schemes across 11 departments through convergence under the Prime Minister Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana.
Explanation
PMDDKY is not a standalone subsidy or a single new field scheme; it is designed as a convergence framework. The official PIB release says the Prime Minister Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana will be implemented through convergence of 36 existing schemes across 11 departments, along with State schemes and local private-sector partnerships. That is why option C is the precise answer. Familiar agricultural programmes such as PM-KISAN, PMFBY, PMKSY and Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana sit within the wider scheme universe being consolidated. The policy logic is coordination: existing agriculture and allied-sector interventions are brought into one district-focused framework instead of being treated as disconnected schemes.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Option A understates both parts of the official convergence figure: PIB gives 36 existing schemes across 11 departments, not 15 schemes across 5 ministries.
- (B) Option B is incorrect because the official figure is not 25 schemes across 8 ministries; the stated convergence is 36 existing schemes across 11 departments.
- (D) Option D overstates the consolidation; the PIB release supports 36 existing schemes across 11 departments, not 42 schemes across 15 ministries.
Concept
This tests the Indian Economy theme of scheme convergence and district-focused agricultural policy. RAS repeatedly asks such facts because flagship schemes are often framed around institutional coordination, not only budgetary allocation or beneficiary numbers.