RAS question
The assured procurement under the Pulses Mission is done under which umbrella scheme?
Correct answer: (B) PM-AASHA (Price Support Scheme).
Assured procurement under the Pulses Mission is carried out under the Price Support Scheme norms of PM-AASHA.
Explanation
The Pulses Mission links assured procurement to PM-AASHA through its Price Support Scheme route. The PIB release says the Mission supports procurement of Tur, Urad and Masoor by NAFED and NCCF for the next four years as per Price Support Scheme norms under Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyan. PM-AASHA, specifically its Price Support Scheme, is the umbrella under which the assured procurement arrangement sits. The procurement support works as a price-support mechanism meant to give farmers a remunerative price while pushing self-sufficiency in pulse production.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) PM-KISAN provides direct income support to eligible farmer families, while assured procurement of Tur, Urad and Masoor under the Pulses Mission runs through Price Support Scheme norms under PM-AASHA.
- (C) PM Fasal Bima Yojana provides crop insurance, while the Pulses Mission's assured procurement support is tied to Price Support Scheme norms under PM-AASHA.
- (D) Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana supports broader agricultural development projects, while the procurement support for Tur, Urad and Masoor under the Pulses Mission is placed under PM-AASHA.
Concept
Agricultural missions often use procurement or price-support instruments inside larger umbrella programmes. RAS scheme-architecture questions frequently test the larger programme that carries a specific intervention.