Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY)

Source: PIB

Context:

The Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) is India’s flagship umbrella scheme for irrigation development, launched on 1 July 2015. It aims to enhance access to water for farming, expand cultivable area under assured irrigation, improve water use efficiency, and promote sustainable water conservation practices. PMKSY is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme (Core Scheme) with Centre-State sharing of 75:25 for general states and 90:10 for North-Eastern and Hilly states. The scheme is implemented by three ministries: Ministry of Jal Shakti, Ministry of Rural Development, and Ministry of Agriculture. The initial 2015-2020 outlay was ₹50,000 crore; the continuation for 2021-2026 has an outlay of about ₹93,068 crore. The scheme follows the motto “Har Khet Ko Paani” (Water for Every Field) and “Per Drop More Crop”. To date, 53 projects have been completed under PMKSY-AIBP, generating an additional irrigation potential of 25.14 lakh hectares.

The Scheme

• Full name: Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY).
• Launched: 1 July 2015.
• Type: Centrally Sponsored Scheme (Core Scheme).
• Initial outlay (2015-2020): ₹50,000 crore (5 years).
• Mottos: “Har Khet Ko Paani” + “Per Drop More Crop”.

Funding Pattern

Region	Centre	State
General states	75%	25%
North-Eastern + Hilly states	90%	10%

Implementing Ministries

Component	Ministry
AIBP, HKKP	Ministry of Jal Shakti
Watershed Development (WDC)	Ministry of Rural Development (Department of Land Resources)
Per Drop More Crop (PDMC)	Ministry of Agriculture (Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare)

Objectives

• Convergence of investments in irrigation at the field level (District/Sub-district Irrigation Plans).
• Enhance physical access of water on farm (Har Khet Ko Paani).
• Integration of water source, distribution, and efficient use.
• Improve on-farm water use efficiency to reduce wastage.
• Adoption of precision irrigation and water-saving technologies (More Crop Per Drop).
• Enhance recharge of aquifers.
• Integrated development of rainfed areas through watershed approach.
• Promote extension activities on water harvesting, management, crop alignment.
• Explore reuse of treated municipal wastewater for peri-urban agriculture.

Components of PMKSY

1. Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (AIBP)

• Launched: 1996.
• Subsumed under PMKSY: 2015.
• Aim: Accelerate implementation of major and medium irrigation projects that exceed state resource capabilities.
• Achievement: 53 projects completed under PMKSY-AIBP, generating 25.14 lakh hectares additional irrigation potential.
• Implementing ministry: Ministry of Jal Shakti.

2. Har Khet Ko Pani (HKKP)

• Aim: Create new water sources through Minor Irrigation; repair, restoration, and renovation of water bodies.
• Sub-components:
  1. Command Area Development & Water Management (CAD&WM): Pari passu with AIBP from 2016. 85 ongoing projects target 30.23 lakh hectares (2021-2026).
  2. Surface Minor Irrigation (SMI): New surface minor irrigation works.
  3. Repair, Renovation and Restoration (RRR) of Water Bodies: Traditional water bodies.
  4. Ground Water (GW) Development: Approval only till 2021-22; thereafter only ongoing works.
• Implementing ministry: Ministry of Jal Shakti.

3. Watershed Development (WDC)

• Aim: Effective management of runoff water, soil and moisture conservation activities such as:
  • Ridge area treatment.
  • Drainage line treatment.
  • Rain water harvesting.
  • In-situ moisture conservation.
  • Other allied activities on watershed basis.
• Implementing ministry: Ministry of Rural Development (Department of Land Resources).
• Current avatar: WDC-PMKSY 2.0 (2021-2026) with ₹8,134 crore outlay and 49.50 lakh hectares target.

4. Per Drop More Crop (PDMC)

• Aim: Promote micro-irrigation (drip and sprinkler systems).
• Components:
  • Subsidies for micro-irrigation systems.
  • Capacity building.
• Implementing ministry: Ministry of Agriculture.
• Note: From 2022-23, PDMC was transferred to the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) as RKVY-Cafeteria.

Amalgamation of Earlier Schemes

PMKSY was formed by merging the following earlier schemes:

Predecessor Scheme	Original Ministry
Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (AIBP)	Ministry of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation (now Ministry of Jal Shakti)
Integrated Watershed Management Programme (IWMP)	Department of Land Resources, Ministry of Rural Development
On-Farm Water Management (OFWM)	Department of Agriculture and Cooperation

About Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (AIBP)

• Launched: 1996 by Ministry of Water Resources.
• Aim: Provide Central Loan Assistance (CLA) for major and medium irrigation projects beyond state resources.
• Today: Subsumed under PMKSY as PMKSY-AIBP.
• Focus on: Projects in tribal areas, drought-prone areas, and irrigation projects benefiting SC/ST farmers.

Practice MCQs

Q1. With reference to Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY), consider the following statements:

1. PMKSY was launched on 1 July 2015 as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme.
2. The Centre-State funding ratio is 75:25 for general states and 90:10 for North-Eastern and Hilly states.
3. The scheme follows the motto “Har Khet Ko Paani” along with “Per Drop More Crop”.
4. PMKSY is implemented solely by the Ministry of Agriculture.

How many of the above statements are correct?

(a) Only one (b) Only two (c) Only three (d) All four (e) None

(Statement 4 is wrong; PMKSY is implemented by three ministries: Jal Shakti, Rural Development, and Agriculture.)

Q2. With reference to the components of PMKSY, consider the following statements:

1. Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (AIBP) and Har Khet Ko Pani (HKKP) are implemented by the Ministry of Jal Shakti.
2. Watershed Development Component (WDC) is implemented by the Ministry of Rural Development.
3. Per Drop More Crop (PDMC) was implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture (now under RKVY since 2022-23).
4. PMKSY has only one component (AIBP).

How many of the above statements are correct?

(a) Only one (b) Only two (c) Only three (d) All four (e) None

(Statement 4 is wrong; PMKSY has four major components: AIBP, HKKP, WDC, PDMC.)

Q3. With reference to PMKSY-AIBP achievements and Har Khet Ko Pani sub-components, consider the following statements:

1. To date, 53 projects have been completed under PMKSY-AIBP, generating 25.14 lakh hectares additional irrigation potential.
2. HKKP has four sub-components: CAD&WM, SMI, RRR of Water Bodies, and Ground Water Development.
3. Ground Water Development was approved only till 2021-22; thereafter only for ongoing works.
4. AIBP was launched in 1996.

How many of the above statements are correct?

(a) Only one (b) Only two (c) Only three (d) All four (e) None

Q4. With reference to the formulation of PMKSY, consider the following statements:

1. PMKSY was formed by amalgamating Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (AIBP), Integrated Watershed Management Programme (IWMP), and On-Farm Water Management (OFWM).
2. IWMP was originally under the Department of Land Resources, Ministry of Rural Development.
3. OFWM was under the Department of Agriculture and Cooperation.
4. PMKSY does not have any decentralized planning mechanism.

Which of the above are correct?

(a) 1, 2 and 3 only (b) 1, 3 and 4 only (c) 2 and 4 only (d) 1 and 4 only (e) All four

(Statement 4 is wrong; PMKSY uses decentralized planning through State Irrigation Plan and District Irrigation Plan.)

Q5. With reference to PMKSY’s Geo-Tagging initiative, consider the following statements:

1. The Ministry of Jal Shakti launched a mobile application for Geo-Tagging of PMKSY project components in 2020.
2. Geo-Tagging helps in transparent monitoring and tracking of assets.
3. Geo-Tagging is used for components like check dams, percolation tanks, farm ponds.
4. Geo-Tagging is mandatory only for AIBP projects, not for Watershed Development or HKKP.

How many of the above statements are correct?

(a) Only one (b) Only two (c) Only three (d) All four (e) None

(Statement 4 is wrong; Geo-Tagging covers all PMKSY components, NOT only AIBP.)

Answer Key

1. (c), Statements 1, 2, 3 are correct; Statement 4 is wrong because three ministries implement PMKSY.
2. (c), Statements 1, 2, 3 are correct; Statement 4 is wrong because PMKSY has four major components.
3. (d), All four statements are correct.
4. (a), Statements 1, 2, 3 are correct; Statement 4 is wrong because PMKSY uses decentralized planning.
5. (c), Statements 1, 2, 3 are correct; Statement 4 is wrong because Geo-Tagging covers all components.

Exam Relevance

NABARD Grade A

Very high importance, irrigation, watershed, agriculture