Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanization (SMAM)
- Background: Since the scheme’s inception, 21.61 lakh agricultural machines worth ₹9,404 crore have been provided to individual farmers across India.
About the Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanization
- Ministry: Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare
- Year of Launch: 2014–15
- Scheme Type: Centrally sponsored scheme implemented under the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY).
Objectives
-
- To increase the use of agricultural machinery to enhance agricultural productivity.
- To reduce the strenuous physical labor of farmers and lower cultivation costs.
- To make modern agricultural machinery accessible to small and marginal farmers, women farmers, SC/ST farmers, Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), Self-Help Groups (SHGs), and rural entrepreneurs.
Key Features
- Financial Assistance
-
-
- Subsidies are provided to farmers through the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mode.
- General category farmers: 40% subsidy.
- SC/ST farmers, small and marginal farmers, and beneficiaries from the North-Eastern region: 50% subsidy.
-
- Support for Mechanized Services
-
-
- Small and marginal farmers are provided ₹2,000 per hectare to utilize mechanized farming services.
-
- This includes services provided through Custom Hiring Centers (CHCs), FPOs, SHGs, and drone-based agriculture.
- Machinery Centers
-
-
- Financial assistance is provided for setting up:
-
- Custom Hiring Centers (CHCs)
- Farm Machinery Banks
- Hi-tech Equipment Centers
- These centers enable farmers to access modern agricultural machinery at affordable rates.
- Training and Demonstrations
-
-
- Farmers are provided training on the proper use of agricultural machinery.
- The scheme also supports:
- Machinery testing
- Field demonstrations
- Post-harvest mechanization
- Crop residue management
-
- Special Support for the North-Eastern Region
-
- Subsidies of up to 100% are provided for small agricultural machinery.
- Financial assistance of 95% is provided for setting up Custom Hiring Centres (Agricultural Machinery Banks).
- Support for Women Farmers
-
-
- To encourage the participation of women farmers in mechanized agriculture, 30% of the scheme’s funds are earmarked for them.
-
- Promoting the Use of Kisan Drones
-
- Promotes the use of Kisan drones in agriculture. Up to ₹10 lakh per drone is provided to ICAR institutions, Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs), and State Agricultural Universities.
- Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) receive a 75% subsidy for purchasing drones.
About Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY)
- Year of Launch: 2007
- Ministry: Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.
- Type: Centrally Sponsored Scheme; restructured as RKVY-RAFTAAR (2017–18).
- Objective: To promote holistic agricultural growth by increasing public investment, productivity, infrastructure, and farmers’ income.
Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan (NMBA)
Background
- The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment is organizing a nationwide public pledge event against drug abuse on August 18, 2026, to mark the 6th anniversary of the ‘Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan’ campaign.
- The campaign seeks nationwide participation—through both physical and online modes—to strengthen public awareness against drug abuse.
- The initiative also highlights information regarding the drug de-addiction helpline (14446) to improve access to counseling and rehabilitation services.
About NMBA (Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan)
- ‘Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan’ (NMBA) is a flagship national-level campaign launched by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment on August 15, 2020.
- Objective: To reduce the demand for drugs through awareness generation, preventive education, counseling, treatment, rehabilitation, and community-level activities.
- Approach: An integrated government and community-based approach involving schools, colleges, youth organizations, NGOs, and local communities.
- Focus Areas: Awareness campaigns, capacity building, identification of vulnerable groups, counseling, rehabilitation, and the social reintegration of affected individuals.
NMBA’s Institutional Structure and Key Pillars
- Integrated Approach: NMBA adopts a community-based and demand-reduction strategy, aligned with the ‘National Action Plan for Drug Demand Reduction.’
- Inter-ministerial Coordination: It brings together ministries such as Home Affairs, Defence, Railways, AYUSH, and Rural Development for coordinated action and awareness.
- Integrated Implementation: Coordinates the National Drug Control Authority, state/district administrations, police, government hospitals, and civil society organizations to strengthen drug control and rehabilitation efforts.
- Evidence-based Prevention: Utilizes data-driven interventions to prevent drug abuse among the youth, identify vulnerable groups, reduce stigma, and promote timely treatment and rehabilitation.
