Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra

Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra

Context: Owing to decline in the number of PM-Kisan beneficiaries, the government launched a special drive under the Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra to add 34 lakh farmers back into the scheme.

Background:
• The Yatra was launched on November 15th.
• PM-Kisan, initiated on February 24, 2019, provides eligible farmer families with Rs 6,000 annually in three equal installments through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).
• The number of beneficiaries, which peaked at 10.47 crore in April-July 2022, witnessed a decline to 8.12 crore by the latest payment round in November 2023.

What is the Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra?
• The Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra is a government initiative undertaken across India. Its primary purpose is to raise awareness about and track the implementation of flagship central schemes, such as Ayushman Bharat, Ujjwala Yojana, PM Suraksha Bima, PM SVANidhi, etc.
• The Yatra aims to achieve the following i) Reach out to the vulnerable who are eligible under various schemes but have not availed benefit so far, ii) Disseminate information and generate awareness about schemes, iii) Interact with beneficiaries of government schemes through their personal stories/experience sharing and iv) Enroll potential beneficiaries through details ascertained during the Yatra.
• The vision of the Yatra is inclusive development, ensuring that the benefits of the government schemes reach all in every corner of the nation achieving 100% saturation.

What is the expected impact by January 2024?
• The Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare anticipates that the total number of farmer beneficiaries will surpass 8.75 crore by January 2024, the conclusion of the Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra.
• The reason behind decline in funds was attributed to the introduction of mandatory land seeding and Aadhaar linking