Executive Summary:
This document addresses transparency in the implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY). It outlines the scheme's provision of insurance benefits to farmers, including small and marginal farmers, against climate-related risks. It details digital initiatives for increased transparency and discusses potential amendments to enhance the scheme's effectiveness. The document also provides data on insurance claims and grievances received, ending on July 31, 2025.
Key Points / Main Content:
* **PMFBY Overview:**
* Launched in Kharif 2016, PMFBY offers comprehensive risk coverage for notified crops against non-preventable natural risks from pre-sowing to post-harvest.
* Participation is voluntary for both states and farmers.
* Jharkhand rejoined the scheme in 2024 after initially opting out. Rajasthan has been implementing the scheme since 2016.
* **Insurance Benefits and Grievance Redressal:**
* As of June 30, 2025, 88,608,600 farmer applications have received insurance claims from 2022-23 to Kharif 2024.
* Jalore and Sirohi districts of Rajasthan saw 394,934 and 13,332 small/marginal farmer applications receiving claims, respectively, during the same period.
* A toll-free number (14447) under the Krishi Rakshak Portal and Helpline (KRPH) has been deployed for grievance redressal.
* As of July 31, 2025, 16.33 lakh of 16.74 lakh grievances received on KRPH have been resolved.
* Maharashtra lodged the maximum number of grievances (13.37 lakhs).
* **Technological Initiatives for Transparency:**
* The National Crop Insurance Portal (NCIP) serves as a single platform for subsidy payment, coordination, information dissemination, and direct online enrollment.
* The DigiClaim Payment Module, operational since Kharif 2022, monitors claim disbursal through integration with NCIP and Public Finance Management System (PFMS).
* The CCEAgri App captures and uploads Crop Cutting Experiments (CCEs) data to NCIP.
* YESTECH (Yield Estimation System Based on Technology) will gradually use remote sensing-based yield estimation, assigning 30% weightage to YESTECH-derived yield for paddy and wheat from Kharif 2023, and soybean from Kharif 2024.
* WINDS (Weather Information Network and Data System) is setting up a network of Automatic Weather Stations (AWS) and Automatic Rain Gauges (ARG) for hyperlocal weather data collection, interoperable with the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
* **Scheme Amendments and Improvements:**
* The government periodically revises the Operational Guidelines of the PMFBY (in 2018, 2020, and 2023) based on stakeholder feedback to improve transparency, accountability, and timely claim payments.
Impact Analysis:
* Farmers:
* Impact: Benefit from financial protection against crop losses due to climate change and improved claim settlement processes through technological interventions.
* Action Required: Utilize available digital platforms (NCIP, CCEAgri App) and grievance redressal mechanisms (KRPH helpline) to enroll in the scheme, monitor claim status, and report issues.
* State Governments (including Jharkhand and Rajasthan):
* Impact: Responsible for implementing the PMFBY scheme within their respective jurisdictions and collaborating with the central government and insurance companies.
* Action Required: Continue to implement and support the PMFBY scheme, ensuring effective coordination with stakeholders, and promoting the adoption of technological solutions for enhanced transparency and efficiency.
* Insurance Companies:
* Impact: Need to integrate with the NCIP and PFMS for timely and transparent claim processing and disbursal.
* Action Required: Align operations with the revised guidelines, integrate with digital platforms for efficient claim processing, and respond to grievances raised through the KRPH helpline.
* Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare:
* Impact: Responsible for the overall administration and monitoring of the PMFBY scheme.
* Action Required: Continue to review and revise the scheme guidelines based on stakeholder feedback and technological advancements to ensure its effectiveness and farmer-friendliness.
Key Entities Referenced
Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY): A crop insurance scheme providing protection to farmers against crop loss due to natural risks and calamities.
Jharkhand: A state in India that initially opted out of the PMFBY scheme but rejoined in 2024.
Rajasthan: A state in India implementing the PMFBY scheme since its inception in 2016, specifically including Jalore and Sirohi districts.
Jalore district of Rajasthan: A district in Rajasthan where farmers received insurance claims under PMFBY.
Sirohi district of Rajasthan: A district in Rajasthan where farmers received insurance claims under PMFBY.
Krishi Rakshak Portal and Helpline (KRPH): A single Pan-India toll-free number (14447) and portal deployed to improve the grievance redressal mechanism for farmers regarding insurance issues.
Maharashtra: The state from which the maximum number of grievances were received on the Krishi Rakshak Portal and Helpline (KRPH).
National Crop Insurance Portal (NCIP): A single platform developed by the government to ensure subsidy payment, coordination, transparency, dissemination of information, and delivery of services related to crop insurance.
O.I.H.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4284
TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 19TH AUGUST, 2025
TRANSPARENCY IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF PMFBY
4284. SMT. KAMLESH JANGDE:
SHRI LUMBARAM CHOUDHARY:
SHRI BIDYUT BARAN MAHATO:
Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ(cid:874)ष एव ं (cid:873)कसान क(cid:227)याण म(cid:287)ं ी be
pleased to state:
(a) whether the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) is providing protection to small
and marginal farmers in the context of climate change across the country particularly in
Jharkhand and Jalore and Sirohi districts of Rajasthan;
(b) the total number of farmers who received insurance benefits under the said scheme across
the country including Jalore and Sirohi districts during the last three years (2022-23, 2023-24
and 2024-25) along with the name of the lodged State where maximum number of complaints
have been lodged;
(c) the digital or technological initiatives taken by the Government to increase transparency
and monitoring in the implementation of the PMFBY scheme; and
(d) whether the Government proposes to make any amendment or improvement in the said
scheme to make it more effective and farmer-friendly in future?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE FOR AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
कृ(cid:874)ष एव ं (cid:873)कसान क(cid:227)याण रा(cid:207)य मं(cid:287)ी (SHRI RAMNATH THAKUR)
(a): The Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) was introduced in the country from Kharif
2016 season. All willing farmers, including small & marginal farmers growing notified crops in
notified areas are eligible for coverage under the scheme. Comprehensive risk coverage for
crops of farmers against all non-preventable natural risks/ & extreme climate calamities from
pre-sowing to post-harvest stages of the crops at very reasonable premium for the farmers is
provided under the scheme.
Since the PMFBY is voluntary for States as well as farmers, States/UTs are free to subscribe
under the scheme keeping in view their risk perception and financial considerations etc. The
State of Jharkhand opted out of the scheme after implementing it for some seasons due to its
own reasons. Due to the efforts of Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Jharkhand has re-
joined the scheme in 2024. Rajasthan is implementing the scheme since its inception in 2016.
(b): As on 30.06.2025, cumulatively 8,86,08,600 farmer applications have received insurance
claims during the last three years, i.e. from 2022-23 to 2024-25 (up to Kharif-2024). During the
same period, 3,94,934 and 13,332 applications by small & marginal farmers received claims in
Jalore and Sirohi districts of Rajasthan respectively.
To improve the grievance redressal mechanism, a single Pan-India toll free number 14447
under Krishi Rakshak Portal and Helpline (KRPH) has been deployed and linked to the
insurance companies database, where farmers can raise their grievances/issues. As on
31.07.2025, 16.74 lakh grievances were received on KRPH, out of which 16.33 lakh grievances
(97.5%) has been disposed. Out of all the States/UTs, maximum number of grievances on
KRPH were received from the State of Maharashtra (13.37 lakhs).(c) & (d): The review/revisions / rationalization / improvements in the crop insurance schemes
is a continuous process and decision on suggestion/ representations/ recommendations of the
stakeholders/studies are taken from time to time. Based on the experience gained, views of
various stakeholders and with a view to ensure better transparency, accountability, timely
payment of claims to the farmers and to make the scheme more farmer friendly, Government
has periodically revised the Operational Guidelines of the PMFBY in 2018, 2020 and 2023
comprehensively to ensure that the eligible benefits under the scheme reach the farmers timely
and transparently.
Government has taken several technological initiatives to strengthen the implementation of
the scheme including increase in coverage of farmer applications, bring transparency, ensure
timely settlement of claims, such as:
i. National Crop Insurance Portal (NCIP)- is developed by the government as a single platform
which ensures subsidy payment, coordination, transparency, dissemination of information and
delivery of services including direct online enrolment of farmers, uploading/obtaining individual
insured farmer’s details for better monitoring and to ensure transfer of claim amount
electronically to the individual farmer’s Bank Account.
ii. Digi-Claim-Payment Module – is a dedicated module operationalised for payment of claims
from Kharif 2022 onwards in order to rigorously monitor the claim disbursal process. It involves
the integration of National Crop Insurance Portal (NCIP) with Public Finance Management
System (PFMS) and accounting system of Insurance Companies to provide timely & transparent
processing of all claims.
iii. Development of CCE-Agri App for capturing of yield data/Crop Cutting Experiments (CCEs)
data & uploading it on the NCIP, allowing insurance companies to witness the conduct of CCEs,
integration of State land records with NCIP etc. have already been taken to improve timely
settlement of the claims to farmers.
Following technologies for Objective Crop Damage & Loss Assessment and transparency have
also been implemented recently w.e.f. 2023-24 under the scheme:
a. YES-TECH (Yield Estimation System Based on Technology) for gradual migration to
Remote-Sensing based yield estimation to help assess yields as well as fair and accurate Crop
Yield Estimation. This initiative has been launched for paddy & wheat crops from Kharif 2023
wherein 30% weightage to yield estimation will mandatorily be assigned to YES-TECH derived
yield. Soybean crop has been added from Kharif 2024 season.
b. WINDS (Weather Information Network and Data System) for setting up of Network of
Automatic Weather Stations (AWS) & Automatic Rain-Gauges (ARG) to the tune of 5 times of
existing network for collecting hyper-local weather data at Gram Panchayat & Block level. This
will be fed into a National database with interoperability & sharing of data in coordination with
India Meteorological Department (IMD). WINDS provides data not only for YES-TECH but also
for effective drought & disaster management, accurate weather prediction and offering better
parametric insurance products.
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