Current Context: On 29 September 2026, Union Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan handed over sanction letters worth more than ₹1,200 crore to 10 states under the Prime Minister Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (PM-RKVY) during the second day of the National Agriculture Conference – Rabi Campaign 2026.
- He also called for stronger Centre-State coordination under a “Team Agriculture” approach and announced another nationwide phase of the Khet Bachao Abhiyan focused on soil health, balanced fertiliser use and sustainable farming.
- Scheme: PM-RKVY stands for Prime Minister Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana. It gives states flexibility to undertake agriculture and allied-sector development activities according to their own priorities and State Agriculture Plans. The scheme supports areas such as soil health, crop diversification, mechanisation, water-use efficiency, natural farming and other farm-development interventions.
- Total support: The Centre sanctioned more than ₹1,200 crore to 10 states. The individual sanction amounts listed by the government total around ₹1,281 crore, although the official headline described the package as more than ₹1,200 crore.
- State-wise allocation: West Bengal ₹290 crore, Haryana ₹198 crore, Chhattisgarh ₹181 crore, Arunachal Pradesh ₹154 crore, Bihar ₹114 crore, Karnataka ₹104 crore, Mizoram ₹75 crore, Himachal Pradesh ₹64 crore, Jharkhand ₹58 crore and Punjab ₹43 crore. West Bengal received the highest amount among the 10 states.
- Purpose of funding: The financial sanctions are intended to ensure that states receive timely resources for implementing agriculture programmes on the ground. The government emphasised improving farmers’ income, productivity, food security and adoption of more sustainable agricultural practices.
- Khet Bachao Abhiyan: The campaign focuses on protecting soil health, encouraging balanced and judicious use of fertilisers, increasing use of Soil Health Cards, promoting natural and scientific farming practices and reducing long-term deterioration of agricultural land.
- Campaign schedule: The new nationwide phase announced at the September conference was planned from 22 October to 30 November 2026. The programme is intended to involve farmers, agricultural scientists, state governments, officials and institutions in coordinated soil-health and sustainable-farming activities.
- Important background: The Khet Bachao Abhiyan had originally been launched nationally by Shivraj Singh Chouhan from Ramasia village in Raisen district, Madhya Pradesh, on 1 June 2026. That campaign focused on soil testing, Soil Health Cards, balanced fertiliser application, natural farming, water conservation and scientific crop management.
- Agriculture performance: At the conference, the Agriculture Minister stated that India's agriculture growth rate had increased from around 3% to 4.5% since 2015. He also stressed closer coordination among the Centre, states, scientists and farmers to improve productivity and farmers' livelihoods.
Question:
Q1. Which state received the highest sanction under the more than ₹1,200 crore PM-RKVY support announced for 10 states in September 2026?a) West Bengal
b) Haryana
c) Chhattisgarh
d) Arunachal Pradesh
Answer: a) West Bengal. Under the PM-RKVY sanctions announced on 29 September 2026, West Bengal received ₹290 crore, the highest allocation among the 10 beneficiary states.
