Agriculture · GS3
Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses
One line
The Union Cabinet's pulses mission carries an outlay of ₹11,440 crore for 2025-26 to 2030-31, combining seed support, focused districts, and post-harvest processing.
Summary
Pulses matter for nutrition, soil fertility, farm diversification, and the import bill. The mission targets 1,000 processing units over six years and 87.5 lakh seed kits, while identifying 489 focus districts.
Targets create a policy direction. They do not prove that domestic supply has already become self-sufficient or that farm incomes have risen.
PYQ pattern
UPSC agriculture questions often link crop diversification with nutrition, water use, soil health, and markets. Use the official UPSC archive and treat the mission as a case study in combining production with post-harvest systems.
Core notes
- Pulses can support soil health because legumes fix atmospheric nitrogen through symbiotic bacteria, reducing but not eliminating fertiliser needs.
- Rice fallows and other diversifiable areas can provide scope for expansion where water, seed, market, and extension conditions permit.
- Processing units reduce post-harvest losses and improve local value addition.
- Seed kits, procurement, storage, price policy, and consumer affordability must work together for self-sufficiency.
Prelims lens
- The mission is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme, with state participation in implementation.
- A seed kit is an input support measure, not a processing unit.
- Pulses are crops, but their nitrogen-fixing role depends on crop, soil, rhizobia, and management conditions.
MCQ 1
The Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses includes:
- Support through seed kits.
- A post-harvest infrastructure component.
- A. 1 only
- B. 2 only
- C. Both 1 and 2
- D. Neither 1 nor 2
Reveal answerHide answer
C
The release described both seed-kit distribution and processing units under the mission.
MCQ 2
Consider the following statements:
- All pulses fix nitrogen in exactly the same way and under all soil conditions.
- Processing capacity can affect value addition and post-harvest losses.
- A. 1 only
- B. 2 only
- C. Both 1 and 2
- D. Neither 1 nor 2
Reveal answerHide answer
B
Nitrogen fixation varies by crop and conditions. Processing infrastructure can improve storage, milling, and local value addition.
Mains
Question, 10 marks, 150 words: How can a pulses strategy improve food and nutrition security while supporting sustainable agriculture?
Approach:
- Link pulses with protein, soil health, diversification, and imports.
- Explain seed support, rice fallows, processing, procurement, and focused districts.
- Discuss water, price, market, storage, extension, and regional constraints.
- Recommend climate-suitable varieties, local processing, assured markets, and nutrition-sensitive procurement.