What is supermoon?

The Supermoon was observed after the moon was closest to the Earth at 356,509 km. This is for the first time moon came closest to Earth since 1948. Last time, the moon came closer to earth on 26 January 1948. Next time the supermoon will be observed on 25 November 2034. 
During this time moon will be even closer than this year. 
What is supermoon? Supermoon or perigee full moon is a phenomenon that occurs when a full moon coincides with the moon being the closest to the Earth on its orbit. During this time, the natural satellite appears roughly 30% larger in area and 30% brighter than the smallest full moons. In terms of diameter, the width of the moon is about 14% wider than the smallest full moons. 
What causes a supermoon? The moon’s orbit around Earth is ellipse (a kind of squashed circle) and not in a circle.  When an orbit is elliptical, Earth in the middle sits at one of two foci of ellipse. The moon is inevitably closer to the Earth when it passes one side of the ellipse and further away as it passes the other side. When it is at the closest side (called “perigee”) it is a full moon. If this distance is to closer to earth then it is called a supermoon. Why are supermoons not all the same size? The reason is that the shape of the ellipse that the moon draws around the Earth is changing all the time as it is pushed and pulled by other gravitational forces.

272 products have been registered as geographical indications since September 2003

As many as 272 products have been registered as geographical indications since September 2003, 
according to data of Office of Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks. During this fiscal (2016-17), 
11 products  have been registered so far as GI from states across India. 26 items had received GI status in the 2015-16 fiscal .
 11 GI products added this  year are Sangli Raisins (Maharashtra), Parmigiano Reggiano (Italy), Banaras Metal Repouse Craft (Uttar Pradesh), Beed Custard Apple (Maharashtra), Jalna Sweet Orange (Maharashtra), Uttarakhand Tejpat (Uttarakhand), Waigaon Turmeric (Maharashtra), Purandar Fig (Maharashtra), Jalgaon Brinjal (Maharashtra), Solapur Pomegranate (Maharashtra) and Kashmiri Hand Knotted Carpet (Jammu & Kashmir) 

What is Geographical Indication (GI)? Geographical Indication is an insignia on products having a unique geographical origin and evolution over centuries with regards to its special quality or reputation attributes. The status to the products marks its authenticity and ensures that registered authorised users are allowed to use the popular product name. 
What are benefits of Geographical Indication Status? The GI registration confers: (i) Legal protection to the products (ii) Prevents unauthorised use of a GI tag products by others (iii) Helps consumers to get quality products of desired traits (iv) Promotes economic prosperity of producers of GI tag goods by enhancing their demand in national and international markets. Which are legal Authorities associated with GI? Geographical Indications are covered as an element of intellectual property rights (IPRs) under the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property. 
At international level, GI is governed by World Trade Organisation’s (WTO’s) Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS). In India, GI registration is governed by the Geographical Indications of goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999. This had come into force from September 2003. Darjeeling tea was the first product in India accorded with GI tag.

The economics of currency reform

The challenge now is to minimize the pain of currency swap—to the economy as a whole but especially to the informal sector

The serpentine queues outside banks across the country have quite naturally grabbed public attention in the past few days. The massive task of exchanging old currency notes for new is taking more time than expected. Many economists have begun to worry about the impact of a persistent cash crunch on the Indian economy.

The value of currency notes that have been pulled out is worth around a tenth of the Indian gross domestic product (though some eager commentators have mistakenly assumed that a tenth of the Indian economy has been immobilized). What does this mean for the economy?

There are two sets of concerns. The first is that the lack of adequate cash will hurt transactions across the economy, and especially in the informal sector, which is profoundly dependent on cash. Think of the traditional taxi driver rather than the Uber driver. Second, the decline in real-estate values could create a negative wealth effect that will eventually hurt consumer demand. Or, families that see the value of their homes come down could respond by trying to save more.

Let us take a closer look at Indian monetary statistics, both base money as well as broad money. The stock of base money in the books of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on 4 November was Rs22.5 trillion. There are three components of base money—currency in circulation, bankers’ deposits with the central bank and other deposits. Currency accounts for an overwhelming 80% of the total stock of base money in the Indian economy.

The withdrawal of cash is undoubtedly a severe monetary shock to the economy. It could have an impact on aggregate demand. Much now depends on how much new cash is pumped in to lubricate the economic machine, or the minimum amount needed as a medium of exchange rather than a store of value. We hope policymakers have a forecasting model to guide them. The release of Rs500 rather than Rs2,000 notes is especially important in this regard.

However, it is also important to understand that what matters is not base money alone but also the credit flowing through the economy. The stock of broad money is about five times larger than base money. Currency accounts for only 13.7% of broad money in India, which is dominated by bank deposits. The proportion of currency in broad money is likely to fall as idle cash stashed in homes flows into bank coffers as part of the ongoing currency exchange. One possibility: Money supply could increase in case banks lend out their deposit bonanza at perhaps lower interest rates. The monetary impact is thus more complicated than many believe.

Now comes the wealth effect. The expected decline in the value of real estate could hurt consumer demand in a country where people prefer physical assets over financial assets as their main mode of saving. It will be very difficult to compute the extent of this negative wealth effect. The decline in home prices will not have much effect on the consumer price index, where rental values are an important component.

The main impact will be on economic growth. A decline in building activity could have a multiplier effect in industries such as cement, steel and white goods.

Most economists believe that economic growth could come down by around 0.5 percentage point over the next two quarters—not trivial but far from a deflationary economic collapse. It is now up to the policy authorities to respond.

There are three decisions that can be taken. First, it is important that new cash must be released rapidly over the next fortnight, and shorter queues for currency exchange will be a good way to judge how well the government is doing on this front.

Second, moral suasion should be used to convince banks to step up lending at lower interest rates so that the surge in deposits leads to more credit creation.

Third, the government may need to step up the roads programme so that the impact of the anticipated decline in construction activity is reduced.

The textbook response to any demand shock is a stimulus—either monetary or fiscal. The RBI should not fiddle with interest rates right now but focus on liquidity management in the economy. It would be better if the government used the fiscal lever by front-loading spending for the year, especially in road-building because of the large multiplier effect.

The Narendra Modi government has given an exogenous shock to the economic system through its bold decision to replace old currency notes with new. The challenge now is to minimize the pain—to the economy as a whole but especially to the informal sector. And remember that the new agricultural season is just around the corner.

What impact do you think the currency swap is having on the Indian economy?

Index Numbers of Wholesale Price in India (Base: 2004-05=100)

Index Numbers of Wholesale Price in India (Base: 2004-05=100)

Review for the month of October, 2016

The official Wholesale Price Index for ‘All Commodities’ (Base: 2004-05=100) for the month of October, 2016 rose by 0.1 percent to 182.9 (provisional) from 182.8 (provisional) for the previous month.

INFLATION

The annual rate of inflation, based on monthly WPI, stood at 3.39% (provisional) for the month of October, 2016 (over October, 2015) as compared to 3.57% (provisional) for the previous month and -3.70% during the corresponding month of the previous year.  Build up inflation rate in the financial year so far was 4.34% compared to a build up rate of 0.45% in the corresponding period of the previous year.

Inflation for important commodities / commodity groups is indicated in Annex-1 and Annex-II.

The movement of the index for the various commodity groups is summarized below:-

PRIMARY ARTICLES (Weight 20.12%)

The index for this major group declined by 0.8 percent to 261.8 (provisional) from 263.9 (provisional) for the previous month. The groups and items which showed variations during the month are as follows:-

The index for 'Food Articles' group declined by 0.3 percent to 278.8 (provisional) from 279.6 (provisional) for the previous month due to lower price of urad (6%), masur and fruits & vegetables (4% each), arhar, bajra, maize and mutton   (3% each), jowar (2%) and moong, fish-inland and condiments & spices (1% each).  However, the price of gram (18%),      ragi (9%), poultry chicken (5%) and fish-marine, coffee and milk (1% each) moved up.

The index for 'Non-Food Articles' group declined by 3.1 percent to 223.2 (provisional) from 230.3 (provisional) for the previous month due to lower price of soyabean (10%), groundnut seed and flowers (8% each), raw cotton (5%), guar seed and raw rubber   (4% each), gingelly seed and castor seed (3 % each), sunflower, hides (raw), raw silk and rape & mustard seed (2% each) and raw wool, skins (raw), coir fibre and mesta (1% each).  However, the price of fodder and linseed (2% each) and cotton seed and safflower (kardi seed) (1% each) moved up.

The index for 'Minerals' group rose by 0.2 percent to 210.9 (provisional) from 210.4 (provisional) for the previous month due to higher price of limestone (8%), copper ore (4%), zinc concentrate (2%) and crude petroleum (1%).  However, the price of magnesite (6%), iron ore, phosphorite and sillimanite (4% each), manganese ore (3%) and chromite (1%) declined.

FUEL & POWER (Weight 14.91%)

The index for this major group rose by 1.0 percent to 187.3 (provisional) from 185.4 (provisional) for the previous month due to higher price of aviation turbine fuel (4%), petrol, furnace oil and high speed diesel (2% each) and kerosene and LPG (1% each).

MANUFACTURED PRODUCTS (Weight 64.97%)

The index for this major group rose by 0.2 percent to 157.4 (provisional) from 157.1 (provisional) for the previous month. The groups and items for which the index showed variations during the month are as follows:-

The index for ' Food Products ' group rose by 0.3 percent to 193.0 (provisional) from 192.5 (provisional) for the previous month due to higher price of gram powder (besan) (14%), cotton seed oil (3%), vanaspati, gola (cattle feed), tea dust (unblended) and ghee (2% each) and powder milk, sooji (rawa) and processed prawn (1% each).  However, the price of      groundnut oil and tea leaf (blended) (3% each), oil cakes, copra oil, mixed spices and maida (2% each) and gur, palm oil and tea leaf (unblended) (1% each) declined.

The index for 'Beverages, Tobacco & Tobacco Products' group declined by 0.1 percent to 221.7 (provisional) from 221.9 (provisional) for the previous month due to lower price of beer (1%).

The index for 'Textiles' group declined by 0.4 percent to 141.7 (provisional) from 142.2 (provisional) for the previous month due to lower price of jute sacking bag (5%), jute sacking cloth (4%) and cotton yarn and cotton fabric (1% each).

The index for 'Paper & Paper Products' group declined by 0.6 percent to 155.9 (provisional) from 156.8 (provisional) for the previous month due to lower price of corrugated sheet boxes (4%) and paper rolls (2%). However, the price of      kraft  paper & bags (1%) moved up.

The index for 'Leather & Leather Products' group declined by  0.2  percent to 145.5 (provisional) from 145.8 (provisional) for the previous month due to lower price of leather garments & jackets (1%).

The index for 'Rubber & Plastic Products' group rose by 0.5 percent to 148.5 (provisional) from 147.8 (provisional) for the previous month due to higher price of tyres (1%).

The index for 'Chemicals & Chemical Products' group rose by 0.1 percent to 150.7 (provisional) from 150.6 (provisional) for the previous month due to higher price of safety  matches/ match box (6%), antacid and  digestive preparations, basic inorganic chemicals and basic organic chemicals (1% each).  However, the price of tooth paste / tooth powder (3%),     hair / body oils (2%) and lacquer & varnishes, turpentine oil, non-cyclic compound, antibiotics and vitamins (1% each) declined.

The index for 'Non-Metallic Mineral Products' group rose by 0.4 percent to 180.2 (provisional) from 179.4 (provisional) for the previous month due to higher price of marbles (5%), polished granite (2%) and asbestos corrugated sheet and bricks & tiles (1% each).  However, the price of lime (1%) declined.

The index for 'Basic Metals, Alloys & Metal Products' group rose by 1.4 percent to 155.2 (provisional) from 153.0 (provisional) for the previous month due to higher price of pig iron (7%), gp/gc sheets (5%),  billets, sheets, rounds and wire rods (4% each), zinc, angles, HRC, plates and joist & beams (3% each),  sponge iron, pencil  ingots, rebars,     melting scrap and CRC (2% each) and steel structures and steel rods (1% each).  However, the price of lead (4%) and      gold & gold ornaments, metal containers, iron & steel wire and copper / copper ingots (1% each) declined.

The index for 'Machinery & Machine Tools' group declined by 0.1 percent to 135.2 (provisional) from 135.3 (provisional) for the previous month due to lower price of t.v.sets (3%) and electric switch gears, ball/roller bearing and fluorescent tubes (1% each).  However, the price of fibre optic cable (3%) and insulators (1%) moved up.

The index for 'Transport, Equipment & Parts' group rose by 0.1 percent to 139.9 (provisional) from 139.8 (provisional) for the previous month due to higher price of  railway  axle & wheel (1%).

India consumes lowest degree of chemicals (pesticides) in the world

Milk availability Per Capita with the Existing Level of 337 Gram is Likely to Go Up 500 Gram Per day by the Year 2021-22: Shri Radha Mohan Singh

India consumes lowest degree of chemicals (pesticides) in the world: Shri Singh

The Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister, Shri Radha Mohan Singh said that the hard labour extended by the people engaged in diary sector and unabated efforts of Central Government, India has achieved 4.2% average growth in milk production and has left behind the world average of 2.2%. During 2015-16 the growth in milk production in India has been 6.7%. The Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare said it in the conference of stake holders related to dairy industry in National Dairy Development Board, here, today. Speaking on the occasion the Union Minister informed that owing to the enhancement in milk production the availability of milk statistics based on daily basis per capita with the existing level of 337 gram is likely to go up 500 gram daily by the year 2021-22. A sum of Rs. 2242 crore will be incurred on this scheme. Shri Singh said that it is also very much imperative to create awareness and to improve veterinary services.

Shri Radha Mohan Singh said that India ranks first in milk production in the world for last fifteen years and credit for this goes to the small milk producers. Agriculture Minister added that demand of milk and milk made products is increasing and it is likely to go up by 24 crore tonns by the year 2025.

The Minister said that it is extremely necessary to utilize scientific outputs and sophisticated technique in dairy because there is no enhancement of milk productivity in spite of the availability of best species of bovines in India.

Shri Singh said that Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has taken a number of steps to increase the production of milk in which Gokul Mission is very much prominent. Under this mission for the year 2014-15 to 2016-17 a provision of Rs. 500 crore has been made. NDDB with the assistance of World Bank and Central Government has taken several measures under National Dairy Scheme Phase – I, a centrally sponsored scheme. It includes a genetic improvement among bovines, betterment of rural infrastructure in dairy and to provide better opportunities for milk vendors. The initiation of NDDB –I had been made in 14 states and at present it is being carried out in 18 states along with Jharkhand, Chattisgarh, Uttarakhand and Telangana.

Shri Radha Mohan Singh further added that an enhancement of more than 6% in milk production sector is necessary for a true development meant for this sector. In order to achieve this object, improved technologies, capacity building, marketing, scientific livestock management, knowhow related to milk production and better arrangement of loans is necessary so as to operate a dairy systematically and in a balanced way. Agriculture Minister opined that the youth and females are enjoying handsome employment opportunities in dairy sector. Shri Singh also said that by the year 2022 the income of the farmers is to be made as double and to achieve this target the dairy sector is to play a very important role.

Thereafter, the Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare participated in the programme organized by the Society of Pesticides Science India at National Agricultural Science Complex, Pusa, New Delhi. Speaking on this occasion, Shri Singh added that various disorders prevalent on crops and pests have cast a very serious adverse impact on food grains production. Owing to these pests and maladies the crop production on global level is reducing by 15 to 25% every year. It is estimated that on various stages of agricultural production and their storage 35% chunk of total crop production is damaged due to pests, diseases, weeds, rats, birds as well as nematodes etc. India ranks on 10th place in the world with regard to the consumption of pesticides. This is the country that consumes lowest degree of chemicals (pesticides). Earlier the use of pesticides rate was 2 to 5 kg per hectare which has been reduced from 100 to 200 grams per hectare. For a few last years on account of the remains of pesticides in the crops, an adverse impact has affected the export of agricultural products. Therefore, it is also very necessary to have this scenario monitored. 

effect of demonetization

While the government’s demonetisation drive will likely negatively impact the economy in the short term, it could help over the longer term propel economic growth into double-digit levels as more of the informal economy becomes formal and the Goods and Services Tax comes into effect, according to economists.

Another benefit from the drastic currency step could be a reduction of banks’ non-performing assets, a critical constraint that is holding up the flow of bank credit for private sector investment in the country.

“To the extent that there is shrinkage of money supply, conventional economics says that that should be deflationary,” said Ajit Ranade, Chief Economist of the Aditya Birla Group.

“It will lead to a contraction of output as well in the short run, so there will be an impact on GDP.”

“However, in the long run, say within two years, this move combined with the Goods & Services Tax legislation will help in a pick-up, and take the country's growth to double-digit levels,” said Girish Vanvari, Partner and Head, Tax, KPMG in India.

“The NPAs of banks will go down as the cash coming in will lead to higher CASA (current account, savings account), in turn declogging the system. Foreign investors have welcomed this as a bold move, and in the right direction.”

“More savings will enter the formal financial economy,” Mr. Ranade added. “India has a fairly high savings rate, but the financial part of that is low, so that is likely to go up. Then the exponential increase in all the cashless mechanisms like cashless wallets and online banking may also help in the formal part of the economy.”

Looking a little deeper at the sectoral impact, the view is that the demonetisation move will hurt growth in cash-heavy sectors like real estate, gold and jewellery.

“Interest rates will come down because the money will go to the banks and to some extent some of it will go to the government as taxes,” Indranil Sengupta, India Chief Economist at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, said. “Also, there is going to be a short-run demand shock. But a lower interest rate will cushion this to some extent. Once the RBI’s currency liability shrinks, we think they will have lower open market operations.”

Kotak Institutional Equities was of the view that the consumption of high-value items like jewellery or real estate will get impacted as these have been popular with those having unaccounted income or wealth.

“We believe small businessmen and self-employed professionals would make attempts to become a part of the formal economy over time by reporting higher income and paying full income and indirect taxes,” Kotak Equities wrote in a report.

Rate cuts

“We believe that additional measures like monetary stimulus in the form of rate cuts and liquidity infusion in the formal system will aid the economy in handling this situation in an appropriate manner,” according to Nimesh Shah, MD and CEO, ICICI Prudential Mutual Fund.

“As consumption will be hurt, there will be pressure on the repaying capacity of producers/sellers,” Motilal Oswal Financial Services wrote in a note to clients.

According to Anand Rathi Securities, demonetisation will be a logistical nightmare in the short term leading to a slowdown in consumer spending and likely decline in GDP over the next two quarters. However, the subsequent two years would see the gross domestic product register a sharp “hockey stick” revival, the securities firm wrote in a note.

The overall economic impact would include a likely appreciation of the rupee, a sharp slowing in inflation, the banking system getting a boost and real estate prices falling about 20-25 per cent before stabilising, according to the domestic brokerage. Stocks would benefit the most due to the gradual shift from physical assets to financial assets, it added.

A boost to farmers income

A boost to farmers income

Cabinet approves enhanced MSP for Rabi Crops of 2016-17 season
Announces Bonus for Gram, Masur, Rapseed/Mustard and Safflower cultivation

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given its approval for the increase in the Minimum Support Prices (MSPs) for all Rabi Crops of 2016-17 Season. Further, to incentivise cultivation of pulses and oilseeds, in the country Government has announced a bonus on these crops, payable over and above the following approved MSP.

Commodity	MSP for 2015-16 Season (Rs / Quintal)	MSP approved for 2016-17 (Rs / Quintal)	Increase
			Absolute (Rs / Quintal)	percentage
Wheat	1525	1625	100	6.6
Barley	1225	1325	100	8.2
Gram	3500 (includes bonus of Rs.75 per quintal)	4000 (includes bonus of Rs.200 per quintal)	500	14.3
Masur (Lentil)	3400 (includes bonus of Rs.75 per quintal)	3950 (includes bonus of Rs.150 per quintal)	550	16.2
Rapeseed / Mustard	3350	3700 (includes bonus of Rs.100 per quintal)	350	10.4
Safflower	3300	3700 (includes bonus of Rs.100 per quintal)	400	12.1

The approval to increase MSPs is based on the recommendations of Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) which while recommending MSPs takes into account the cost of production, overall demand-supply, domestic and international prices, inter-crop price parity, terms of trade between agricultural and non-agricultural sectors, the likely effect on the rest of the economy, besides ensuring rational utilization of production resources like land and water.

The recommendation of CACP being the expert body, are generally accepted as such.  However, to incentivise cultivation of pulses and oilseeds, the Cabinet has decided to give a bonus of Rs.200/- per quintal for Gram, a bonus of Rs 150/- per quintal for Masur/Lentil and a bonus of Rs 100/- per quintal each for Rabi oilseeds viz. Rapeseeds/Mustards and Safflower, over and above the recommendations of the CACP. There is an increasing gap between the domestic demand and supply of pulses and oilseeds as a result of which reliance on import is increasing. Government has, therefore, announced this bonus on pulses and oilseeds to give a strong price signal to farmers to increase acreage and invest for increase in productivity of these crops. The increase in cultivation of leguminous pulses and oilseeds will also have additional environmental benefits as these crops are less water consuming and help in nitrogen fixation in the soil.

Food Corporation of India (FCI) will be the designated central nodal agency for price support operations for cereals, pulses and oilseeds. To supplement the efforts of FCI, the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Limited (NAFED), National Cooperative Consumers' Federation (NCCF), Central Warehousing Corporation (CWC) and Small Farmers Agri - Business Consortium (SFAC) may also undertake procurement of oilseeds and pulses as per their capacity.

Background:

Besides increase in Minimum Support Prices (MSP) of Rabi crops, Government has taken several farmer friendly initiatives. These, inter-alia, include the following:

·         The Government had declared a bonus, over and above the MSP, of Rs 75 per quintal for Rabi pulses of 2016-17 marketing season, a bonus of Rs. 425 per quintal for Kharif pulses viz. Arhar, Moong and Urad, a bonus of  Rs 200 per quintal for Sesamum and a bonus of Rs. 100 per quintal for Groundnut, Sunflower, Soyabean and Nigerseed.

·         A new crop insurance scheme 'Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana' has been launched by the Government. Under this scheme, the premium rates to be paid by farmers; are very low- 2% of sum insured for all Kharif crops, 1.5% for all Rabi crops' and 5% for commercial and horticulture crops. The new insurance scheme involves use of simple and smart technology through phones & remote sensing for quick estimation and early settlement of claims. The Government has also launched a Mobile App "Crop Insurance" which will help farmers to find out complete details about insurance cover available in their area and to calculate the insurance premium for notified crops.

·         The Government has also launched a scheme to develop a pan India electronic trading platform under 'National Agriculture Market' (NAM) aiming to integrate 585 regulated markets with the common e-market platform. Each State is being encouraged to undertake three major reforms - allow electronic trading, have a single license valid throughout the State and a single entry point market fee. It will also enable farmers to discover better prices for their produce. 221 markets in 11 States| have already been brought on the e-NAM platform.

·         Soil Health Cards are being issued to farmers across the country. These will be renewed every two years. The card provides information on fertility status of soil and a soil test based advisory on use of fertilizers. As on 30th September, 2016, 295.56 lakh Soil Health Cards have been distributed.

·         Under Pramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojna (PKVY), the Government is promoting organic farming and development of potential market for organic products.

·         The Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana is being implemented with the vision of extending the coverage of irrigation 'Har Khet ko Pani' and improving water use efficiency 'Per Drop More Crop ' in a focused manner with end to end solution on source creation, distribution, management, field application and extension activities.

·         Government is focusing on improving production and productivity of crops such as rice, wheat, coarse grains and pulses under the National Food Security Mission.

·         A dedicated Kisan Channel has been started by the Doordarshan to provide 24 x 7 information in the hands of farmers regarding weather updates, agri-mandi data etc.

·         Government is encouraging formation of Farmer Producer Organisations.

·         To stabilize prices of pulses and onions, Government has decided to create buffer stocks of pulses and has imported pulses and onions under the Price Stabilization Fund.

·         A handbook for women farmers 'Farm Women Friendly Hand Book' containing special provisions and package of assistance which women farmers can claim under various on-going Missions/ Submissions/ Schemes of Department of Agriculture] Cooperation & Farmers Welfare has been brought out. Women farmers/beneficiaries could approach the nearest Project Director (ATMA) / Deputy Director (Agriculture) office at District or Block Technology Manager/Assistant Technology Managers at Block level for instant help and facilitation for availing the benefits.

·         With the above measures taken, the Government has set a target to double the farmers' income by 2022.