With rural distress looming large, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday called for linking at least 50 per cent of the country’s farmers in the next two-three years with the newly announced crop insurance scheme.

In 2016’s first ‘Mann Ki Baat’ monthly radio broadcast on Sunday to the nation, Modi touched upon varying topics such as raising awareness about the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, the potential of the Start-up India scheme, popularising Khadi and the International Fleet Review to be soon held in Visakhapatnam.

He also announced that ‘Mann Ki Baat’ would soon be available on mobile phones in various regional languages as well.

“The crop insurance scheme has been made so easy with technological inputs. Now, help will be given even if something happens within 15 days of harvest,” he said, seeking public help to raise awareness about the scheme.

Modi said the biggest offer in this ‘gift’ to farmers was that the premium rate had been kept “so low”. The rate for Kharif crop has been kept at 2 per cent, while for Rabi crop it is 1.5 per cent, he said, adding “If any farmer is deprived of these benefits, will he not suffer losses?”

Start-ups

Referring to the Start-Up India scheme announced on January 16, Modi recounted that “lakhs of people registered for the programme though not everyone could participate”, saying that the programme helped in clearing the air over the general perception that start-ups meant “very sophisticated and IT-related businessees''.

“IT-related start-ups are only a small part of this scheme,” he said, adding that the possibilities, and requirements were immense, citing the example of two youths in the Northeast who were working on start-ups related to herbal and organic farming and were involved in global marketing of their produce.

Khadi goes solar

In remembrance of Mahatma Gandhi’s death anniversary on January 30, the Prime Minister talked about the “emotional’ identity that Khadi held in Indian minds. He said connecting ‘charkhas’ to solar energy as part of technology upgradation had been successful in raising the production of Khadi fabric and improving its quality.

Fleet review

The Prime Minister said it was a matter of pride that India was hosting the International Fleet Review in Visakhapatnam from February 4-8. “The whole world will be arriving here as our guests…. It is an attempt to synergise our military power with that of the world,” he said, adding that warships and naval ships from several countries will be docking on Indian shores.

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