'Bhavantar Bhugtan Yojana' of Madhya Pradesh is related to which sector?

Question

UnlockIAS · Accepted Answer

Correct — B, Agriculture. The Bhavantar Bhugtan Yojana ('Price Difference Payment Scheme') was launched by the Madhya Pradesh government in 2017 to support farmers. When the market (mandi) price of a notified crop falls below a government-set support/model price, the scheme pays the farmer the difference directly — a price-deficiency payment. It therefore belongs squarely to the agriculture sector.

Why the other options are wrong — (a) The scheme has no women-specific welfare component; it targets farmers selling notified crops.  (c) It is unrelated to child welfare or nutrition programmes.  (d) It supports agricultural producers, not industrial units — the payment offsets low crop prices, not industrial costs.

Concept: 'Bhavantar' means 'price difference.' Under a price-deficiency payment scheme, the government does not physically buy the crop; instead, if the farmer sells below a benchmark price (linked to the Minimum Support Price or a model rate), the state transfers the shortfall to the farmer's bank account. Madhya Pradesh piloted this mainly for oilseeds and pulses to shield farmers from price crashes after a good harvest.

State PCS 2018 Q37 — Madhya Pradesh GK PYQ with Answer

State PCS 2018 Q37 — Madhya Pradesh GK PYQ with Answer