State PCS - Madhya Pradesh (MP PCS)

• 05 Jul 2025

Govt Launches Pulse Distribution Drive

Why in News? 

The Government of India has launched a seed distribution drive in seven states, including Madhya Pradesh, to promote the cultivation of arhar (tur) and urad pulses. 

• It aims to reduce the country’s growing dependence on imports and ensure price stability through domestic production. 

Key Points 

• The Initiative: 
  • Objective: Promote domestic production of arhar and urad pulses. 
  • Implementing Agency: Department of Consumer Affairs under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution. 
  • Execution Partner: National Cooperative Consumers Federation of India Limited (NCCF). 
  • Coverage: Seed distribution in select districts across seven states- Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Manipur, and Tripura. 
• Selection Criteria: Districts have been selected based on two main criteria: 
  • They are rainfed regions, making them suitable for pulse cultivation. 
  • They include Aspirational Blocks as identified by NITI Aayog. 
• Financial and Policy Support: 
  • ₹1 crore will be spent on seed distribution across the selected districts of 7 states. 
  • The government will ensure 100% procurement of arhar and urad at Minimum Support Price (MSP) if market prices fall below MSP. 
  • For the Kharif Marketing Season 2025–26, MSPs are: 
    • Arhar (tur): ₹8,000 per quintal 
    • Urad: ₹7,800 per quintal 
• Recent Import: 
  • India imports around a dozen types of pulses from various countries. 
  • In 2023–24, pulse imports rose to a record high of 47.38 lakh tonnes, nearly double the 24.96 lakh tonnes imported in 2022–23. 
  • The increase in imports has added pressure on the domestic supply and price stability of pulses. 

Aspirational Blocks Programme(ABP) 

• It is a development initiative led by the NITI Aayog aimed at improving the performance of areas that are lagging on various development parameters. 
• It was announced in the Union Budget 2022-23. 
• It will initially cover 500 districts across 31 states and Union Territories, with over half of these blocks located in six states - Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Odisha and West Bengal. 
  • A total of 42 blocks from Madhya Pradesh have been selected under the ABP.