State PCS - Rajasthan (RAS)

• 07 Oct 2025

Rajasthan Targets 10% Rise in Cooperative Societies

Why in News? 

During the launch of the Sahkar Membership Campaign, Rajasthan CM Bhajan Lal Sharma announced a plan to increase the number of cooperative societies by 10%, reinforcing the role of cooperatives in promoting rural prosperity and inclusive growth.

Key Points 

• Sahkar Membership Campaign: The drive, held between 2nd to 15th October 2025, aims to expand the cooperative movement across the state with a focus on women and youth participation. 
• PACS Expansion: New Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) will be established in 2,158 gram panchayats where none currently exist. Land will be allotted to cooperatives lacking warehouse space. 
• Farmer Empowerment: 
  • Over 7.7 million farmers have received interest-free crop loans worth ₹42,765 crore. 
  • 2.48 lakh new farmers benefited from ₹433 crore in fresh loans, and 30,000 beneficiaries availed ₹260 crore in livelihood loans. 
• Support Schemes: 
  • Under PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi, 7.6 million farmers received ₹7,054 crore. 
  • The state adds ₹3,000 annually per farmer under the CM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana. 
• Animal Husbandry & Dairy: The Gopal Credit Card Loan Scheme provides up to ₹1 lakh interest-free loans for dairy activities. Mobile veterinary units are being deployed for animal health services.

Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) 

• About: PACS are village-level cooperative credit institutions forming the base of India’s three-tier cooperative credit structure, under State Cooperative Banks (SCBs) and District Central Cooperative Banks (DCCBs).  
  • They provide short- and medium-term agricultural loans directly to farmers. The first PACS was established in 1904. 
  • PACS are not banks as they are registered as societies under the Cooperative Societies Act,1912. 
• Status: As per the RBI (December 2022), India has about 1.02 lakh PACS, though only 47,297 were profitable as of March 2021.

Rajasthan Hikes Gaushala Subsidy

Why in News? 

Rajasthan CM announced measures for cow protection and traditional farming, including increased subsidies for gaushalas and financial incentives for farmers using bullocks, highlighting the government's commitment to sustainable agriculture.

Key Points 

• Increased Gaushala Grant: Daily aid for registered gaushalas has been raised to ₹50 per cow and ₹25 per calf, strengthening livestock welfare efforts. 
• Farmer Incentives: The Rajasthan Budget 2025–26 includes a provision of ₹30,000 annually for small and marginal farmers continuing traditional bullock-based farming. 
• Religious Tourism Development: The state has made budgetary allocations for sites like Khatushyamji Temple and Poonchhri Ka Lotha, aligning with PM Modi’s vision of cultural heritage revival. 
  • Sites associated with Lord Krishna’s life are being developed under this project to promote spiritual tourism.

Note:

• In 2023-24, Agriculture and allied sectors contributed to 26.72% in Rajasthan's Gross State Value Added (GSVA) at current prices, which was 28.56% in 2011-12. 
• In 2023-24, the share of crops is estimated to be 44.53%, livestock is estimated to be 48.58%, forestry & logging contribute to 6.40% and fishing is around 0.49% in the agriculture and allied sectors.