Agriculture-notes-for-state-psc-exams”>Agriculture“>Indian Agriculture
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WBPSC Prelims and Mains Notes-WBPSC Test Series
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Pre-reform | Post-reform | |
Developmental Role: the developmental role has increased in view of the changing structure of the economy with a focus on SMEs and financial inclusion | Priority Sector Lending: Introduced from 1974 with public sector banks. Extended to all commercial banks by 1992 | In the revised guidelines for PSL the thrust is on ensuring adequate flow of bank credit to those sectors that impact large segments of the population and weaker sections, and to the sectors which are employment intensive such as agriculture and small enterprises |
Lead Bank Scheme | Special Agricultural Credit Plan introduced. | |
Kisan Credit Card scheme (1998-99) | ||
Focus on credit flow to micro, small and medium enterprises development | ||
Financial Inclusion | ||
Monetary Policy: the role of RBI has changed from regulating credit and money flow directly to using market mechanisms for achieving policy targets. MP framework has changed to promote financial deregulations and market development. Role as a facilitator rather than as principal actor. | M3 as an intermediary target | Multiple Indicator Approach |
Regulation of foreign exchange | Management of foreign exchange | |
Direct credit control | Open Market Operations, MSS, LAF | |
Rupee convertability highly managed | Full current ac convertability and some capital account convertability | |
Banker to the government | Monetary policy was linked to the fiscal policy due to automatic monetisation of the deficit | Delinking of monetary policy from the fiscal policy. From 2006, under FRBM, RBI ceased to participate in the primary market auctions of the central government’s securities. |
As regulator of financial sector: As regulator of the financial sector, RBI has faced the challenge of regulating the increasing financial sector in India. Credit flows have increased. RBI had to make sure that financial institutions are regulated in a way to protect the consumers while not impeding economic growth. | Reduction in SLR | |
Custodian of FOREX reserves | Forex reserves have increased drastically. Need to manage it adequately and avoid inflationary impact | |
Inflation | Direct instruments were used | Multiple indicators |
Financial Stability | Closed economy | Increased FDI and FII has made financial stability one of the policy objectives. |
Money Market | Narsimhan Committee (1998) recommended reforms in the money market
|
The global macroeconomic landscape is currently chartering a rough and uncertain terrain characterized by weak growth of world output. The situation has been exacerbated by;
(i) declining prices of a number of commodities, with reduction in crude oil prices being the most visible of them,
(ii) turbulent fnancial markets (more so equity markets), and
(iii) volatile exchange rates.
These conditions refect extreme risk-aversion behaviour of global investors, thus putting many, and in particular, commodities exporting economies under considerable stress.
Even in these trying and uncertain circumstances, India’s growth story has largely remained positive on the strength of domestic absorption, and the country has registered a robust and steady pace of economic growth in 2015-16 as it did in 2014-15. Additionally, its other macroeconomic parameters like infation, fscal defcit and current account balance have exhibited distinct signs of improvement. Wholesale price infation has been in negative territory for more than a year and the all-important consumer prices infation has declined to nearly half of what it was a few years ago.
However, weak growth in advanced and emerging economies has taken its toll on India’s exports. As imports have also declined, principally on account of reduced prices of crude oil for which the country is heavily dependent on imports, trade and current account defcits continue to be moderate. Growth in agriculture has slackened due to two successive years of less-than-normal monsoon rains. Saving and investment rates are showing hardly any signs of revival. The rupee has depreciated vis-à-vis the US dollar, like most other currencies in the world, although less so in magnitude. At the same time, it has appreciated against a number of other major currencies. Given the fact that the government is committed to carrying the reform process forward, aided by the prevailing macroeconomic stability, it appears that conditions do exist for raising the economy’s growth momentum and achieving growth rates of 8 per cent or higher in the next couple of years.
Agriculture of Sikkim
Area, Production and Productivity in Agriculture of Sikkim 2015-16
Crop | Area (000’ hectares) | Production (000’ tones) | Productivity (kg./ha) |
Rice | 10.67 | 19.69 | 1845.25 |
Wheat | 0.32 | 0.35 | 1071.21 |
Maize | 38.96 | 68.31 | 1753.56 |
Finger Millet | 2.85 | 2.91 | 1020.33 |
Barley | 0.45 | 0.47 | 1055.93 |
Buckwheat | 3.57 | 3.47 | 972.27 |
Pulses | 5.67 | 5.38 | 948.85 |
Oilseeds | 6.94 | 6.31 | 909.75 |
Rice
Wheat
Maize
Oil- seed
Barley
Tuber crops, spices, fruits, vegetables, ornamental plants
Important Organic Cash Crops of Agriculture of Sikkim
SIKKIM MANDARIN ORANGE
TURMERIC
BUCK WHEAT
BABY CORN
GINGER
LARGE CARDAMOM
Salient Features of India/Agriculture of Sikkim
Challenges are faced by farmers
Farmers of our country are facing lot of problems regarding agricultural production of crop. Few of them are shortlisted below:
The Central Statistics Office (CSO) of the Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation announced that the new series of Consumer Price Index(CPI) numbers for Rural, Urban and Combined (Rural +Urban) on base 2010 ( January to December)=100 taking all segments of rural and urban Population for the month of January, 2011 will be released by the Central Statistics Office for the States/UTs and all- India on 18th February, 2011.These indices will be available for five major groups namely Food, beverages and tobacco; Fuel and Light; Housing; Clothing, bedding and footwear, and Miscellaneous.
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The Government of India has adopted a few initiatives in the recent past. Some of these are as follows:
Money supply is the entire stock of currency and other liquid instruments in a country’s economy as of a particular time. The Money Supply can include cash, coins and balances held in checking and Savings accounts.
Money Supply can be estimated as narrow or Broad Money.
There are four measures of money supply in India which are denoted by M1, M2, M3 and M4. This classification was introduced by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in April 1977. Prior to this till March 1968, the RBI published only one measure of the money supply, M or defined as currency and demand deposits with the public. This was in keeping with the traditional and Keynesian views of the narrow measure of the money supply.
M1 (Narrow Money) consists of:
(i) Currency with the public which includes notes and coins of all denominations in circulation excluding cash on hand with banks:
(ii) Demand deposits with commercial and Cooperative banks, excluding inter-bank deposits; and
(iii) ‘Other deposits’ with RBI which include current deposits of foreign central banks, financial institutions and quasi-financial institutions such as IDBI, IFCI, etc., other than of banks, IMF, IBRD, etc. The RBI characterizes as narrow money.
M2. which consists of M1 plus Post Office savings bank deposits. Since savings bank deposits of commercial and cooperative banks are included in the money supply, it is essential to include post office savings bank deposits. The majority of people in rural and urban India have preference for post office deposits from the safety viewpoint than bank deposits.
M3. (Broad Money) which consists of M1, plus time deposits with commercial and cooperative banks, excluding interbank time deposits. The RBI calls M3 as broad money.
M4.which consists of M3 plus total post office deposits comprising time deposits and demand deposits as well. This is the broadest measure of money supply.
High powered money – The total liability of the monetary authority of the country, RBI, is called the monetary base or high powered money. It consists of currency ( notes and coins in circulation with the public and vault cash of Commercial Banks) and deposits held by the Government of India and commercial banks with RBI. If a memeber of the public produces a currency note to RBI the latter must pay her value equal to the figure printed on the note. Similarly, the deposits are also refundable by RBI on demand from deposit holders. These items are claims which the general public, government or banks have on RBI and are considered to be the liability of RBI.
RBI acquires assets against these liabilities. The process can be understood easily if we consider a simple stylised example. Suppose RBI purchases gold or dollars worth Rs. 5. It pays for thr gold or Foreign Exchange by issuing currency to the seller. The currency in circulation in the economy thus goes up by Rs. 5, an item that shows up on the liabilityside of RBI’s Balance sheet. The value of the acquired asset, also equal to Rs. 5, is entered under the appropriate head on the Assets side. Similarly, the RBI acquires debt Bonds or securities issued by the government and pays the government by issuing currency. It issues loans to commercial banks in a similar fashion.
Role of RBI | |||
Pre-reform | Post-reform | ||
Developmental Role: the developmental role has increased in view of the changing structure of the economy with a focus on SMEs and Financial Inclusion | Priority Sector Lending: Introduced from 1974 with Public Sector Banks. Extended to all commercial banks by 1992 | In the revised guidelines for PSL the thrust is on ensuring adequate flow of bank credit to those sectors that impact large segments of the Population and weaker sections, and to the sectors which are employment intensive such as Agriculture-notes-for-state-psc-exams”>Agriculture and small enterprises | |
Lead Bank Scheme | Special Agricultural credit Plan introduced. | ||
Kisan Credit Card scheme (1998-99) | |||
Focus on credit flow to micro, small and medium enterprises development | |||
Financial Inclusion | |||
Monetary Policy: the role of RBI has changed from regulating credit and money flow directly to using market mechanisms for achieving policy targets. MP framework has changed to promote financial deregulations and market development. Role as a facilitator rather than as principal actor. | M3 as an intermediary target | Multiple Indicator Approach | |
Regulation of foreign exchange | Management of foreign exchange | ||
Direct credit control | Open Market Operations, MSS, LAF | ||
Rupee convertability highly managed | Full current ac convertability and some Capital Account convertability | ||
Banker to the government | Monetary policy was linked to the Fiscal Policy due to automatic monetisation of the deficit | Delinking of monetary policy from the fiscal policy. From 2006, under FRBM, RBI ceased to participate in the Primary Market auctions of the central government’s securities. | |
As regulator of financial sector: As regulator of the financial sector, RBI has faced the challenge of regulating the increasing financial sector in India. Credit flows have increased. RBI had to make sure that financial institutions are regulated in a way to protect the consumers while not impeding economic growth. | Reduction in SLR | ||
Custodian of FOREX reserves | Forex reserves have increased drastically. Need to manage it adequately and avoid inflationary impact | ||
Inflation | Direct instruments were used | Multiple indicators | |
Financial Stability | Closed economy | Increased FDI and FII has made financial stability one of the policy objectives. | |
Money Market | Narsimhan Committee (1998) recommended reforms in the money market | ||
A Commercial bank is a type of financial institution that provides services such as accepting deposits, making business loans, and offering basic investment products
There is acute shortage of capital. People lack initiative and enterprise. Means of transport are undeveloped. Industry is depressed. The commercial banks help in overcoming these obstacles and promoting Economic Development. The role of a commercial bank in a developing country is discussed as under.
The commercial banks help in mobilising savings through network of branch banking. People in developing countries have low incomes but the banks induce them to save by introducing variety of deposit schemes to suit the needs of individual depositors. They also mobilise idle savings of the few rich. By mobilising savings, the banks channelize them into productive investments. Thus they help in the capital formation of a developing country.
The commercial banks finance the Industrial Sector in a number of ways. They provide short-term, medium-term and long-term loans to industry.
The commercial banks help in financing both internal and external trade. The banks provide loans to retailers and wholesalers to stock goods in which they deal. They also help in the movement of goods from one place to another by providing all types of facilities such as discounting and accepting bills of exchange, providing overdraft facilities, issuing drafts, etc. Moreover, they finance both exports and imports of developing countries by providing foreign exchange facilities to importers and exporters of goods.
The commercial banks help the large agricultural sector in developing countries in a number of ways. They provide loans to traders in agricultural commodities. They open a network of branches in rural areas to provide agricultural credit. They provide finance directly to agriculturists for the Marketing of their produce, for the modernisation and mechanisation of their farms, for providing Irrigation facilities, for developing land, etc.
They also provide financial assistance for animal husbandry, Dairy farming, sheep breeding, Poultry farming, pisciculture and Horticulture. The small and marginal farmers and landless agricultural workers, artisans and petty shopkeepers in rural areas are provided financial assistance through the Regional Rural Banks in India. These regional rural banks operate under a commercial bank. Thus the commercial banks meet the credit requirements of all types of rural people. In India agricultural loans are kept in priority sector landing.
People in underdeveloped countries being poor and having low incomes do not possess sufficient financial Resources to buy durable consumer goods. The commercial banks advance loans to consumers for the purchase of such items as houses, scooters, fans, refrigerators, etc. In this way, they also help in raising the standard of living of the people in developing countries by providing loans for consumptive activities and also increase the demand in the economy.
The commercial banks finance employment generating activities in developing countries. They provide loans for the education of young person’s studying in engineering, medical and other vocational institutes of higher Learning. They advance loans to young entrepreneurs, medical and engineering graduates, and other technically trained persons in establishing their own business. Such loan facilities are being provided by a number of commercial banks in India. Thus the banks not only help inhuman capital formation but also in increasing entrepreneurial activities in developing countries.
The commercial banks help the economic development of a country by faithfully following the monetary policy of the central bank. In fact, the central bank depends upon the commercial banks for the success of its policy of monetary management in keeping with requirements of a developing economy.
A non performing asset (NPA) is a loan or advance for which the principal or interest payment remained overdue for a period of 90 days.According to RBI, terms loans on which interest or installment of principal remain overdue for a period of more than 90 days from the end of a particular quarter is called a Non-performing Asset.
However, in terms of Agriculture / Farm Loans; the NPA is defined as under:
The Securitization and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest (SARFAESI) Act has provisions for the banks to take legal recourse to recover their dues. When a borrower makes any default in repayment and his account is classified as NPA; the secured creditor has to issue notice to the borrower giving him 60 days to pay his dues. If the dues are not paid, the bank can take possession of the assets and can also give it on lease or sell it; as per provisions of the SAFAESI Act.
Reselling of NPAs :- If a bad loan remains NPA for at least two years, the bank can also resale the same to the Asset Reconstruction Companies such as Asset Reconstruction Company (India) (ARCIL). These sales are only on Cash Basis and the purchasing bank/ company would have to keep the accounts for at least 15 months before it sells to other bank. They purchase such loans on low amounts and try to recover as much as possible from the defaulters. Their revenue is difference between the purchased amount and recovered amount.
Financial inclusion or inclusive financing is the delivery of financial services at affordable costs to sections of disadvantaged and low-income segments of Society, in contrast to financial exclusion where those services are not available or affordable.
Government of India has launched an innovative scheme of Jan Dhan Yojna for Financial Inclusion to provide the financial services to millions out of the regulated banking sector.
Various program’s for financial inclusion are:-
Public finance is the study of the role of the government in the economy. It is the branch of economics which assesses the government revenue and government expenditure of the public authorities and the adjustment of one or the other to achieve desirable effects and avoid undesirable ones.
It includes the study of :-
Fiscal policy relates to raising and expenditure of money in quantitative and qualitative manner.Fiscal policy is the use of government spending and Taxation to influence the economy. Governments typically use fiscal policy to promote strong and sustainable growth and reduce POVERTY. The role and objectives of fiscal policy gained prominence during the recent global economic crisis, when governments stepped in to support financial systems, jump-start growth, and mitigate the impact of the crisis on vulnerable groups.
Historically, the prominence of fiscal policy as a policy tool has waxed and waned. Before 1930, an approach of limited government, or laissez-faire, prevailed. With the stock market crash and the Great Depression, policymakers pushed for governments to play a more proactive role in the economy. More recently, countries had scaled back the size and function of government—with markets taking on an enhanced role in the allocation of goods and services—but when the global financial crisis threatened worldwide Recession, many countries returned to a more active fiscal policy.
When policymakers seek to influence the economy, they have two main tools at their disposal—monetary policy and fiscal policy. Central banks indirectly target activity by influencing the money supply through adjustments to interest rates, bank reserve requirements, and the purchase and sale of Government Securities and foreign exchange. Governments influence the economy by changing the level and Types of Taxes, the extent and composition of spending, and the degree and form of borrowing.
Deficit financing, practice in which a government spends more money than it receives as revenue, the difference being made up by borrowing or minting new funds.
Fiscal consolidation is a term that is used to describe the creation of strategies that are aimed at minimizing deficits while also curtailing the accumulation of more debt. The term is most commonly employed when referring to efforts of a local or national government to lower the level of debt carried by the jurisdiction, but can also be applied to the efforts of businesses or even households to reduce debt while simultaneously limiting the generation of new debt obligations. From this perspective, the goal of fiscal consolidation in any setting is to improve financial stability by creating a more desirable financial position.
The public debt is defined as how much a country owes to lenders outside of itself. These can include individuals, businesses and even other governments.public debt is the accumulation of annual budget deficits. It’s the result of years of government leaders spending more than they take in via tax revenues.
Export Import Policy or Exim Policy or Foreign Trade Policy is a set of guidelines and instructions related to the import and export of goods.
Various Objectives of Exim Policy are :-
The new five year Foreign Trade Policy, 2015-2020 provides a framework for increasing exports of goods and services as well as generation of employment and increasing value addition in the country, in keeping with the “Make in India” vision of our Hon’blc Prime Minister. The focus of the government is to support both the manufacturing and services sectors, with a special emphasis on improving the ‘ease of doing business’.
Merchandise Exports from India Scheme (MEIS):-To offset infrastructural inefficiencies and the associated costs of exporting products produced in India giving special emphasis on those which are of India’s export interest and have the capability to generate employment and enhance India’s competitiveness in the world market.With the aim in making India’s products more competitive in the global markets, the scheme provides incentive in the form of duty credit scrip to the exporter to compensate for his loss on payment of duties.
Service Exports from India Scheme (SEIS) :-Service Provider of eligible services shall be entitled to Duty Credit Scrips at notified rates.
Export Promotion Capital Goods (EPCG) scheme allows import of capital goods including spares for pre production, production and post production at zero duty.
Other Specific steps taken for the developement of international trade are:-