Why in news?

The Ministry of Agriculture has issued operational guidelines to launch the Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses from the current rabi season, aiming to boost domestic pulses production and reduce import dependence.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses: India’s 6-Year Plan for Self-Reliance
• Current Status of Pulses Cultivation and Production in India
• Significance of the Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses
• Focus on Tur, Urad, and Masoor in the Pulses Mission
• How the New Pulses Mission Differs from the Earlier NFSNM Scheme?
• Implementation Strategy of the Pulses Mission

Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses: India’s 6-Year Plan for Self-Reliance

• Launched by PM Modi on October 11, and first announced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in the Union Budget 2025-26, the Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses aims to make India self-sufficient in pulse production.
• The six-year mission (2025-26 to 2030-31) has a total outlay of ₹11,440 crore. Its key focus areas include:
  • Developing and promoting climate-resilient, high-protein pulse varieties,
  • Enhancing productivity and expanding the area under pulses,
  • Improving post-harvest storage and management, and
  • Ensuring fair and remunerative prices for farmers.
• By 2030-31, the mission targets:
  • a 45% rise in production — from 242 lakh metric tonnes in 2023-24 to 350 lakh metric tonnes;
  • a 13% expansion in area (from 275 to 310 lakh hectares) and
  • a 28% boost in yield (from 881 kg/ha to 1,130 kg/ha).

Current Status of Pulses Cultivation and Production in India

• During 2023-24, pulses were cultivated over 275 lakh hectares across India.
• Rajasthan had the largest share with 54.67 lakh hectares, followed by Madhya Pradesh (51 lakh ha), Maharashtra (44 lakh ha), and Uttar Pradesh (30 lakh ha).
• In terms of production, Madhya Pradesh led with 59.74 lakh metric tonnes, followed by Maharashtra (40 lakh MT), Rajasthan (33 lakh MT), and Uttar Pradesh (31 lakh MT), together contributing a major share of the total 242 lakh metric tonnes produced nationwide.
• Nearly half of the total cultivated area and over 60% of production occur during the rabi season.
• Among crops, gram (chana) dominates both in area and output, mainly grown in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh.
• Moong ranks second, largely cultivated in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, followed by tur (arhar) grown in Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Uttar Pradesh.
• Urad is mainly produced in Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Maharashtra, while masoor (lentil) is concentrated in Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.

Significance of the Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses

• India is both the world’s largest producer and consumer of pulses, yet domestic output falls short of demand.
• Therefore, India is forced to rely on imports from Myanmar, Mozambique, Tanzania, Australia, and Canada — a trend that has grown in recent years.
• According to NITI Aayog’s report, India’s pulses demand is projected to reach 268 lakh metric tonnes by 2030 and 293 lakh metric tonnes by 2047. To bridge this gap, boosting domestic production is essential.
• Currently, India’s average yield (881 kg/hectare) lags far behind Canada (2,200 kg/ha) and China (1,815 kg/ha).
• The mission, therefore, seeks to raise productivity to 1,130 kg/hectare, making India self-reliant in pulses and reducing import dependence.

Focus on Tur, Urad, and Masoor in the Pulses Mission

• The Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses prioritises tur (arhar), urad, and masoor (lentil) as these three crops together account for about 34% of India’s total pulses area and make a major contribution to national production.
• However, a large yield gap persists in these crops, which the mission aims to close through targeted interventions.
• Out of the proposed 35 lakh hectare expansion, about 9 lakh hectares will be added for tur, mainly in Karnataka, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, and Jharkhand, along with new cultivation in the Northeast.
• Urad cultivation will expand by using rice fallow lands in Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, and Maharashtra, while masoor will be promoted in rice fallows of West Bengal, Bihar, and Chhattisgarh.

How the New Pulses Mission Differs from the Earlier NFSNM Scheme?

• The Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses replaces and expands upon the pulses component of the National Food Security and Nutrition Mission (NFSNM), introducing broader interventions and stronger farmer support.
• Under the new framework, assistance for Front Line Demonstrations (FLDs) has been increased to ₹10,000 per hectare, up from ₹9,000 earlier, to promote advanced agricultural technologies.
• A key change is the provision for 100% procurement of tur, urad, and masoor by NAFED and NCCF under the Price Support Scheme (PSS) of PM-AASHA for the next four years.
  • PM-AASHA, which stands for Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyan, is an integrated scheme by the Indian government to ensure farmers receive remunerative prices for their produce and to make essential commodities affordable for consumers.
• Procurement will be done directly from registered farmers through formal agreements, verified using Aadhaar-based biometric or facial authentication. Procurement of other pulses will continue as per regular PSS norms.

Implementation Strategy of the Pulses Mission

• The Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses will adopt a cluster-based approach to strengthen the entire agriculture value chain — from inputs to markets.
• Each cluster will cover a minimum of 10 hectares (or 2 hectares in hilly and northeastern regions).
• These clusters and districts will be chosen from potential pulses-growing areas across India.
• Selection will follow NITI Aayog’s classification of districts —
  • High Area–High Yield (HA–HY)
  • High Area–Low Yield (HA–LY)
  • Low Area–High Yield (LA–HY)
  • Low Area–Low Yield (LA–LY)
• Priority will also be given to:
  • Rice fallow, rainfed, and watershed areas,
  • Districts under PM Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana,
  • Aspirational, border, and Left Wing Extremism (LWE)-affected districts,
  • Areas under Adarsh Gram Yojana,
  • Regions in the Northeast, Himalayan states, islands, and other backward areas,
  • And any other region approved by the State Steering Committee or notified by the Centre.