Why this matters now
Indian agriculture is the front line of climate impact. The next 25 years will determine whether climate-resilient agriculture sustains India's food security and rural livelihoods or whether climate shocks erode them. Every policy choice today — what crops to subsidise, which irrigation to fund, what insurance to provide, what research to prioritise — shapes the outcome.
Climate impacts on Indian agriculture
| Impact | Current evidence |
|---|---|
| Heat stress | 1°C rise reduces wheat 4-5%, rice 6-10%; by 2050, all-India yield projected to fall 10-30% without adaptation |
| Monsoon variability | More intense rainfall in fewer days; longer dry spells; 2023 16-day monsoon delay in north India; 2024 early withdrawal |
| Extreme events | Droughts (2014-15, 2018); floods (2023 Himachal, 2024 Wayanad); cyclones; hailstorms; heatwaves |
| Groundwater depletion | ~16% of districts 'over-exploited'; Punjab, Haryana, Western UP, Tamil Nadu most affected |
| Pest and disease pressure | Fall armyworm, pink bollworm spread; 2019-20 desert locust swarm |
| Coastal salinity | Sundarbans saltwater intrusion; TN/AP coastal cyclones |
| Himalayan agriculture | Glacier-fed irrigation affected; high-altitude crop shifts |
India estimates climate change could reduce agricultural GDP by 1.5-2.5% per year by 2050 without adequate adaptation.
Climate-Smart Agriculture — the framework
Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA), developed by FAO, simultaneously pursues three goals:
- Sustainably increase productivity and incomes;
- Adapt and build resilience to climate change;
- Reduce/remove GHG emissions where possible.
The 'triple-win' framework. Components for Indian context:
- Climate-resilient crop varieties — drought/flood/heat/salt tolerant;
- Resilient farming systems — agroforestry, mixed cropping, conservation agriculture;
- Efficient water use — micro-irrigation, rainwater harvesting;
- Soil health — organic carbon, biological diversity, reduced chemicals;
- Risk management — crop insurance, weather forecasting, advisories;
- GHG reduction — reduced rice methane, no-till, biogas, biochar.
India's framework operationalises this through:
- National Innovations on Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA, 2010) — ICAR research network; 32 ICAR institutes engaged;
- National Adaptation Fund for Climate Change (NAFCC, 2015) — state-level adaptation funding; ₹600+ crore approved;
- Climate Change Action Plans at state level.
PMFBY — crop insurance at scale
The Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), launched 13 January 2016, is India's flagship crop insurance scheme — replacing earlier schemes (NAIS 1999, WBCIS, MNAIS).
Key features
- Farmer premium: 2% for Kharif crops; 1.5% for Rabi crops; 5% for annual commercial/horticultural crops;
- Balance premium paid 50-50 by Centre and State;
- Coverage: standing crop (sowing to harvest); prevented sowing; mid-season adversity; post-harvest losses (up to 14 days); localised calamities (hailstorm, landslide, inundation);
- Scale-of-Finance approach for notified area;
- Technology: Crop Cutting Experiments (CCEs); Remote Sensing; mobile-based reporting (Bhuvan, FASAL); Crop Insurance App.
Track record
- ~6 crore farmer applications/year;
- ~₹38 lakh crore sum insured;
- ~₹1.65 lakh crore claims paid (cumulative);
- ~7-8 crore farmers benefitted.
Challenges
- Claim settlement delays;
- Mandatory deduction from agricultural loans controversy (made voluntary 2020);
- State non-participation — Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Telangana, Bihar exited at various points (partial return);
- Insurance company profit concerns;
- Restructured in 2020 — more flexible; states can choose participation; tenant farmers can apply.
Millets — Shree Anna and IYM 2023
Millets are small-seeded grasses — drought-resistant, low water-use, climate-resilient. India is the world's largest millet producer (~18 million tonnes/year, ~50% of world production).
Indian millets
- Sorghum (jowar);
- Pearl millet (bajra);
- Finger millet (ragi, mandua);
- Foxtail millet (kangni);
- Little millet (kutki);
- Kodo millet (kodo);
- Barnyard millet (sanwa);
- Proso millet (chena);
- Brown-top millet (korale).
India rebranded millets as 'Shree Anna' (auspicious grains).
International Year of Millets 2023
UN-designated year, proposed by India, adopted March 2021 with 72-country support. Goals: raise awareness, promote production/consumption, support smallholders, contribute to food security.
Government schemes
- National Food Security Mission (NFSM) — Sub-mission on Nutri-Cereals;
- FPO promotion for millet farmers;
- MSP support for jowar, bajra, ragi;
- Promotion in PDS, mid-day meals, ICDS;
- PLI for millet-based food products;
- IIMR (Indian Institute of Millets Research, Hyderabad).
Climate benefits
- ~70% less water than rice;
- Tolerate higher temperatures;
- Grow on marginal lands;
- Require less chemical inputs;
- Lower carbon footprint per nutritional unit.
Natural farming — the Palekar method
Natural farming is a chemical-free farming approach using locally-available inputs (cow dung, urine, plant materials). Pioneer: Subhash Palekar, Maharashtra farmer-scientist; Padma Shri 2016.
The four pillars (ZBNF / SPNF)
- Bijamrita — seed treatment with cow dung, cow urine, lime, soil;
- Jeevamrita — soil microbe enrichment;
- Acchadana (Mulching) — soil cover;
- Waphasa (Soil Moisture) — water management.
Renamed Subhash Palekar Natural Farming (SPNF) since 2015.
State adoption
Andhra Pradesh adopted at scale from 2016 — Andhra Pradesh Community Managed Natural Farming (APCNF) — world's largest natural farming programme. ~8 lakh farmers; 5 lakh hectares; FAO/IFAD collaboration.
National Mission on Natural Farming (NMNF)
Launched November 2024. Outlay ₹2,481 crore till 2025-26. Targets: 1 crore farmers, 7.5 lakh hectares, 10,000 Bio-Resource Centres.
Climate benefits
- Lower GHG emissions;
- Higher soil carbon;
- Lower chemical runoff;
- Reduced input costs;
- Better drought resilience.
Critiques
Yield concerns during transition (10-20% drop); scalability questions; lack of standardised certification; suitability for water-intensive crops; 'zero budget' marketing is misleading (labour costs remain).
Micro-irrigation — PMKSY
The Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY, 2015) consolidated earlier irrigation schemes with focus on 'Har Khet Ko Pani' (water to every field) and 'Per Drop More Crop' (water efficiency).
Components
- PMKSY-AIBP (Accelerated Irrigation Benefits Programme) — major and medium irrigation projects;
- PMKSY-HKKP (Har Khet Ko Pani) — minor irrigation;
- PMKSY-PDMC (Per Drop More Crop) — micro-irrigation; drip and sprinkler. Targets all crops.
- PMKSY-Watershed — rainfed agriculture areas.
Progress: ~80+ lakh hectares under micro-irrigation (as of 2024); still far below potential. The Micro Irrigation Fund (MIF, ₹5,000 crore) supports state-level expansion.
Soil health
Soil Health Card (SHC) Scheme, launched 2015 — every farmer gets a soil health card every 2-3 years. By 2024, ~25 crore SHCs issued.
Other soil initiatives:
- Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY) — organic farming clusters;
- Mission Organic Value Chain Development for NE Region (MOVCDNER);
- National Project on Soil Health and Fertility (NPSHF);
- Carbon credit linking for soil organic carbon (emerging).
Agricultural research backbone
India's agricultural research is anchored by:
- Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR, 1929) — apex body; coordinates ~100 ICAR institutes + 75 State Agricultural Universities;
- IARI (Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi) — premier crop research;
- ICRISAT (Hyderabad) — international institute focused on drylands and millets;
- NIANP (National Institute of Animal Nutrition and Physiology, Bengaluru);
- CIMMYT-India collaboration — international wheat and maize research;
- NICRA (2010) — National Innovations on Climate Resilient Agriculture;
- Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) — district-level extension; ~730 KVKs.
Research output: 200+ climate-resilient crop varieties since 2014; gene banks; precision agriculture; AI/satellite-based advisories (Crop Insurance App, mKisan, FASAL).
What climate-resilient agriculture must become
Six things must scale:
- Diversification — away from water-intensive rice/wheat to millets, pulses, oilseeds where appropriate;
- Micro-irrigation — drip/sprinkler should reach 50%+ of irrigated area;
- Climate-resilient varieties — wider adoption through MSP and extension;
- Natural farming — scale where suitable (smallholder, marginal land);
- Insurance + advisory — PMFBY + weather forecasting + farm advisories integrated;
- Markets — FPOs, e-NAM, MSP reform to support climate-resilient choices.
"India must achieve agricultural climate resilience not just to protect farmer livelihoods but to maintain national food security. The next quarter century is the test." — paraphrasing the 2024-25 Economic Survey agriculture chapter
UPSC PYQs and likely future questions
UPSC angle
Climate-resilient agriculture spans GS-3 (agriculture, environment). Strong answers describe climate impacts accurately, identify specific schemes (PMFBY, PMKSY, NMNF), explain millets/natural farming, and connect adaptation to mitigation.
- 2018 GS-3: "Discuss the implications of climate change on Indian agriculture. What policy responses are needed?"
- 2022 GS-3: "Examine the role of Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) in protecting farmers against climate risk. What are the implementation challenges?"
- 2024 GS-3: "Discuss the National Mission on Natural Farming. To what extent can natural farming replace chemical agriculture in India?"
- Likely 2026 question: "Examine the role of millets in climate-resilient agriculture. What policy levers can scale millet production and consumption?"
- Likely 2026 question: "Discuss micro-irrigation (PMKSY-PDMC) as a climate adaptation strategy. What are the bottlenecks to scaling?"
- Likely 2026 question: "Examine the linkages between climate change, groundwater depletion, and farmer indebtedness in India. What integrated policy is needed?"
Climate & Environment cluster — COMPLETE at 4/4
All six thematic clusters now complete: Federalism, Fundamental Rights, Economy, IR, Society, Climate & Environment. 24 deep-dives total across all clusters.