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Bihar Agricultural Drone Scheme for Precision Farming and Spraying

Source:indianmasterminds ↗

Why It Matters

Crucial for understanding technological advancements, state-specific agricultural schemes, and farm mechanization efforts in Bihar for the BPSC Prelims.

Summary

The Bihar Agricultural Drone Scheme promotes modern agricultural practices through the use of drones for crop spraying, aiming to enhance precision farming, lower labor costs, and boost overall agricultural productivity in the state.

Key Points

  • Bihar government promotes the use of agricultural drones for efficient crop spraying and modernizing farming practices.
  • The initiative aims to reduce input costs, minimize manual labor, and ensure precise chemical application across agricultural fields in Bihar.
  • Financial subsidies and institutional support are integrated into the scheme to encourage farmers and rural entrepreneurs to adopt drone technology.

Important Terms

Bihar Agricultural Drone Scheme

A state government initiative promoting drone technology for precision crop spraying, liquid fertilizer application, and pest management to reduce labor costs and boost farm productivity under Bihar's Fourth Agriculture Road Map.

UPSC context

Important for BPSC General Studies (Paper II - Economy & Agriculture), testing knowledge of state welfare schemes and agricultural modernization.

Source
Bihar Agriculture Department

The nodal department of the Government of Bihar responsible for formulating agricultural policies, implementing farm mechanization programs, and managing the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) portal for farmers.

UPSC context

Relevant for BPSC governance and administration topics, testing institutional mechanisms and implementation of state agrarian policies.

Source

Prelims Trap

The Bihar government provides a uniform 60% subsidy for both hiring and purchasing agricultural drones under the scheme.

Aspirants often confuse the 50% service subsidy (Rs 240/acre limit) with the 60% purchase subsidy (Rs 3.65 lakh cap) for agricultural drones in Bihar.

Static Concepts Connected

Bihar Economy - Agriculture & Schemes

What are the key pillars and targets of Bihar's Fourth Agriculture Road Map (2023-2028)?

  • Timeframe & Focus: It covers the period from 2023 to 2028, focusing on climate-resilient agriculture, crop diversification, and value addition.
  • Key Strategies: Extends special focus to organic farming along the Ganga river corridor and modernization via farm mechanization like drones.

Cross-Topic Patterns

  • Fourth Agriculture Road Map & Digital DBT

    Bihar's successive Agriculture Road Maps integrate technology (drones, micro-irrigation) with traditional DBT portals, bridging rural infrastructure gaps across all 38 districts.

Bihar Agriculture Road Map + drone subsidy percentages (50% for service, 60% for purchase) are high-yield BPSC Prelims trap areas.

Linked PYQs · 2

Linked PYQs · 2

  • 2023BPSC_PRELIMSGS1

    Consider the following statements regarding the SVAMITVA scheme: 1. It is a Central Sector Scheme under the Ministry of Mines. 2. This scheme seeks to create geopositioning infrastructure like CORS network to benchmark the location and provides five centimetre level accuracy. 3. CORS means Cross-Origin Resource Sharing. 4. The scheme is a reformative step towards establishment of clear ownership of property in rural inhabited (Abadi) areas, by mapping of land parcels using drone technology.

  • 2024-EBPSC_PRELIMSGS1

    What is the contribution of agriculture in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of Bihar?