NEW DELHI, 24 October 2025: Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and Rural Development Shivraj Singh Chouhan has directed senior officials to ensure time-bound implementation of two key initiatives: the ‘Self-Reliance in Pulses Mission’ and the ‘Pradhan Mantri Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana’. Chairing a review meeting with ministry officials, he emphasised that timely groundwork would bring direct benefits to farmers.
The Minister said a coordinated approach was essential for the effective rollout of the Dhan-Dhaanya scheme, which integrates 36 sub-schemes of 11 Ministries to drive agricultural progress in 100 aspirational districts. A meeting of Ministers and Secretaries from these Ministries, along with NITI Aayog representatives, will be convened soon to ensure seamless execution and maximum outreach.
The Self-Reliance in Pulses Mission will be undertaken through district-level clusters, with support from States in their formation. The Minister instructed the department to work closely with nodal officers from the States to ensure successful implementation.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the two major initiatives during a public event at Pusa in New Delhi on October 11, 2025, following Cabinet approval earlier that year. The Dhan-Dhaanya scheme, with an allocation of ₹24,000 crore annually, will be implemented over six years starting FY 2025–26. The Pulses Mission, supported by ₹11,440 crore over the same period, targets increased cultivation and higher yields.
The mission seeks to expand pulses cultivation from 275 lakh hectares to 310 lakh hectares and ramp up production from 242 lakh tonnes to 350 lakh tonnes by 2030–31, along with improving productivity to 1,130 kg per hectare. Enhanced farm employment is also among the key outcomes expected from the initiative.
Officials were tasked with ensuring that both the schemes translate into livelihood gains, reduced import dependency in pulses and sustained agricultural development at the grassroots level.
