Overview
Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Ramnath Thakur, stated that the Indian government is increasingly adopting advanced technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), to address agricultural challenges. These technologies aim to enhance crop productivity, improve supply chain efficiency, and raise farmers’ income. The statement was made in response to a question by Vijayawada MP Kesineni Sivanath (Chinni) in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, December 09, 2025.
Key Developments
AI Applications in Agriculture
- Decision-Making: AI is helping improve farmers’ decision-making processes, leading to better agricultural practices and increased income levels.
- Kisan e-Mitra Chatbot: This chatbot offers voice-based responses to farmers on schemes such as PM-Kisan, crop insurance, and the Kisan Credit Card. It is available in 11 regional languages.
- Query Handling: The chatbot handles more than 8,000 queries a day and has answered over 9.3 million questions so far.
- National Pest Monitoring System: This system uses AI and machine learning to support the early detection of pest attacks. More than 10,000 agricultural extension personnel are using the tool.
- Pest Identification: The system can identify 432 types of pests across 66 crop varieties.
- AI-Based Monsoon Forecasts: For Kharif 2025, AI-based monsoon forecasts were prepared for 13 States and shared with 3.88 million farmers through the M-Kisan platform.
- Impact on Cultivation Decisions: Between 31% and 52% of farmers reportedly modified their cultivation decisions based on the advisories.
Partnerships and Scaling Up
- Collaboration: The government is partnering with agritech startups, private firms, and research institutions to develop AI solutions.
- Focus Areas: These solutions focus on blockchain-based traceability, logistics optimization, and quality assessment.
- Scaling Up: Successful models are being scaled up to more States, warehouses, districts, and farmers’ producer organizations.
Exam Relevance
This news highlights the increasing role of technology in agriculture, a critical area for UPSC aspirants. It touches upon GS3 (Economy, Science and Technology) and GS2 (Government Policies and Interventions). Understanding these initiatives is crucial for answering questions related to agricultural modernization, technology adoption, and government schemes aimed at improving farmers' livelihoods.
Key Takeaways for UPSC
- AI in Agriculture: Understand the various applications of AI in improving agricultural practices and productivity.
- Government Initiatives: Be aware of schemes like PM-Kisan, Kisan Credit Card, and platforms like M-Kisan.
- Technological Advancements: Focus on how technology is being used to address challenges in agriculture, such as pest management and weather forecasting.
- Public-Private Partnerships: Recognize the importance of collaboration between government, startups, and research institutions in driving innovation in agriculture.
Important Facts
- Kisan e-Mitra: An AI-powered chatbot available in 11 regional languages, addressing over 8,000 queries daily.
- National Pest Monitoring System: Utilizes AI and machine learning to identify 432 types of pests across 66 crop varieties.
- M-Kisan Platform: Disseminated AI-based monsoon forecasts to 3.88 million farmers in 13 States for Kharif 2025.
- Impact of Forecasts: 31-52% of farmers modified cultivation decisions based on AI advisories.