India To Launch Its First Major Crop Insurance Scheme In April: Agriculture Minister | HuffPost

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India To Launch Its First Major Crop Insurance Scheme In April: Agriculture Minister

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Pacific Press via Getty Images

ALLAHABAD, INDIA - 2015/12/02: A female farmer carries a cauliflower basket on her head to sell at the local market early in the morning in Allahabad. (Photo by Ravi Prakash/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)

NEW DELHI -- India will launch its first major crop damage insurance scheme for farmers in the fiscal year starting April 1, Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh said on Friday, in what could be Prime Minister Narendra Modi's first significant move to address the distress plaguing the country's agricultural sector.

The impact of unseasonal rains and two straight years of drought on agriculture that sustains over two-thirds of India's 1.25 billion people has dented Modi's popularity in the countryside, contributing to a humiliating loss for the premier in elections last year in the largely rural state of Bihar.

Reuters reported last month that India will launch a new farm crop insurance scheme in 2016 and use drones and other technologies to assess crop damage.

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11 Superstitions Of India's Biggest Celebrities

Sachin Tendulkar(01 of11)

Nobody is immune to superstition. Reportedly, Tendulkar always puts on his left pad first while going out to bat during any match. (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Salman Khan(02 of11)

One of India's biggest and most popular movie stars, Khan famously sports a large turquoise bracelet, which he considers lucky. Reportedly gifted to him by his father, Khan is also seen wearing it in his movies. Is that why his 5 year sentence was suspended and he was granted a bail so easily? (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Amitabh Bachchan(03 of11)

Even though Bachchan is an ardent cricket fan, he reportedly never watches India's matches. Apparently, he believes that if he does watch it, India's wickets keep falling. So that's why he stays away from the TV and only listens to the scores via his family. (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Katrina Kaif(04 of11)

Kaif is famously known to visit the dargah of Saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti before the release of her films. (credit:Arthur Mola/Invision/AP)

Shilpa Shetty(05 of11)

Shetty, who owns a stock in the IPL team Rajasthan Royals, is reportedly superstitious about wearing two watches -- could be on either one, or both her wrists -- while attending any of her team's game. (credit:MTV India)

Ranbir Kapoor(06 of11)

Kapoor, who was recently seen in 'Bombay Velvet', is famous for being a mama's boy. He considers his mother, actress Neetu Singh, his lucky charm, and that's why the number plates of all his vehicles include the number 8 -- Singh's birthdate. (credit:STRDEL via Getty Images)

Mahendra Singh Dhoni(07 of11)

Currently the Indian skipper, Dhoni is particular about wearing a number 7 jersey, because he was born on the seventh of July -- 7/7. "It's just that I always felt seven was very special for me. So it's not superstition. I just love that number," Dhoni told AFP in an interview. Incidentally, he also owns a brand of fragrance named, '7 by MS Dhoni'. (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Ajay Devgn(08 of11)

In 2008, after he suffered from a series of health problems, a numerologist advised his mother to drop the letter 'a' from her son's surname. Devgn, who is not known to be particularly superstitious, took on this step to being about a positive change in his career. (credit:STR via Getty Images)

Rakesh Roshan(09 of11)

Roshan, whose fixation with the letter 'K' goes a long way back, famously started because of a fan. Reportedly, after his film 'Khudgarz' in 1987, a fan wrote to him and suggested that he adopt the letter 'K' for all the films he produced and directed. (credit:STRDEL via Getty Images)

Zaheer Khan(10 of11)

Reportedly, Indian pacemaker carries a yellow handkerchief to every important match. Is that how he's capable of bowling at the speed of 150 kmph? (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Mohammed Azharuddin(11 of11)

According to media reports, Azharuddin would famously wear a 'taweez' (a lucky charm) around his neck and shake his head twice before hitting the ball. Not kidding. (credit:Clive Mason via Getty Images)

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-- This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost India, which closed in 2020. Some features are no longer enabled. If you have questions or concerns about this article, please contact indiasupport@huffpost.com.

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