Pashudhan Bima Portal Launched to Digitise Livestock Insurance

The Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying launched the Pashudhan Bima Portal in New Delhi on 28 September 2026. Rajiv Ranjan Singh, alias Lalan Singh, Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying and Panchayati Raj, launched it. The portal is a single integrated digital platform for livestock insurance, handling policy issuance, claim processing, monitoring and reporting for animals insured under the Livestock Insurance Scheme. It works in 11 regional languages besides Hindi and English. The item matters for exams because it ties a named portal to the premium-sharing pattern and coverage limits of a central scheme.

What Happened

The Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying launched the Pashudhan Bima Portal in New Delhi on 28 September 2026. Rajiv Ranjan Singh, alias Lalan Singh, Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying and Panchayati Raj, launched it. The portal brings policy issuance, claim processing, monitoring and reporting for livestock insurance onto a single digital platform. It works in 11 regional languages besides Hindi and English so that farmers can use it in a language they know.

When & Where

The launch took place on 28 September 2026 in New Delhi, where the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying is headquartered. The portal itself is national in reach, since the Livestock Insurance Scheme it serves runs across all states and Union Territories. The choice of 11 regional languages reflects that livestock rearing is concentrated in rural households across widely different linguistic regions.

Who Is Involved

Rajiv Ranjan Singh, alias Lalan Singh — Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying and Panchayati Raj, who launched the portal.
Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD) — the department that built the portal and runs the Livestock Insurance Scheme.
Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying — the parent ministry under which the Department functions.
State animal husbandry departments — the implementing agencies that share the premium subsidy and enrol beneficiaries.
Livestock farmers — the beneficiaries, who apply for policies and track claims through the portal.

How It Works

A single window for the whole cycle. A farmer applies online, the policy is issued digitally, and any later claim is processed on the same platform. Because one record follows the animal from enrolment to settlement, there is no paper handover between offices where a case can be lost.
Subsidised premium. The beneficiary pays 15% of the premium, reduced from the earlier range of 20% to 50%. The remainder is subsidised, which is what makes insurance affordable for a household owning a few animals.
Graded Centre–state sharing. Of the subsidised portion, the Centre and states share in a 60:40 ratio for most states, 90:10 for Himalayan and North Eastern states, and the Centre bears the full amount for Union Territories. The grading recognises the weaker fiscal capacity of hill and North Eastern states.
Coverage limits in cattle units. A household can insure up to 10 cattle units, with the limit set at 5 cattle units for pigs and rabbits. Counting in cattle units rather than in animals lets one rule cover species of very different size and value.
Radio Frequency Identification for animal identity. RFID has been approved as a means of identifying animals in addition to the existing system. Since a claim is only as good as the proof that the dead animal is the insured animal, identification is the weakest link in livestock insurance, and a digital tag closes it.
Real-time monitoring. Because every policy and claim sits in one database, the Department can see enrolment and settlement patterns as they happen rather than through periodic state reports.

Why It Matters

Economic: For a small livestock owner, the death of a milch animal can wipe out the household's main income source, so insurance is a direct protection against destitution.
Social: Livestock rearing is spread across landless and marginal households, including many women, so the scheme reaches groups that crop insurance often misses.
Policy: A digital claim trail with RFID identification attacks the two long-standing weaknesses of livestock insurance — low enrolment and disputed claims.
Governance: Delivering the service in 11 regional languages besides Hindi and English is a practical test of whether digital governance reaches non-English-speaking rural users.

Historical Background

Livestock insurance in India has been run as a subsidy-based scheme for years and was reshaped as a component of the National Livestock Mission, a central scheme for livestock development. The most significant restructuring cut the beneficiary's premium share to 15% from the earlier range of 20% to 50%, raised coverage to 10 cattle units per household with 5 cattle units for pigs and rabbits, and approved Radio Frequency Identification for animal identification alongside the existing system. The same set of decisions provided a 50% capital subsidy of up to ₹50 lakh for setting up breeding farms for camels, mules, donkeys and horses. The Pashudhan Bima Portal of 28 September 2026 is the delivery layer built on top of that restructured scheme.

Previous Related Events

The restructuring of the Livestock Insurance Scheme: the beneficiary premium share was cut to 15% from the earlier 20% to 50%, making the scheme substantially cheaper for households.
Approval of Radio Frequency Identification: RFID was approved as an animal identification method in addition to the existing system, which laid the groundwork for a digital claim process.
Extension of coverage limits: the insurable limit was raised to 10 cattle units per household, with 5 cattle units retained for pigs and rabbits.

Static GK Connection

National Livestock Mission: a central scheme of the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying for livestock development, under which the livestock insurance component is run.
Animal husbandry as a State subject: under the Constitution's distribution of legislative powers, the preservation and improvement of livestock falls to the States, which is why central livestock schemes operate through Centre–state cost sharing rather than direct central delivery.
Cattle unit: the standard accounting measure used in livestock schemes so that animals of different size and value can be covered by a single limit.
India's dairy standing: India is the world's largest milk producer, which is why livestock policy carries unusual economic weight in India compared with most countries.
Rashtriya Gokul Mission: another Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying scheme, focused on the development and conservation of indigenous cattle breeds, often confused with the National Livestock Mission.

India & World Comparison

India is the world's largest milk producer, and livestock is a major source of household income for landless and marginal families. Most countries with large livestock economies run some form of animal insurance, but India's model is distinctive in the depth of its subsidy: the beneficiary pays only 15% of the premium, with the rest split between the Centre and the states. Developed livestock economies typically rely on commercial insurance with limited public subsidy. The Indian design reflects the fact that the typical insured household owns a handful of animals rather than a commercial herd.

Future Impact

Near term: enrolment under the Livestock Insurance Scheme is expected to rise as online application replaces paper forms.
Claim settlement: with Radio Frequency Identification and a single digital record, the time taken to settle claims should fall, and disputed claims should reduce.
Language reach: operating in 11 regional languages besides Hindi and English will be tested by whether farmers in those regions actually use the portal.
Data use: real-time monitoring will generate enrolment and claim data that can be used to redesign premium rates and target low-coverage districts.

🔑 Key Points for Revision

The Pashudhan Bima Portal was launched in New Delhi on 28 September 2026.
Rajiv Ranjan Singh, alias Lalan Singh, launched it.
He is Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying and Panchayati Raj.
The Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying built and launched the portal.
It is a single integrated digital platform for livestock insurance.
It covers policy issuance, claim processing, monitoring and reporting.
The portal works in 11 regional languages besides Hindi and English.
It serves animals insured under the Livestock Insurance Scheme.
The beneficiary's premium share is 15%, cut from the earlier 20% to 50%.
Centre–state sharing is 60:40 for states other than Himalayan and North Eastern states.
The ratio is 90:10 for Himalayan and North Eastern states.
The Centre bears 100% for Union Territories.
Coverage is up to 10 cattle units per household.
The limit is 5 cattle units for pigs and rabbits.
Radio Frequency Identification was approved for animal identification alongside the existing system.

🧠 Concept Link (Static GK Deep Dive)

Core Concept: Livestock Insurance as an Agricultural Risk-Transfer Instrument

Definition: Livestock insurance is a contract that pays a livestock owner a fixed sum if an insured animal dies, transferring the risk of that loss from the household to an insurer.
Legal / Institutional Basis: It is delivered in India as a component of the National Livestock Mission, administered by the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying under the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying.
Economic Principle: It works on risk pooling — many households pay small premiums so that the few who suffer a loss are compensated — combined with a public subsidy to overcome the low willingness to pay among poor households.
Link to this event: The Pashudhan Bima Portal is the delivery platform for this instrument, taking enrolment, issuance and claims online.
Origin & History: Livestock insurance has been run in India as a subsidy-based scheme and was later folded into the National Livestock Mission as a component.
Key milestone 1: The beneficiary premium share was reduced to 15% from the earlier range of 20% to 50%.
Key milestone 2: Radio Frequency Identification was approved as an animal identification method in addition to the existing system.
Related Schemes: the National Livestock Mission; the Rashtriya Gokul Mission for indigenous breeds; the 50% capital subsidy of up to ₹50 lakh for breeding farms of camels, mules, donkeys and horses.
Nodal Ministry / Body: the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, under the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying.
India-specific relevance: India is the world's largest milk producer, and livestock income supports many landless and marginal households, so protecting an animal's value protects a livelihood.
Global comparison: Developed livestock economies generally use commercial animal insurance with limited public subsidy, while India subsidises 85% of the premium because the typical insured household owns very few animals.
Data point: A household can insure up to 10 cattle units, with the limit at 5 cattle units for pigs and rabbits.
Common exam angle: Examiners ask the portal's name and launch date, the beneficiary's premium share, the Centre–state ratios, and the cattle unit limits.
Easy memory hook: "Fifteen per cent by the farmer, 60:40 in the plains, 90:10 in the hills, ten cattle units in all."

❓ Practice MCQs

Q1. The portal launched on 28 September 2026 to streamline livestock insurance is called: [Easy]

A) e-Gopala

B) Pashudhan Bima Portal

C) e-Pashuhaat

D) Rashtriya Gokul Mission

Answer: B

Explanation: The Pashudhan Bima Portal was launched in New Delhi on 28 September 2026 by the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying.

Q2. The Pashudhan Bima Portal is available in how many regional languages besides Hindi and English? [Easy]

A) 11

B) 8

C) 13

D) 22

Answer: A

Explanation: The portal works in 11 regional languages besides Hindi and English.

Q3. Who launched the Pashudhan Bima Portal? [Moderate]

A) The Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare

B) Rajiv Ranjan Singh, Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying and Panchayati Raj

C) The Union Minister of Rural Development

D) The Union Minister of Cooperation

Answer: B

Explanation: Rajiv Ranjan Singh, alias Lalan Singh, Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying and Panchayati Raj, launched the portal.

Q4. Under the Livestock Insurance Scheme, what share of the premium does the beneficiary pay? [Moderate]

A) 50%

B) 20%

C) 15%

D) 10%

Answer: C

Explanation: The beneficiary's share was reduced to 15% from the earlier range of 20% to 50%.

Q5. For states other than Himalayan and North Eastern states, the Centre–state premium sharing ratio is: [Moderate]

A) 60:40

B) 90:10

C) 50:50

D) Borne fully by the Centre

Answer: A

Explanation: The ratio is 60:40 for states other than Himalayan and North Eastern states, 90:10 for Himalayan and North Eastern states, and 100% by the Centre for Union Territories.

Q6. Insurance is available for up to how many cattle units per household for animals other than pigs and rabbits? [Tricky]

A) 5

B) 15

C) 10

D) 20

Answer: C

Explanation: The limit is 10 cattle units per household for all animals except pigs and rabbits, where it is 5 cattle units.

Q7. For pigs and rabbits, the insurable limit per household is: [Tricky]

A) 5 cattle units

B) 10 cattle units

C) 15 cattle units

D) 2 cattle units

Answer: A

Explanation: The limit stays at 5 cattle units per household for pigs and rabbits, against 10 cattle units for other animals.

Q8. Which technology was approved for identifying animals in addition to the existing system? [Tricky]

A) QR code ear tags

B) Radio Frequency Identification Device

C) Biometric muzzle print

D) Satellite tracking collars

Answer: B

Explanation: Radio Frequency Identification Device was approved as an animal identification method alongside the existing system.

📜 Previous Year Question Style (PYQ)

PYQ 1:

The livestock insurance component in India is run under which mission?

A) National Livestock Mission

B) Rashtriya Gokul Mission

C) National Mission on Natural Farming

D) Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana

Answer: A

Explanation: Livestock insurance is administered as a component of the National Livestock Mission by the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying.

PYQ 2:

Consider the following statements:

The Pashudhan Bima Portal was launched by the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying.
The beneficiary pays 15% of the premium under the Livestock Insurance Scheme.
The Pashudhan Bima Portal is available only in Hindi and English.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

A) 1 only

B) 1 and 2 only

C) 2 and 3 only

D) All of the above

Answer: B

Explanation: Statements 1 and 2 are correct. Statement 3 is wrong because the portal works in 11 regional languages besides Hindi and English.

PYQ 3:

Match the following with the correct share:

Premium share paid by the beneficiary — a) 15%
Centre–state share for states other than Himalayan and North Eastern states — b) 60:40
Centre–state share for Himalayan and North Eastern states — c) 90:10
Share borne by the Centre for Union Territories — d) 100%

A) 1-a, 2-b, 3-c, 4-d

B) 1-b, 2-a, 3-d, 4-c

C) 1-c, 2-d, 3-a, 4-b

D) 1-a, 2-c, 3-b, 4-d

Answer: A

Explanation: The beneficiary pays 15%, the ratio is 60:40 for most states and 90:10 for Himalayan and North Eastern states, and the Centre bears 100% for Union Territories.

✍️ Mains Answer Pointers

Question 1 (150 words): Why has livestock insurance struggled to achieve wide coverage in India, and how does the Pashudhan Bima Portal address the problem?

Livestock insurance in India has faced three persistent obstacles: cost, paperwork and proof.

Cost was addressed by scheme design rather than by the portal. Cutting the beneficiary's share to 15% from the earlier range of 20% to 50% made a policy affordable for a household owning a few animals, with the Centre and states sharing the rest at 60:40 in most states and 90:10 in Himalayan and North Eastern states.

Paperwork is what the Pashudhan Bima Portal attacks directly. Bringing policy issuance, claim processing, monitoring and reporting onto one platform removes the office-to-office handover where applications were lost, and operating in 11 regional languages besides Hindi and English removes the language barrier for rural users.

Proof is the third obstacle, since a claim depends on showing that the dead animal was the insured animal. Approving Radio Frequency Identification for animal identification alongside the existing system closes that gap. The way forward lies in ensuring tagging actually reaches every insured animal, because without it the digital claim trail has nothing to rest on.

Question 2 (250 words): Examine the significance of livestock insurance in India's rural risk-protection architecture, and assess the design of the Livestock Insurance Scheme.

Livestock occupies a distinctive place in India's rural economy. India is the world's largest milk producer, and animal income supports large numbers of landless and marginal households for whom livestock, not land, is the productive asset. Crop insurance cannot protect these families, because they may own no crop. For them the loss of a milch animal is the loss of the household's main income stream, which makes livestock insurance a form of social protection rather than merely a commercial product.

On design, the scheme's strongest feature is the depth of its subsidy. The beneficiary pays 15% of the premium, cut from an earlier range of 20% to 50%. The rest is shared between the Centre and the states at 60:40 for most states, 90:10 for Himalayan and North Eastern states, and fully by the Centre for Union Territories. The graded ratio is sound federal design, since it matches central support to state fiscal capacity.

The coverage rules are also well constructed. Setting a limit of 10 cattle units per household, with 5 cattle units for pigs and rabbits, allows one rule to cover species of widely differing size and value, and the household cap keeps the subsidy directed at small owners rather than commercial herds.

Two design questions remain. Animal husbandry is a State subject, so uptake depends on state departments enrolling beneficiaries, and performance will vary across states. Identification remains the operational weak point, which is why Radio Frequency Identification was approved alongside the existing system.

On balance the design is sound and the Pashudhan Bima Portal supplies the delivery layer it lacked. The way forward is to convert the portal's real-time data into targeted enrolment drives in low-coverage districts.

⚠️ Examiner Trap

Trap 1: Students confuse the National Livestock Mission with the Rashtriya Gokul Mission. The correct fact is that livestock insurance is a component of the National Livestock Mission, while the Rashtriya Gokul Mission is focused on indigenous cattle breeds.
Trap 2: A common wrong assumption is that the beneficiary pays half the premium. The reality is that the beneficiary's share is 15%, reduced from an earlier range of 20% to 50%.
Trap 3: Many students miss that the cattle unit limit is not uniform across species. Always remember that the limit is 10 cattle units per household for all animals except pigs and rabbits, where it is 5 cattle units.

Pashudhan Bima Portal Launched to Digitise Livestock Insurance

What Happened

The Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying launched the Pashudhan Bima Portal in New Delhi on 28 September 2026. Rajiv Ranjan Singh, alias Lalan Singh, Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying and Panchayati Raj, launched it. The portal brings policy issuance, claim processing, monitoring and reporting for livestock insurance onto a single digital platform. It works in 11 regional languages besides Hindi and English so that farmers can use it in a language they know.

When & Where

Who Is Involved

Rajiv Ranjan Singh, alias Lalan Singh — Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying and Panchayati Raj, who launched the portal.
Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD) — the department that built the portal and runs the Livestock Insurance Scheme.
Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying — the parent ministry under which the Department functions.
State animal husbandry departments — the implementing agencies that share the premium subsidy and enrol beneficiaries.
Livestock farmers — the beneficiaries, who apply for policies and track claims through the portal.

How It Works

A single window for the whole cycle. A farmer applies online, the policy is issued digitally, and any later claim is processed on the same platform. Because one record follows the animal from enrolment to settlement, there is no paper handover between offices where a case can be lost.
Subsidised premium. The beneficiary pays 15% of the premium, reduced from the earlier range of 20% to 50%. The remainder is subsidised, which is what makes insurance affordable for a household owning a few animals.
Graded Centre–state sharing. Of the subsidised portion, the Centre and states share in a 60:40 ratio for most states, 90:10 for Himalayan and North Eastern states, and the Centre bears the full amount for Union Territories. The grading recognises the weaker fiscal capacity of hill and North Eastern states.
Coverage limits in cattle units. A household can insure up to 10 cattle units, with the limit set at 5 cattle units for pigs and rabbits. Counting in cattle units rather than in animals lets one rule cover species of very different size and value.
Radio Frequency Identification for animal identity. RFID has been approved as a means of identifying animals in addition to the existing system. Since a claim is only as good as the proof that the dead animal is the insured animal, identification is the weakest link in livestock insurance, and a digital tag closes it.
Real-time monitoring. Because every policy and claim sits in one database, the Department can see enrolment and settlement patterns as they happen rather than through periodic state reports.

Why It Matters

Economic: For a small livestock owner, the death of a milch animal can wipe out the household's main income source, so insurance is a direct protection against destitution.
Social: Livestock rearing is spread across landless and marginal households, including many women, so the scheme reaches groups that crop insurance often misses.
Policy: A digital claim trail with RFID identification attacks the two long-standing weaknesses of livestock insurance — low enrolment and disputed claims.
Governance: Delivering the service in 11 regional languages besides Hindi and English is a practical test of whether digital governance reaches non-English-speaking rural users.

Historical Background

Previous Related Events

The restructuring of the Livestock Insurance Scheme: the beneficiary premium share was cut to 15% from the earlier 20% to 50%, making the scheme substantially cheaper for households.
Approval of Radio Frequency Identification: RFID was approved as an animal identification method in addition to the existing system, which laid the groundwork for a digital claim process.
Extension of coverage limits: the insurable limit was raised to 10 cattle units per household, with 5 cattle units retained for pigs and rabbits.

Static GK Connection

National Livestock Mission: a central scheme of the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying for livestock development, under which the livestock insurance component is run.
Animal husbandry as a State subject: under the Constitution's distribution of legislative powers, the preservation and improvement of livestock falls to the States, which is why central livestock schemes operate through Centre–state cost sharing rather than direct central delivery.
Cattle unit: the standard accounting measure used in livestock schemes so that animals of different size and value can be covered by a single limit.
India's dairy standing: India is the world's largest milk producer, which is why livestock policy carries unusual economic weight in India compared with most countries.
Rashtriya Gokul Mission: another Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying scheme, focused on the development and conservation of indigenous cattle breeds, often confused with the National Livestock Mission.

India & World Comparison

Future Impact

Near term: enrolment under the Livestock Insurance Scheme is expected to rise as online application replaces paper forms.
Claim settlement: with Radio Frequency Identification and a single digital record, the time taken to settle claims should fall, and disputed claims should reduce.
Language reach: operating in 11 regional languages besides Hindi and English will be tested by whether farmers in those regions actually use the portal.
Data use: real-time monitoring will generate enrolment and claim data that can be used to redesign premium rates and target low-coverage districts.

🔑 Key Points for Revision

The Pashudhan Bima Portal was launched in New Delhi on 28 September 2026.
Rajiv Ranjan Singh, alias Lalan Singh, launched it.
He is Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying and Panchayati Raj.
The Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying built and launched the portal.
It is a single integrated digital platform for livestock insurance.
It covers policy issuance, claim processing, monitoring and reporting.
The portal works in 11 regional languages besides Hindi and English.
It serves animals insured under the Livestock Insurance Scheme.
The beneficiary's premium share is 15%, cut from the earlier 20% to 50%.
Centre–state sharing is 60:40 for states other than Himalayan and North Eastern states.
The ratio is 90:10 for Himalayan and North Eastern states.
The Centre bears 100% for Union Territories.
Coverage is up to 10 cattle units per household.
The limit is 5 cattle units for pigs and rabbits.
Radio Frequency Identification was approved for animal identification alongside the existing system.

🧠 Concept Link (Static GK Deep Dive)

Core Concept: Livestock Insurance as an Agricultural Risk-Transfer Instrument

Definition: Livestock insurance is a contract that pays a livestock owner a fixed sum if an insured animal dies, transferring the risk of that loss from the household to an insurer.
Legal / Institutional Basis: It is delivered in India as a component of the National Livestock Mission, administered by the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying under the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying.
Economic Principle: It works on risk pooling — many households pay small premiums so that the few who suffer a loss are compensated — combined with a public subsidy to overcome the low willingness to pay among poor households.
Link to this event: The Pashudhan Bima Portal is the delivery platform for this instrument, taking enrolment, issuance and claims online.
Origin & History: Livestock insurance has been run in India as a subsidy-based scheme and was later folded into the National Livestock Mission as a component.
Key milestone 1: The beneficiary premium share was reduced to 15% from the earlier range of 20% to 50%.
Key milestone 2: Radio Frequency Identification was approved as an animal identification method in addition to the existing system.
Related Schemes: the National Livestock Mission; the Rashtriya Gokul Mission for indigenous breeds; the 50% capital subsidy of up to ₹50 lakh for breeding farms of camels, mules, donkeys and horses.
Nodal Ministry / Body: the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, under the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying.
India-specific relevance: India is the world's largest milk producer, and livestock income supports many landless and marginal households, so protecting an animal's value protects a livelihood.
Global comparison: Developed livestock economies generally use commercial animal insurance with limited public subsidy, while India subsidises 85% of the premium because the typical insured household owns very few animals.
Data point: A household can insure up to 10 cattle units, with the limit at 5 cattle units for pigs and rabbits.
Common exam angle: Examiners ask the portal's name and launch date, the beneficiary's premium share, the Centre–state ratios, and the cattle unit limits.
Easy memory hook: "Fifteen per cent by the farmer, 60:40 in the plains, 90:10 in the hills, ten cattle units in all."

❓ Practice MCQs

Q1. The portal launched on 28 September 2026 to streamline livestock insurance is called: [Easy]

A) e-Gopala

B) Pashudhan Bima Portal

C) e-Pashuhaat

D) Rashtriya Gokul Mission

Answer: B

Explanation: The Pashudhan Bima Portal was launched in New Delhi on 28 September 2026 by the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying.

Q2. The Pashudhan Bima Portal is available in how many regional languages besides Hindi and English? [Easy]

A) 11

B) 8

C) 13

D) 22

Answer: A

Explanation: The portal works in 11 regional languages besides Hindi and English.

Q3. Who launched the Pashudhan Bima Portal? [Moderate]

A) The Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare

B) Rajiv Ranjan Singh, Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying and Panchayati Raj

C) The Union Minister of Rural Development

D) The Union Minister of Cooperation

Answer: B

Explanation: Rajiv Ranjan Singh, alias Lalan Singh, Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying and Panchayati Raj, launched the portal.

Q4. Under the Livestock Insurance Scheme, what share of the premium does the beneficiary pay? [Moderate]

A) 50%

B) 20%

C) 15%

D) 10%

Answer: C

Explanation: The beneficiary's share was reduced to 15% from the earlier range of 20% to 50%.

Q5. For states other than Himalayan and North Eastern states, the Centre–state premium sharing ratio is: [Moderate]

A) 60:40

B) 90:10

C) 50:50

D) Borne fully by the Centre

Answer: A

Explanation: The ratio is 60:40 for states other than Himalayan and North Eastern states, 90:10 for Himalayan and North Eastern states, and 100% by the Centre for Union Territories.

Q6. Insurance is available for up to how many cattle units per household for animals other than pigs and rabbits? [Tricky]

A) 5

B) 15

C) 10

D) 20

Answer: C

Explanation: The limit is 10 cattle units per household for all animals except pigs and rabbits, where it is 5 cattle units.

Q7. For pigs and rabbits, the insurable limit per household is: [Tricky]

A) 5 cattle units

B) 10 cattle units

C) 15 cattle units

D) 2 cattle units

Answer: A

Explanation: The limit stays at 5 cattle units per household for pigs and rabbits, against 10 cattle units for other animals.

Q8. Which technology was approved for identifying animals in addition to the existing system? [Tricky]

A) QR code ear tags

B) Radio Frequency Identification Device

C) Biometric muzzle print

D) Satellite tracking collars

Answer: B

Explanation: Radio Frequency Identification Device was approved as an animal identification method alongside the existing system.

📜 Previous Year Question Style (PYQ)

PYQ 1:

The livestock insurance component in India is run under which mission?

A) National Livestock Mission

B) Rashtriya Gokul Mission

C) National Mission on Natural Farming

D) Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana

Answer: A

Explanation: Livestock insurance is administered as a component of the National Livestock Mission by the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying.

PYQ 2:

Consider the following statements:

The Pashudhan Bima Portal was launched by the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying.
The beneficiary pays 15% of the premium under the Livestock Insurance Scheme.
The Pashudhan Bima Portal is available only in Hindi and English.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

A) 1 only

B) 1 and 2 only

C) 2 and 3 only

D) All of the above

Answer: B

Explanation: Statements 1 and 2 are correct. Statement 3 is wrong because the portal works in 11 regional languages besides Hindi and English.

PYQ 3:

Match the following with the correct share:

Premium share paid by the beneficiary — a) 15%
Centre–state share for states other than Himalayan and North Eastern states — b) 60:40
Centre–state share for Himalayan and North Eastern states — c) 90:10
Share borne by the Centre for Union Territories — d) 100%

A) 1-a, 2-b, 3-c, 4-d

B) 1-b, 2-a, 3-d, 4-c

C) 1-c, 2-d, 3-a, 4-b

D) 1-a, 2-c, 3-b, 4-d

Answer: A

Explanation: The beneficiary pays 15%, the ratio is 60:40 for most states and 90:10 for Himalayan and North Eastern states, and the Centre bears 100% for Union Territories.

✍️ Mains Answer Pointers

Question 1 (150 words): Why has livestock insurance struggled to achieve wide coverage in India, and how does the Pashudhan Bima Portal address the problem?

Livestock insurance in India has faced three persistent obstacles: cost, paperwork and proof.

Question 2 (250 words): Examine the significance of livestock insurance in India's rural risk-protection architecture, and assess the design of the Livestock Insurance Scheme.

⚠️ Examiner Trap

Trap 1: Students confuse the National Livestock Mission with the Rashtriya Gokul Mission. The correct fact is that livestock insurance is a component of the National Livestock Mission, while the Rashtriya Gokul Mission is focused on indigenous cattle breeds.
Trap 2: A common wrong assumption is that the beneficiary pays half the premium. The reality is that the beneficiary's share is 15%, reduced from an earlier range of 20% to 50%.
Trap 3: Many students miss that the cattle unit limit is not uniform across species. Always remember that the limit is 10 cattle units per household for all animals except pigs and rabbits, where it is 5 cattle units.