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REGISTERED NO. DL—(N)04/0007/2003—26
The Gazette of India
EXTRAORDINARY
PART II — Section 2
PUBLISHED BY AUTHORITY
No. 5] NEW DELHI, FRIDAY, MARCH 13, 2026/PHALGUNA 20, 1947 (Saka)
Separate paging is given to this Part in order that it may be filed as a separate compilation.
CG-DL-E-13032026-270936
RAJYA SABHA
The following Bills have been introduced in the Rajya Sabha on the 13th March 2026:—
I
BILL No. LXIV of 2025
A Bill to formulate the National Mission for Climate Resilient Agriculture
to mitigate the impact of climate change on agricultural
productivity and ensure justice for farmers and for
matters connected therewith and
incidental thereto.
BE it enacted by Parliament in the Seventy-sixth Year of the Republic
of India as follows: —
1. (1) This Act may be called as the Climate Resilient Agriculture and
Farmers Protection Act, 2025.
(2) It shall come into force on such date as the Central Government may,
by notification in the Official Gazette, appoint.
Short title,
commencement
and duration.
(3) It shall cease to have effect on the expiry of five years from the date
of notification in the Official Gazette, except as respects things done or
omitted to be done before such cesser of operation of this Act, and section
6 of the General Clauses Act, 1897, shall apply upon such cesser of
operation of this Act as if it had then been repealed by a Central Act.
Provided that the Act may be extended beyond the period of five
years by an order of the Central Government, by notification in the
Official Gazette.
10 of 1897.
Definitions. 2. In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,—
(a) "appropriate Government" means in relation to a State,
Government of that State and in all other cases, the Central
Government;
(b) “climate change” refers to a change of climate which is
attributed directly or indirectly to human activity that alters the
composition of the global atmosphere and which is in addition
to natural climate variability observed over comparable time
periods;
(c) “Climate Resilient Agriculture” means the
incorporation of adaptation, mitigation and other practices in
agriculture which increases the capacity of the system to respond
to various climate-related disturbances by resisting damage and
recovering quickly;
(d) “Climate Resilient Villages” means such villages, as
identified and notified by the appropriate Government, where
climate resilient technologies and practices are implemented to
help farmers adapt to climate change and extreme weather;
(e) “Climate Vulnerable Districts” means those districts as
may be identified by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research
(ICAR) as highly vulnerable to the adverse impacts of climate
change, categorised as ‘Very High’ or ‘Highly’ vulnerable, for
the purpose of prioritising climate resilience interventions and
support;
(f) "Digital General Crop Estimation Survey" means a
nationwide initiative aimed at precisely assessing crop yields
across a variety of crops, utilising a meticulously crafted survey
methodology rooted in the principles of crop cutting
experiments;
(g) "Mission” means the National Mission for Climate
Resilient Agriculture to be formulated by the Central
Government under section 5; and
(h) “prescribed” means as prescribed by rules made under
this Act.
Recognising
climate
change as a
threat to
agriculture.
3. (1) The Central Government shall acknowledge climate change as an
urgent, ongoing, and multifaceted threat to agricultural productivity, food
security, and the livelihood of farming communities.
(2) It shall be the duty of the Central Government to prioritise climate
resilience in agriculture as an essential component of national agricultural
planning and rural development.
Obligation
for Climate
Resilient
Agriculture.
4. (1) The Central Government shall undertake measures to strengthen
Climate Resilient Agriculture with a view to ensuring the continued
livelihood and dignity of farmers.
(2) The Central Government, shall endeavour to protect the environment
from the adverse impacts of climate change, in such manner as may be
prescribed and in accordance with the provisions of any other law in this
regard for the time being in force or any other instrument having effect by
virtue of any such law.
5. (1) The Central Government shall formulate the National Mission for
Climate Resilient Agriculture with the objective of sustainably using
existing natural resources to the optimal level through crop and livestock
management, soil and water conservation, agroforestry etc. to achieve
long-term higher agricultural productivity and farm incomes under
climate variabilities.
(2) The Central Government may, through the Indian Council of
Agriculture Research or any such competitive authority, as it may deem
fit, from time to time, identify the Climate Vulnerable Districts in
predominantly agricultural districts of the country.
(3) The appropriate Government may consider aligning their existing
programmes and schemes with the principles of Climate Resilient
Agriculture in the districts identified as climate vulnerable under sub
section (2).
National Mission
for Climate
Resilient
Agriculture.
6. (1) The Central Government shall promote Climate Resilient
Agriculture by focusing on areas such as improved crop seeds,
livestock development, and fish culture enhancement, through
climate change-linked schemes and programmes.
(2) The appropriate Government, shall implement the Mission by
specific interventions, taking into account regional and local
conditions and climate vulnerability, such as the development and
expansion of Climate Resilient Villages and Climate Resilient Coastal
Fishermen Villages, seasonal crop planning, distribution of
subsidised climate resilient seeds, and organisation of awareness and
training drives for farmers.
Promotion of
improved
crop seeds,
livestock, and
fish culture.
7. (1) To enhance irrigation practices, efforts shall be undertaken by the
appropriate Government to improve water use efficiency in current
agricultural and harvesting methods by utilising and encouraging
farmers to adopt climate-effective indigenous and traditional
practices.
(2) Every State Government shall adopt and initiate measures to secure
existing water sources for irrigation by implementing the rejuvenation of
dried water bodies in the identified Climate Vulnerable Districts through
the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme or
through such other programmes or initiatives as they may deem
appropriate.
Improvement of
water use
efficiency and
irrigation
management.
8. To ensure crop security and enhance the adaptability of agricultural
crops, initiatives shall be undertaken by the State Governments, with
the support of and coordination with the Central Government, for
effective and climate-responsive pest management, with a view to
promoting sustainability and reducing risks arising from changing
climatic conditions, including the development and implementation
of climate-responsive pest surveillance systems and eco-friendly
control practices.
Climate
responsive pest
management.
9. The appropriate Government shall take necessary measures to promote
and encourage farmers to adopt improved farm practices, which shall
include, but not be limited to,–––
(i) traditional, localised methods and innovative techniques,
aimed at enhancing tolerance to climate change and reducing
reliance on conventional energy and resource-intensive inputs;
and
(ii) the promotion of solar-powered pumps, micro-irrigation
systems, and zero-tillage equipment.
Nutrient
management.
10. (1) The appropriate Government shall take necessary measures to align
the ongoing schemes and programmes, with nutrient management
practices to improve soil and crop nutrient status and promote sustainable
and eco-friendly farming systems.
(2) The appropriate Government shall adopt such measures including, but
not be limited to, the five R principle, namely, Right source, Right rate,
Right time, Right place, and Right combination and Integrated Nutrient
Management by combining chemical fertilisers with organic inputs to
ensure optimal use and minimise waste under centrally or state-sponsored
schemes, taking into account regional agro-climatic conditions and local
ecological factors.
Credit
support for
Climate
Resilient
Agriculture.
11. (1) The appropriate Government shall facilitate timely and adequate credit
support through such agencies, as may be prescribed, to increase the
accessibility of small and marginal farmers in Climate Vulnerable
Districts to adopt Climate Resilient Agriculture practices.
(2) The support mechanisms under sub-section (1) may include, but shall
not be limited to, multi-channel credit policy involving Self Help Groups
and Micro-Finance institutions, and improving the health of the rural
financial institutions in the Climate Vulnerable Districts where the Credit
Deposit ratio is low.
(3) The Central and State Governments shall initiate programmes to
enhance financial literacy amongst farmer communities in Climate
Vulnerable Districts.
Agricultural
insurance for
climate risks.
12. (1) The appropriate Government may review the existing agricultural
insurance framework, and make necessary modifications, as deemed fit,
to comprehensively address and provide coverage for a decline in crop
production and related risks arising from the impacts of climate change,
thereby enhancing the resilience and financial security of farmers.
(2) The Central Government shall make specific provisions for
addressing climate-related risk coverage for farmers, thereby
compensating for the declining crop productivity.
(3) The appropriate Government shall, based on regional
requirements and vulnerability assessments, adopt and implement
insurance initiatives aimed at providing effective climate-related risk
coverage to farmers, thereby enhancing their adaptability and
financial protection against climate-induced crop losses.
Strengthening
agricultural
markets.
13. (1) The appropriate Government shall take necessary measures to improve
current agricultural market mechanisms by supporting forward and
backwards linkages in agricultural value chains to facilitate the promotion
and adoption of climate-resilient agricultural practices, ensuring better
integration of climate risk considerations into market access, pricing, and
post-harvest loss prevention.
(2) The measures under sub-section (1) may include, but shall not be
limited to, access to markets, infrastructure for storage and food
processing adapted with irradiation technology, and direct market
linkages for farmers through institutional and digital platforms, taking
into account regional disparities, agro-climatic conditions, and local
needs.
Access to
climate and
agro-advisory
information.
14. (1) To improve accessibility and dissemination of information, the
appropriate Government shall develop and strengthen hyperlocal
weather forecasting and agro-climatic advisory services to support
informed decision-making by farmers in Climate Vulnerable
Districts, with the objective of enhancing preparedness and adaptive
capacity in the face of climate variability.
(2) Such information referred to in sub-section (1) may, include but
shall not be limited to, data derived from advanced scientific
platforms such as the Digital General Crop Estimation Survey,
satellite data, and remote sensing technologies in a highly localised
manner, and shall be made accessible to farmers through appropriate
digital, institutional, and community-based dissemination channels.
15. (1) The Central Government shall, under the Mission, establish an
Index-Based Cash Transfer mechanism to provide annual financial
assistance as a timely and minimum income security net for farmers
affected by adverse climatic events in Climate Vulnerable Districts.
(2) For the purposes of sub-section (1), the Central Government shall—
(a) develop district-level climate indices based on local
weather patterns, crop vulnerability, and historical climatic data
to assess the risk of crop loss;
(b) establish automated, mobile-enabled cash transfer
systems linked to Aad
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