In which year was the ‘Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyan’ PM- AASH A) launched by the Government of India?

📝 Key Points
Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyan (PM-AASHA)
It is a scheme that guarantees a Minimum support price (MSP) to the farmers. The scheme is an effort of the government’s commitment to ensure remunerative prices to farmers for their produce as announced in the Union Budget for 2018. Hence, Option 3 is correct.
Salient features of Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyan: The scheme comprises three sub-schemes viz.

🔑 Price Support Scheme (PSS)
Under this, physical procurement of pulses, oilseeds, and Copra is to be done by Central Nodal Agencies in collaboration with state governments.
Both the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED) and Food Corporation of India (FCI) take up PSS operations in states.
As per norms, the central government will bear the procurement expenditure and losses due to procurement.

🔑 Price Deficiency Payment Scheme (PDPS)
This is based on the recommendations of NITI Aayog which suggested “Price Deficiency Payment” for implementation of MSP in crops where procurement is poor.
Direct payment of the difference between the MSP and the selling price will be made to pre-registered farmers selling their produce in the notified market yard and thus it does not involve any physical procurement.
The aim of the scheme is to provide compensation to farmers for agriculture products whenever their price falls below the announced minimum support price (MSP) and thereby protecting them from losses suffered on account of distress sale.
All payments will be done directly into the registered bank accounts of the farmers.

🔑 The pilot of Private Procurement & Stockist Scheme (PPPS)
Under this scheme, participation of the private sector in procurement operations will be piloted. States have the option to roll out the scheme on a pilot basis in selected districts/APMCs involving private stockists.