Take a look at the essential events, concepts, terms, quotes, or phenomena every day and brush up your knowledge. Here’s your UPSC Current Affairs knowledge nugget for today on Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses. The first year of the six-year Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses (2025-26 to 2030-31) is already over and no research project has yet been approved against the allocation of Rs 500 crore. Flagging the delay, the Cabinet Secretariat had asked the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare to complete the approval processes for research projects by November 15.On Sunday (October 18), the ministry said that it is “expediting the process, and eligible projects recommended by the Committee are expected to be sanctioned by the end of October 2026, ahead of the November 15 timeline referred.” In this context, let’s know about the mission in detail.Key Takeaways:1. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had launched the mission on October 11, 2025 after it got approval from the Union Cabinet on October 1, 2025. The mission was announced by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in her Budget speech on February 1 last year.2. As outlined in the Finance Minister’s Budget speech, the mission emphasises five points:(i) Development and commercial availability of climate-resilient seeds,(ii) Enhancing protein content,(iii) Increasing productivity,(iv) Improving post-harvest storage and management,(v) Assuring remunerative prices to the farmers.3. The Mission will be implemented over a six-year period, from 2025-26 to 2030-31, with a financial outlay of Rs 11,440 crore.4. It aims to increase the total production of pulses in the country by 45 per cent– from 242 lakh metric tonnes in 2023-24 to 350 lakh metric tonnes in 2030-31. In the same period, it also aims at increasing the area under pulses by 13 per cent — from 275 lakh hectare to 310 lakh hectare, and improving the average yield by 28 per cent —from 881 kg/hectare to 1130 kg/hectare.Story continues below this ad5. The initiative focuses on three types of pulses: tur (arhar), urad (mash), and masoor. Currently, these three crops (tur, urad, masoor) cover around 34% of the total pulse cropped area and contribute significantly to the overall pulse production. “However, there is a significant yield gap in these crops which needs to be addressed,” states the guidelines of the mission.6. Of the proposed 35 lakh hectare area expansion under pulses, a maximum 9 lakh hectare is planned for tur, which will be in traditional states like Karnataka, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, and Jharkhand, and non-traditional areas like Northeast region.7. The additional area under urad will be expanded by using rice fallows in Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, and Maharashtra, while masoor will be promoted in rice fallow areas of West Bengal, Bihar, and Chhattisgarh.ALSO READ | Top 20 UPSC Current Affairs Pointers of the past week | October 12 to 18, 20268. The mission also envisages 100 per cent procurement of three pulses–tur, masoor and urad — by National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED) and National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation (NCCF) under the Price Support Scheme (PSS) of the PM-AASHA.Story continues below this adWhy Pulse production needed a boost?9. India is the largest producer and consumer of pulses in the world. However, the country’s production is not sufficient to meet its annual demand.10. With demand exceeding domestic pulses production, the country is dependent on imports from countries like Myanmar, Mozambique, Tanzania, Australia and Canada. The import of pulses has increased in recent years.11. As per the NITI Aayog’s report on “Strategies and Pathways for Accelerating Growth in Pulses towards the Goal of Atmanirbharta”, the demand for pulses in India is estimated to reach 268 lakh metric tonnes 2030 and 293 lakh metric tonnes by 2047.12. To meet the rising demand, it is necessary to increase domestic production. India’s yield is lower than countries like Canada (2200 kg/hectare) and China (1815 kg/hectare). The mission thus aims to increase the yield to 1130 kg/hectare.Story continues below this ad (Image: FAO)BEYOND THE NUGGET: What is the status of Pulses cultivation and production?1. While different crops of pulses are cultivated across the country, Rajasthan accounted for the most (54.67 lakh hectare) of the total 275 lakh hectare area under pulses during 2023-24.2. Rajasthan was followed by Madhya Pradesh (51 lakh hectare), Maharashtra (44 lakh hectare) and Uttar Pradesh (30 lakh hectare).3. In terms of pulses production, Madhya Pradesh (59.74 lakh metric tonnes) accounted for most of the total production of 242 lakh metric tonnes during 2023-24, followed by Maharashtra (40 lakh metric tonnes), Rajasthan (33 lakh metric tonnes) and Uttar Pradesh (31 lakh metric tonnes).ALSO READ | Knowledge Nugget | Nagoya Protocol: How does it protect biodiversity and local communities?4. Gram, which is mostly grown in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh, accounts for the most area under pulses and also contributes most to the output. Moong is the second most grown pulses crop, cultivated mainly in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. Tur is mainly grown in Karnataka, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh and is the third largest pulses crop in terms of area.Story continues below this ad5. Urad is mainly cultivated in Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra, while Masoor (lentil) is mainly grown in Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.Post Read QuestionWith reference to the Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses, consider the following statements:1. The mission focuses on tur, urad and masoor.2. It aims to increase the total production of pulses in the country by 45 per cent.3. India is the largest producer and consumer of pulses in the world.Which of the statements given above are correct?(a) 1 and 2 only(b) 2 and 3 only(c) 1 and 3 only(d) 1, 2 and 3Answer Key(d)Story continues below this ad(Sources: Cabinet Secretariat flags delay in pulse research scheme, Agriculture Ministry says ‘expediting’ it,Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses: How it aims to increase pulses production, why)Click here to read the UPSC Essentials magazine for October 2026. 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