Which Central Government scheme is the new crop insurance scheme launched to boost the farming sector in India by providing improved risk coverage to farmers?

Introduction / Context:
Farmers in India face many risks such as droughts, floods, pests and sudden price changes. To reduce the impact of these risks, the Central Government introduces schemes that provide insurance and financial support. One of the important recent initiatives is a new crop insurance scheme intended to strengthen the farming sector by offering better coverage and lower premiums. This question checks whether you can identify the correct scheme from a list of popular rural development programmes.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The question asks about a new crop insurance scheme launched by the Central Government.
• The objective of the scheme is to boost the farming sector.
• The options include several well known schemes related to agriculture and rural development.
• We must distinguish a pure crop insurance scheme from missions focused on rural development or soil testing.

Concept / Approach:
Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana is the flagship crop insurance scheme launched by the Government of India to replace earlier schemes and to provide more comprehensive coverage at lower premium rates for farmers. It covers losses due to natural calamities, pests and diseases and aims to protect farmers income. Soil Health Card focuses on soil testing and improving soil fertility. Shyama Prasad Mukherji Rurban Mission and similar Rurban missions aim at integrated development of rural clusters and infrastructure, not specifically crop insurance. Therefore, the correct answer must be Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana as the new crop insurance scheme.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Note the key phrase in the question, which is new crop insurance scheme. Step 2: Recall that Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana was launched to provide improved insurance coverage to farmers at affordable premiums. Step 3: Soil Health Card is a scheme for testing soil and giving recommendations for nutrient management, not an insurance scheme. Step 4: Shyama Prasad Mukherji Rurban Mission focuses on rural clusters and infrastructure, not direct crop insurance. Step 5: National Rurban Mission is another name used for Rurban related interventions and is again not a crop insurance scheme. Step 6: Therefore, among the given options, Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana is the correct answer.

Verification / Alternative check:
To verify, think of how these schemes are usually described in government advertisements and exam materials. Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana is always associated with insurance claims, compensation for crop loss and premium sharing between the Centre and states. Soil Health Card is linked with laboratory tests and soil reports. Rurban missions are discussed in the context of smart villages and infrastructure. Whenever a question mentions a new crop insurance scheme to boost the farming sector, standard polity and economy books identify Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana as the relevant scheme, confirming that option C is correct.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option A is wrong because the Soil Health Card scheme deals with soil testing and nutrient recommendations, not with providing insurance for crop loss.
Option B is wrong because Shyama Prasad Mukherji Rurban Mission aims to develop rural clusters by improving infrastructure and basic services, and it is not an insurance scheme.
Option D is wrong because National Rurban Mission is related to rural cluster development similar to the Rurban Mission and does not function as a crop insurance scheme.

Common Pitfalls:
A frequent mistake is to confuse any agricultural or rural development scheme with crop insurance, especially when the names sound similar. Candidates may also mix up Rurban missions and Fasal Bima Yojana because both are discussed in the context of rural development. To avoid this, always link the word Fasal with crops and insurance in your mind, and associate Rurban with rural urban clusters. Maintaining such mental associations helps in quickly identifying the correct scheme in multiple choice questions on government programmes.

Final Answer:
Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana