From Determination to Distinction: The Success Story of Sunil Kumar Sethi (OPSC Assistant Soil Conservation Officer)
https://youtu.be/sM2z07UMyaU?si=Dm6yMmZZU5cqpqY_

🔆 Crop Diversification Programme (CDP)

📍 About the Scheme
✅ Implemented by Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (DA&FW)
✅ Centrally Sponsored Scheme under PM-RKVY
✅ Launched in 2013-14 in Haryana, Punjab & Uttar Pradesh (Original Green Revolution States)
✅ Extended from 2015-16 to replace tobacco in major tobacco-growing States

📌 Objective:
➡️ Shift area from water-guzzling paddy & tobacco to pulses, oilseeds, coarse/nutri cereals
➡️ Restore soil fertility (leguminous crops)
➡️ Promote sustainable & climate-resilient agriculture 

📍 Coverage & Achievements
✅ Alternate Crop Demonstrations (2013-14 to 2024-25): 6,96,047 ha
✅ 2018-19 to 2024-25: 1,86,546 ha covered for paddy & tobacco replacement
✅ Area under foodgrains ↑ 127.72 lakh ha (2018-19 to 2024-25)
✅ Millets ↑ 5.13 lakh ha
✅ Oilseeds ↑ 56.46 lakh ha 

📍 Financial & Institutional Support
✅ Assistance for: demonstrations, mechanisation, value addition, awareness & training
✅ Example norms:
• Pulses: ₹10,000/ha
• Groundnut: ₹14,000/ha
• Maize (Hybrid): ₹11,500/ha
• Agro-forestry: ₹10,000/ha 

✅ Pilot Project (2023-24 to 2027-28) under NFSNM via ICAR-IIFSR
• Outlay: ₹1326.60 lakh

📍 Convergence Approach
CDP aligned with:
✅ NFSNM (Nutri-cereals/Shree Anna)
✅ Mission for Aatmanirbharata on Pulses
✅ NMEO–Oilseeds
✅ MIDH
✅ PMDDKY (100 aspirational districts)
✅ PDMC (micro-irrigation), PKVY, Natural Farming initiatives.

OPSC answer key is out—time to start preparing for the interview.

https://agriculturegk.in/courses/86-opsc-assistant-agriculture-officer-interview-guidance-programme