In a momentous move, the central government has appointed Muktanand Agarwal, a distinguished young IAS officer from Rajasthan (2008 batch), as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY). This key initiative, launched to provide insurance support to farmers, now has a new leader at its helm. The Ministry of Personnel, Government of India, made the official announcement on Friday regarding this new appointment.
This change comes as part of a larger reshuffle involving 35 Joint Secretaries, with Muktanand being transferred from his previous role as Joint Secretary (JS) to the position of CEO in the Department of Agriculture. His previous tenure also saw him go on deputation from Jaipur as Director in the same department in October 2022, and in August 2024, he was promoted to the role of JS.
Under the new government order, Muktanand will serve as CEO of PMFBY until November 2027. Experts believe that had this appointment not been made, he would have had to return to his home state of Rajasthan at the conclusion of his deputation period this year. The CEO role, equivalent to a Joint Secretary, marks a major milestone in Muktanand’s illustrious career.
The Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, which was launched in February 2016 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, aims to provide insurance coverage to farmers. The scheme, which was extended for a five-year period from March 2022 to March 2026, carries a total cost of around Rs 70,000 crores. Farmers are required to pay a nominal premium, with more than half of the cost being borne by the central government and the remainder by state governments.
In related updates, two other prominent IAS officers, Ashutosh AT Perdnekar (2002 batch) and Bhanu Prakash Yeturu (2003 batch), are set to be transferred to Delhi, with both officers receiving No Objection Certificates (NOC) from the Rajasthan government. Their new roles are expected to be announced soon.
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