Explore Our Affordable Courses

Click Here
  »   Blog   »   Kisan Diwas 2023: Date, Theme, and Significance

Kisan Diwas 2023: Date, Theme, and Significance

PWOnlyIAS December 21, 2023 01:17 9105 0

Blogs UPSC Blogs

Every year, December 23 is celebrated as Kisan Diwas or National Farmers’ Day to honour farmers of the country.

Kisan Diwas 2023: Date, Theme, and Significance

Context

Every year, December 23 is celebrated as Kisan Diwas or National Farmers’ Day to honour farmers of the country. 

Kisan Diwas 2023

  • Origin: In 2001, the union government decided to recognize Chaudhary Charan Singh’s contribution to the agriculture sector and the welfare of farmers by commemorating his birth anniversary as Kisan Diwas.
  • Commemoration: The National Farmers’ Day marks the birth anniversary of Farmer leader and the 5th Prime Minister of India, Chaudhary Charan Singh.
  • Theme: The theme for Kisan Diwas 2023 is ‘Delivering Smart Solutions for Sustainable Food Security and Resilience‘.
  • Significance of the Day
    • Promote Contributions of Farmers: The day is celebrated to promote awareness of the contribution made by farmers to society and to reward them for it.
    • Honour Chaudhary Charan Singh’s Legacy: Kisan Diwas is also an opportunity to honour the legacy of Chaudhary Charan Singh.

Farming in India

  • About: India is one of the largest countries practicing agriculture by employing more than 50% of the Indian workforce and contributing 20.2% to the country’s GDP. 
    • According to studies, around 70 percent of India’s rural households still depend primarily on agriculture for their livelihoods.
  • Area under Farming: India tops the list with countries having the highest net cropped area followed by the US and China.
  • Problems Faced by Farmers
    • Changing Weather Pattern: Changing rain and weather patterns have led to excess heat in some parts and floods in some others.
    • Declining Land Productivity: Excess use of fertilizers and irrigation has led to a change in the pH of the soil, causing a decline in productivity.
    • Land Fragmentation: Due to the division of family lands, the area under cultivation has fragmented. This increases the input cost of agriculture.
    • Rising Input Costs: Global conditions have led to a rise in the cost of farm inputs, including fertilizers and pesticides.
    • Marketing and Storage Facilities: Despite progress made in modern farming, India still suffers from a shortage of quality storage facilities.
    • Credit Availability: Small and marginal farmers still struggle to avail credit facilities for practicing farming.
    • Lack of Irrigation: The majority of Indian farming depends on groundwater and rains for agriculture. There is an urgent need for expanding irrigation facilities.
  • Significance of Farming:
    • Creation of Employment: About 70 percent of India’s rural households still depend primarily on agriculture for their livelihoods.
    • Export Contribution: In 2020, the total agricultural commodities export was US$3.50 billion, making India the seventh-largest agricultural exporter.
    • Self-Sufficiency: Self-sufficiency in food production is one of the biggest outcomes of the Indian Green Revolution.
    • Raw Materials: Farming provides raw materials for food and other products. Farming drives manufacturing industries in India.
    • Rural Prosperity: Agriculture and allied activities are crucial for rural prosperity. Economic activities in these areas are centered on agriculture.
  • Schemes for Farmers’ Welfare
    • Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM KISAN): The PM-KISAN Scheme seeks to provide income support to all landholding Farmers’ families across the country by paying an amount of Rs.6000/- per year for the farmers’ families with cultivable land holdings.
    • Kisan Credit Card Scheme: It is a credit scheme of the Union government that provides adequate and timely credit support from the banking system to farmers for their agriculture and allied activities.
    • Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana: PM Fasal Bima Yojana is an insurance scheme covering crops to ensure comprehensive risk against accidental damage from natural calamities.
    • Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana: Launched in 2015 under an extended component of Soil Health Management (SHM), the scheme seeks to promote organic farming in the country through monetary compensation.
    • Atal Bhujal Yojana: It is a Union government Scheme of the Ministry of Jal Shakti to carry out sustainable groundwater management through community participation.
    • Soil Health Card: The scheme will provide each farmer soil nutrient status of their holding and advise them on the dosage of fertilizers that have to be applied.
    • e-NAM: The National Agriculture Market (eNAM) provides an online trading platform for agricultural commodities in India. The platform facilitates farmers, traders, and buyers with online trading in commodities.
    • Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana: The scheme has been formulated to enhance access to water for farming, expand the cultivation area under irrigation, improve water use efficiency, and promote sustainable practices of water conservation.
    • National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA): The scheme seeks to carry out an Integrated Farming System to enhance productivity and minimize risks associated with climatic variability in rain-fed areas of the country.
  • Quotes on Farmers:
    • “Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan” – Lal Bahadur Shastri
    • “If agriculture goes wrong, nothing else will have a chance to go right in the country.” – M S Swaminathan
    • “I would rather be on my farm than be emperor of the world.” – George Washington

About Chaudhary Charan Singh

  • About: Chaudhary Charan Singh was a farmer leader and the 5th Prime Minister of India. He is hailed as the champion of Indian peasants.
  • Birth: Chaudhary Charan Singh was born on 23 December 1903 in a rural peasant family of village Noorpur, United Provinces of Agra and Oudh.
  • Early Education: Charan Singh completed a Master of Arts (MA) degree in 1925 and a law degree in 1926 from Agra University. He began practice in 1928.
  • Independence Movement: Charan Singh was a close follower of Mahatma Gandhi. He was imprisoned for 12 years by the British for contravention of the salt laws.
  • Political Initiation: 
    • Pre-Independence: Even before independence, Charan Singh was active in the Meerut District Indian National Congress for which he was jailed by the British. 
      • He was also a member of the Legislative Assembly of the United Provinces elected in 1937.
    • Post Independence: He served as the Revenue Minister responsible for Land Reform in Uttar Pradesh. He is said to have initiated revolutionary land reform laws in the state.
      • Following his opposition to Congress ideology, Singh joined the opposition bloc in 1967 and became the first non-Congress chief minister of Uttar Pradesh.
      • His political party, the Bharatiya Lok Dal was part of the Janata Party coalition. He became the Prime Minister in 1979 but had to resign after just 24 weeks in office when Indira Gandhi’s Congress Party (I) withdrew support to the government. 
  • Contributions to the Nation:
    • Abolition of Zamindari: Charan Singh is credited for inventing and executing the well-known Zamindari Abolition Act.
      • He also initiated the Land Holding Act 1960 which was aimed at lowering the ceiling on land holdings to make it uniform throughout the State.
    • Literature: He wrote many books such as ‘Abolition of Zamindari,’ ‘Joint Farming X-rayed,’ ‘India’s Poverty and its Solution,’ and ‘Peasant Proprietorship’. 
    • Opposition to Cooperative Farms: Charan Singh opposed the Nehruvian idea of cooperative farms as he believed it would hamper ownership of peasants.
  • Honour:
    • Kisan Diwas: Charan Singh’s birth anniversary is celebrated as National Farmers’ Day or Kisan Diwas in India.
    • Kisan Ghat: His memorial in New Delhi has been named as Kisan Ghat due to his association with farming class.
    • Airport: The international airport in Lucknow was renamed Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport after him.

Conclusion:

Kisan Diwas helps us remember the contributions of farmers towards society, as well as honour the legacy of farmer leader and former Prime Minister Chaudhary Charan Singh.

Must Read
NCERT Notes For UPSC UPSC Daily Current Affairs
UPSC Blogs UPSC Daily Editorials
Daily Current Affairs Quiz Daily Main Answer Writing
UPSC Mains Previous Year Papers UPSC Test Series 2024

 

Print Friendly, PDF & EmailDOWNLOAD PDF

Kisan Diwas FAQs

Every year, December 23 is celebrated as Kisan Diwas or National Farmers’ Day to honour farmers of the country.

The National Farmers’ Day marks the birth anniversary of Farmer leader and the 5th Prime Minister of India, Chaudhary Charan Singh.

The theme for Kisan Diwas 2023 is 'Delivering Smart Solutions for Sustainable Food Security and Resilience'.

Chaudhary Charan Singh was a farmer leader and the 5th Prime Minister of India. He is hailed as the champion of Indian peasants.

Chaudhary Charan Singh is credited for inventing and executing the well-known Zamindari Abolition Act. He also initiated the Land Holding Act 1960 which was aimed at lowering the ceiling on land holdings to make it uniform throughout the State.

India is one of the largest countries practicing agriculture by employing more than 50% of the Indian workforce and contributing 20.2% to the country's GDP.

Recommended For You

November 18, 2024
Demographic Dividend Meaning, Benefits, and Challenges
November 18, 2024
Indian Constitution Day 2024 (Samvidhan Diwas): 26th Novembe...
November 18, 2024
COP 29: The United Nations Climate Change Conference
November 17, 2024
Raja Ram Mohan Roy Biography, Birth, Works, & History
November 17, 2024
UPSC Study Material, Free IAS Study Materials for UPSC Exam ...
November 17, 2024
How Many UPSC Exam Attempts for General, OBC, SC/ST?
/*

Latest Comments

*/

Live Blog

Recent posts

November 18, 2024
Demographic Dividend Meaning, Benefits, and C...
November 18, 2024
Indian Constitution Day 2024 (Samvidhan Diwas...
November 18, 2024
COP 29: The United Nations Climate Change Con...
November 17, 2024
Raja Ram Mohan Roy Biography, Birth, Works, &...
November 17, 2024
UPSC Study Material, Free IAS Study Materials...

Archive Calendar

Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
 123
45678910
11121314151617
18192021222324
252627282930  

by month

Follow Us

Need help preparing for UPSC or State PSCs?

Connect with our experts to get free counselling & start preparing

THE MOST
LEARNING PLATFORM

Learn From India's Best Faculty

# #
      
Subscribe our Newsletter
Sign up now for our exclusive newsletter and be the first to know about our latest Initiatives, Quality Content, and much more.
*Promise! We won't spam you.
Yes! I want to Subscribe.

Contact Details

G-Floor,4-B Pusa Road, New Delhi, 110060

Download Our App

# #
Copyright © 2023 PWOnlyIAS
Privacy Policy Refund And Cancellation Policy FAQ Terms & ConditionSitemap

Download October 2024 Current Affairs.   Srijan 2025 Program (Prelims+Mains) !     Current Affairs Plus By Sumit Sir   UPSC Prelims2025 Test Series.    IDMP – Self Study Program 2025.

 

THE MOST
LEARNING PLATFORM

Learn From India's Best Faculty

# #
      
Follow Us:
Subscribe our Newsletter
Sign up now for our exclusive newsletter and be the first to know about our latest Initiatives, Quality Content, and much more.
*Promise! We won't spam you.
Yes! I want to Subscribe.

Contact Details

G-Floor,4-B Pusa Road, New Delhi, 110060

Download Our App

# #
Copyright © 2023 PWOnlyIAS
Privacy Policy Refund And Cancellation Policy FAQ Terms & ConditionSitemap

Download October 2024 Current Affairs.   Srijan 2025 Program (Prelims+Mains) !     Current Affairs Plus By Sumit Sir   UPSC Prelims2025 Test Series.    IDMP – Self Study Program 2025.

 
Quick Revise Now !
AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD SOON
UDAAN PRELIMS WALLAH
Comprehensive coverage with a concise format
Integration of PYQ within the booklet
Designed as per recent trends of Prelims questions
हिंदी में भी उपलब्ध
Quick Revise Now !
UDAAN PRELIMS WALLAH
Comprehensive coverage with a concise format
Integration of PYQ within the booklet
Designed as per recent trends of Prelims questions
हिंदी में भी उपलब्ध

<div class="new-fform">







    </div>

    Subscribe our Newsletter
    Sign up now for our exclusive newsletter and be the first to know about our latest Initiatives, Quality Content, and much more.
    *Promise! We won't spam you.
    Yes! I want to Subscribe.