In March 2023, the Indian government launched a digital claim settlement platform called DigiClaim under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY). This new platform will help farmers receive crop insurance claims electronically to their accounts. In this article, we will discuss the benefits of the DigiClaim platform and the issues with the PMFBY scheme.

What is DigiClaim PMFBY?

DigiClaim is a digitalised claim settlement module under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) which will help farmers receive the disbursed amount electronically to their accounts. It is expected to bring down the claim reversal ratio and help farmers track the claim settlement process on a real-time basis on their mobile phones. For the operational part, the National Crop Insurance Portal (NCIP) was integrated with the Public Finance Management System (PFMS).

Benefits of DigiClaim PMFBY

The launch of the DigiClaim platform will provide several benefits for farmers:

  1. Faster, Time-bound and Automated Process: The DigiClaim platform will ensure that farmers receive their claims in a faster, time-bound, and automated manner, which will reduce the waiting period for claim settlement.
  2. Real-time tracking: With the help of this platform, farmers will be able to track the claim settlement process on a real-time basis on their mobile phones. This will help farmers stay informed about the status of their claims and ensure that the claims are settled on time.
  3. Reduced Claim Reversal Ratio: The DigiClaim platform is expected to bring the claim reversal ratio down, which means that the number of rejected claims will be reduced, and farmers will receive their rightful claims.
Issues with PMFBY

While the PMFBY scheme aims to provide crop insurance to farmers, there have been several issues with its implementation:

  1. Delay in claim settlement: There have been several instances of delay in settling the claim of the insured farmers due to multiple reasons such as delayed release of the share of the premium by states to insurance companies, and no adherence to meet stipulated deadlines in crop-cutting experiments.
  2. Delay in uploading yield data: Delay in uploading yield data onto the crop insurance portal has also been a major issue, which has caused delays in claim settlement.
Why In News

In March 2023, the Indian Government launched DigiClaim, a digital platform aimed at streamlining the settlement of crop insurance claims for farmers under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY). This initiative is a crucial step towards enhancing the efficiency of the PMFBY scheme, benefiting farmers with faster, time-bound, and automated claims settlement. With the implementation of DigiClaim, farmers can track the claim settlement process in real-time on their mobile phones, bringing down the claim reversal ratio and paving the way for a more effective crop insurance scheme in India.

MCQs about DigiClaim

  1. What is DigiClaim?
    A. A digitalised claim settlement module under PMFBY
    B. A new crop insurance scheme launched by the government
    C. A mobile application for farmers to track their crops
    D. A platform for farmers to sell their crops online
    Correct Answer: A. A digitalised claim settlement module under PMFBY
    Explanation: DigiClaim is a digitalised claim settlement module under PMFBY which will help farmers receive the disbursed amount electronically to their accounts.
  2. What is the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY)?
    A. A new scheme launched by the government for farmers
    B. The flagship scheme of the government for agricultural insurance in India
    C. A platform for farmers to sell their crops online
    D. A mobile application for farmers to track their crops
    Correct Answer: B. The flagship scheme of the government for agricultural insurance in India
    Explanation: PMFBY is the flagship scheme of the government for agricultural insurance in India in line with the One Nation-One Scheme theme.
  3. What is the benefit of DigiClaim platform for farmers?
    A. Receive claims digitally in a faster, time-bound and automated manner
    B. Sell their crops online
    C. Track their crops on real-time basis
    D. Receive premium for their crops
    Correct Answer: A. Receive claims digitally in a faster, time-bound and automated manner
    Explanation: DigiClaim will help farmers receive their claims digitally, in a faster, time-bound and automated manner. Farmers will be able to track the claim settlement process on a real-time basis on their mobile phones.
  4. What are the issues with PMFBY?
    A. Delay in settling the claim of the insured farmers
    B. Delay in releasing the share of premium by states to insurance companies
    C. No adherence to meet stipulated deadlines in crop-cutting experiments
    D. All of the above
    Correct Answer: D. All of the above
    Explanation: The issues with PMFBY include delay in settling the claim of the insured farmers due to multiple reasons such as delayed release of the share of the premium by states to insurance companies, no adherence to meet stipulated deadlines in crop-cutting experiments, and delay in uploading yield data onto the crop insurance portal.

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