Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses: Rs 500 crore research fund sees no project approvals in first year

Key facts

• The Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses was approved by the Union Cabinet on October 1, 2025 and launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 11, 2025, with a total outlay of Rs 11,440 crore for 2025-26 to 2030-31, of which Rs 500 crore is earmarked for research projects.
• The Cabinet Secretariat, at an October 5 review meeting chaired by Cabinet Secretary TV Somanathan, flagged that no research project had been approved under the Rs 500-crore research component even after the first year of the six-year programme, and set a November 15 deadline to complete approvals.
• The Agriculture Ministry received 419 research proposals — 125 from ICAR institutes, 249 from state agricultural universities, 14 from other government institutions and PSUs, and five from private universities — and aims to approve all eligible projects by end of October 2026.
• The mission targets raising pulse production by 45 per cent from 242 lakh metric tonnes in 2023-24 to 350 lakh metric tonnes by 2030-31, expanding area under pulses by 13 per cent from 275 lakh hectares to 310 lakh hectares, and improving yields by 28 per cent from 881 kg per hectare to 1,130 kg per hectare.
• As per the Third Advance Estimates for 2025-26, pulses area rose 3.3 per cent to 286.5 lakh hectares, production increased 6.7 per cent to 274.1 lakh tonnes, and productivity improved 3.3 per cent to 957 kg per hectare.
• The mission aims to make India self-reliant in pulses, particularly tur, urad and masoor, by boosting their production and procurement.