PIB · Government of India ·

Centre Highlights Transformative Reforms at Sudhar Utsav 2026 to Empower Cotton Farmers and Strengthen India's Value Chain

Distilled Policy Brief

  • The Ministry of Textiles, through the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI), organized 'Sudhar Utsav 2026' in Hyderabad to showcase transformative reforms in the cotton value chain, focusing on digital procurement, traceability, and farmer empowerment.
  • Key initiatives highlighted include the Cotton Farmer Digital Platform for Aadhaar-enabled direct payments and slot booking, the 'Kasturi Cotton Bharat' initiative for global quality branding, and High-Density Planting Systems (HDPS) to enhance farm-level productivity.
  • The Central Silk Board (CSB) concurrently advanced administrative efficiency through the digitization of Silk Mark services for MSMEs and scaled up the 'Mera Resham Mera Abhiyan' (MRMA) technology transfer campaign across 218 sericulture districts.

🎯 Prelims High-Yield Examination Points

'Sudhar Utsav 2026' and the Cotton Farmer Digital Platform are spearheaded by the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) under the Ministry of Textiles. The Silk Mark Organization of India (SMOI) operates under the Central Silk Board (CSB) for silk authentication.

⚖️ Mains Analytical & Syllabus Linkages

Examine how institutional reforms, digital public infrastructure in agriculture (such as direct benefit transfers and digital traceability), and targeted technology transfer campaigns like MRMA can bridge productivity gaps and strengthen India's textile value chain.

🎯 UPSC Prelims Practice Drill

Social Justice & Schemes

Consider the following statements regarding the initiatives highlighted during 'Sudhar Utsav 2026' organized by the Ministry of Textiles: 1. The Cotton Farmer Digital Platform enables Aadhaar-enabled direct payments and digital slot booking for cotton farmers. 2. The 'Kasturi Cotton Bharat' initiative aims at global quality branding and contamination control. 3. The High-Density Planting Systems (HDPS) are implemented primarily to enhance farm-level productivity in the cotton sector. Which of the statements given above are correct?

  • [A] 1 and 2 only
  • [B] 2 and 3 only
  • [C] 1 and 3 only
  • [D] 1, 2 and 3
▶ Reveal Official Answer & Analytical Explanation
✓ Correct Option: [D] 1, 2 and 3

All three statements are correct. The Cotton Farmer Digital Platform integrates digital processes including farmer registration, slot booking, and Aadhaar-enabled payments. 'Kasturi Cotton Bharat' focuses on global quality branding and contamination control, and High-Density Planting Systems (HDPS) are adopted to enhance farm-level productivity.

Tark High-Yield Question Bank ⚡ Practice Full Test in Testing Arena ↗

🏛️ Historical Twin PYQ Anchor (2021)

UPSC Prelims 2021

Consider the following statements regarding the "National Clean Air Programme (NCAP)": 1. It is implemented by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. 2. Central Pollution Control Board acts as the sole regulatory executive body.

Forensic Anchor: Cabinet Allocation of Business Rules & NCAP Framework
Examiner Trap Takeaway: UPSC swapped Central Pollution Control Board role with State Pollution Control Boards for state-level monitoring.

📚 Static Syllabus & Constitutional Linkages

Agricultural Marketing & Minimum Support Price (MSP): Role of Central Public Sector Undertakings like the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) in executing MSP operations and stabilizing market prices.
Sericulture in India: Geographical distribution of mulberry, eri, tasar, and muga silk production, and the statutory mandate of the Central Silk Board under Indian Economy modules.