Modi’s Rs 11,440-crore mission: No research project approved in Year 1

The National Mission on Pulses is a six-year government programme running from 2025–26 to 2030–31. It responds to India’s gap between pulse production and annual demand. The mission aims to make pulses more productive, nutritious and resilient while improving farmers’ returns.

Its research component is meant to develop climate-resilient seeds, increase protein content and raise productivity. It also supports better post-harvest storage and management. These projects are intended to produce results that can move from laboratories and research institutions into farmers’ fields.

The research allocation is Rs 500 crore within the mission’s total Rs 11,440 crore budget. Researchers submitted 419 proposals, which are being screened and technically appraised. The ministry says many projects have already been shortlisted, and eligible proposals are expected to be sanctioned by the end of October 2026.

The National Mission on Pulses has a total financial outlay of Rs 11,440 crore. The funding covers the mission’s broad six-year programme, which runs from 2025–26 through 2030–31. Its aim is to increase pulse production and improve cultivation, productivity, storage and farmer returns.

Of that total, Rs 500 crore is specifically reserved for research projects. This research funding is intended to support climate-resilient seeds, stronger protein content, higher yields and work with potential field application. It is also meant to avoid duplication with research already under way.

The research money had not yet translated into sanctioned projects when the Cabinet Secretariat flagged the delay. The Agriculture Ministry was asked to complete approvals by November 15. It later said eligible projects recommended by the committee were expected to be sanctioned by the end of October 2026.

During the mission’s first year, research projects remained unsanctioned while other components had already taken off. This meant the research component had not yet moved into implementation, despite Rs 500 crore being allocated for it. The Cabinet Secretariat raised the issue during a review of agricultural research in pulses, oilseeds and cotton.

Officials asked the Agriculture Ministry to complete approvals by November 15. The ministry said proposals had been invited nationwide and that 419 had been received. Screening committees shortlisted projects, while researchers presented them to a National-level Research and Development Committee for detailed appraisal.

The delay did not mean the research effort was abandoned. The ministry said many proposals had already been shortlisted through three meetings. It expected eligible projects recommended by the committee to be sanctioned by the end of October 2026, ahead of the November 15 timeline.

India needs a Pulses Mission because being the world’s largest producer and consumer does not guarantee enough supply. The article states that domestic production remains insufficient to meet annual demand. That gap makes higher production and productivity important for the country’s pulse supply.

The mission addresses the problem through several connected priorities. It supports climate-resilient seeds, higher protein content, increased productivity, improved post-harvest storage and management, and remunerative prices for farmers. Research is expected to help turn these priorities into practical technologies and varieties.

The targets show the scale of the challenge. By 2030–31, the mission aims to raise production from 242 lakh metric tonnes in 2023–24 to 350 lakh metric tonnes. It also seeks to expand pulse cultivation from 275 lakh hectares to 310 lakh hectares and lift average yield from 881 to 1,130 kilograms per hectare.

The proposals cover research responding to the mission’s priority needs and objectives. They come from ICAR institutes, state agricultural universities, other government universities and institutions, public sector undertakings, and private universities. The work is expected to support better seeds, nutrition, productivity and practical farming outcomes.

A screening committee first examines the proposals and shortlists projects for presentation. Researchers then present their work to a National-level Research and Development Committee. That committee includes the Additional Secretary, senior ICAR officials and scientists, mission officers and subject experts.

The appraisal considers scientific merit, relevance and potential for field application. It also examines expected benefits to farmers and whether the proposal duplicates existing research. The ministry received 419 proposals: 125 from ICAR institutes, 249 from state agricultural universities, 14 from other government bodies and public sector undertakings, and five from private universities.

The mission has set three major production targets for 2030–31. It wants total pulse production to reach 350 lakh metric tonnes, compared with 242 lakh metric tonnes in 2023–24. That is a planned increase of 45 percent over the stated baseline.

It also aims to expand the area cultivated with pulses from 275 lakh hectares to 310 lakh hectares. This would increase the cultivated area by 13 percent. The mission’s third target is higher average productivity, rising from 881 kilograms per hectare to 1,130 kilograms per hectare.

Together, these goals combine more land with better yields. The article says productivity is expected to improve by 28 percent. Early figures for 2025–26 show movement in the same direction: production reached 274.1 lakh tonnes, area reached 286.5 lakh hectares, and productivity reached 957 kilograms per hectare.

Pulses are edible dried seeds of legume plants, such as lentils, chickpeas, beans and peas. The article does not define pulses, but established food and agriculture knowledge identifies them as important sources of plant protein and other nutrients. They are especially valuable in diets where affordable protein is needed.

They also matter for food security because India is both the world’s largest pulse producer and consumer, yet domestic production does not meet annual demand. A reliable supply can support access to food and reduce pressure created by a production shortfall. The mission therefore focuses on both output and productivity.

For farming, pulse crops can contribute to more diverse cropping systems. Legumes can also improve soil nitrogen through biological fixation, reducing dependence on added nitrogen in some systems. The mission’s climate-resilient seeds, better yields, storage and farmer-price goals address production, nutrition and access together.