📰 IBPS AFO Interview — Government Schemes & Current Affairs
IBPS AFO interview schemes questions: PMFBY 2% Kharif premium, PM-KISAN ₹6,000 annual support, eNAM 1,361 mandis, AIF ₹1 lakh crore, PMMSY, and MSP for wheat and paddy.
Topic Overview
Current affairs + schemes carry 15% weight but are frequently the easiest marks to score — all it takes is consistent reading. The Policy & Schemes Officer (Ms. Kavitha Nair) focuses on this section. Panels ask both "what is X scheme" and "what is the role of AFO/bank in X scheme."
Crop Insurance
Q: What is PMFBY? What premium do farmers pay?
Answer: Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana — launched in 2016, replaced NAIS and mNAIS.
Coverage: Food crops, oilseeds, commercial/horticultural crops against natural calamities, pests, diseases, post-harvest losses (cyclone/unseasonal rain within 14 days of harvest), localised risks (hailstorm, landslide, inundation).
Premium sharing:
| Crop Type | Farmer's Premium | Government Subsidy |
|---|---|---|
| Kharif crops | 2% of SI | Remaining |
| Rabi crops | 1.5% of SI | Remaining |
| Annual commercial/horticulture | 5% of SI | Remaining |
2025 updates:
- Voluntary for farmers (not mandatory as it was until 2020)
- Digital/AI-based yield estimation replacing CCEs (Crop Cutting Experiments)
- Faster claim settlement (within 30 days of yield data)
- AIDE app for field inspection
AFO role: Ensures KCC-linked farmers are enrolled in PMFBY; helps submit crop loss intimation within 72 hours.
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Topic Overview
Current affairs + schemes carry 15% weight but are frequently the easiest marks to score — all it takes is consistent reading. The Policy & Schemes Officer (Ms. Kavitha Nair) focuses on this section. Panels ask both "what is X scheme" and "what is the role of AFO/bank in X scheme."
Crop Insurance
Q: What is PMFBY? What premium do farmers pay?
Answer: Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana — launched in 2016, replaced NAIS and mNAIS.
Coverage: Food crops, oilseeds, commercial/horticultural crops against natural calamities, pests, diseases, post-harvest losses (cyclone/unseasonal rain within 14 days of harvest), localised risks (hailstorm, landslide, inundation).
Premium sharing:
| Crop Type | Farmer's Premium | Government Subsidy |
|---|---|---|
| Kharif crops | 2% of SI | Remaining |
| Rabi crops | 1.5% of SI | Remaining |
| Annual commercial/horticulture | 5% of SI | Remaining |
2025 updates:
- Voluntary for farmers (not mandatory as it was until 2020)
- Digital/AI-based yield estimation replacing CCEs (Crop Cutting Experiments)
- Faster claim settlement (within 30 days of yield data)
- AIDE app for field inspection
AFO role: Ensures KCC-linked farmers are enrolled in PMFBY; helps submit crop loss intimation within 72 hours.
Q: What is Restructured Weather Based Crop Insurance Scheme (RWBCIS)?
Answer: RWBCIS compensates farmers for crop losses arising from adverse weather events (rainfall deficit/excess, temperature, humidity, wind) based on automated weather station data — no crop cutting experiments needed.
Advantage over PMFBY: Faster claim settlement; no field survey required.
Income Support Schemes
Q: What is PM-KISAN? Who is eligible?
Answer: Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi — Direct income support of ₹6,000 per year to farmer families in 3 equal instalments of ₹2,000 every 4 months.
Eligibility: Landholding farmer families (small/marginal/large all included after 2019 amendment). Excludes institutional landholders, income taxpayers, current/former government employees above certain status.
Beneficiaries: ~11 crore farmers. ₹3.45 lakh crore disbursed so far.
AFO relevance: Panels ask — "A farmer says he didn't receive PM-KISAN instalment. What do you do?" → Check Beneficiary Status on PM-KISAN portal, verify Aadhaar-linked bank account, contact local agriculture department.
Q: What is the PM Kisan Samridhi Kendra (PMKSK)?
Answer: Rebranded fertilizer retail outlets as one-stop shops providing:
- Fertilizers, seeds, pesticides
- Soil and seed testing services
- Custom Hiring Services info
- Agri scheme enrolment (PM-KISAN, SHC, PMFBY)
Over 3.3 lakh PMKSK centres operational across India.
Agricultural Development & Infrastructure
Q: What is RKVY? What does it fund?
Answer: Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana — Centrally Sponsored Scheme providing states flexibility to invest in agriculture and allied sectors.
Current form: RKVY-RAFTAAR (Remunerative Approaches for Agriculture and Allied sector Rejuvenation) — adds focus on agri-entrepreneurship and startups (Agri Hackathon, AGRI-UDAAN).
Funding: 60:40 Centre:State (90:10 for NE & hill states).
Q: What is the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF)?
Answer: ₹1 lakh crore medium-long term debt financing facility for post-harvest management infrastructure and community farming assets.
Who can access: Farmers, FPOs, PACS, startups, Agri-entrepreneurs, APMCs.
Benefits: 3% interest subvention + credit guarantee cover (CGTMSE). Up to ₹2 crore per project.
Examples funded: Cold storage, warehouses, primary processing centres, sorting/grading units, Assaying labs.
Q: What is eNAM? How does it help farmers?
Answer: Electronic National Agriculture Market — pan-India online trading portal linking APMCs. Launched 2016 by SFAC (Small Farmers' Agribusiness Consortium).
Benefits:
- Single licence valid across all integrated mandis
- Online price discovery — farmer sees bids from multiple buyers
- Online payment directly to farmer's bank account
- Reduces middlemen and price exploitation
Coverage: 1,361 mandis in 23 states (as of 2024).
Q: What is the Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY)?
Answer: Promotes organic farming through cluster-based approach.
Key features:
- 50-acre clusters of farmers
- ₹50,000/hectare over 3 years (75% as direct benefit to farmer)
- Supports certification (PGS — Participatory Guarantee System), marketing, and soil health improvement
Water & Irrigation
Q: What is PMKSY? What is its "Per Drop More Crop" component?
Answer: Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana — aims to achieve convergence of irrigation investments, expand cultivable area under assured irrigation ("Har Khet Ko Pani") and improve water use efficiency ("More Crop Per Drop").
Components:
- Accelerated Irrigation Benefits Programme (AIBP) — complete incomplete major irrigation projects
- PMKSY-Har Khet Ko Pani — ground water development, watershed management
- PMKSY-Per Drop More Crop — micro-irrigation (drip + sprinkler)
AFO relevance: Banks finance drip/sprinkler systems under Per Drop More Crop with 55% subsidy for small farmers; AFO verifies installation before subsidy release.
Horticulture
Q: What is MIDH? What does it fund?
Answer: Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture — funds production, post-harvest management, and processing for fruits, vegetables, mushroom, spices, flowers, aromatic plants, coconut, cashew, cocoa.
Key funding: Nurseries, cold chains, pack houses, CA stores, processing units, market infrastructure.
Fisheries
Q: What is PMMSY?
Answer: Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana — flagship scheme for fisheries development.
Objectives:
- Double fish production to 22 MMT by 2024-25
- Double fishers' income
- Create 55 lakh employment
- ₹20,050 crore investment
Beneficiary categories: Fishers, fish farmers, SHGs, cooperatives, FPOs, state governments.
Key People & GK (Panel-Asked Questions)
Q: Who is the Agriculture Minister of India?
Answer: Shivraj Singh Chouhan (as of 2024-25 Cabinet). Always verify latest — panels ask this directly.
Q: What is NITI Aayog? Who heads it?
Answer: National Institution for Transforming India — replaced Planning Commission in 2015. Think-tank, not funding body.
- Chairperson: Prime Minister (ex-officio)
- CEO: B.V.R. Subrahmanyam (as of 2024; verify)
Q: Who issues the Economic Survey?
Answer: Ministry of Finance (Chief Economic Adviser) — released every year before Union Budget.
Q: What is the MSP for Wheat and Paddy (latest)?
MSP 2024-25:
- Wheat: ₹2,275/quintal
- Paddy (common): ₹2,300/quintal
MSPs are fixed by CCEA on CACP recommendations. Know the 5–6 major crops' MSPs.
Union Budget — Key Agriculture Highlights 2024-25
- Digital Agriculture Mission: Farmer Registry + Crop Survey by AI
- Natural Farming initiative: 1 crore farmers in 2 years
- Enhanced PSL for agriculture
- AIF expanded
- PM-KISAN 18th instalment disbursed
Current Affairs Reading Strategy
AFO panels ask 4–5 current affairs questions maximum. Focus on:
- New scheme launches and recent budget announcements
- RBI monetary policy — repo rate changes
- Agriculture ministry orders (MSP, export bans, buffer stock)
- Current Agriculture/Finance Minister
- Major agri disasters of the past year (drought, floods, locust attacks)
Do NOT waste time: Don't memorise trivia — sportspersons, film awards etc. are rarely asked.
For income support and crop insurance scheme details, see Income Support & Crop Insurance. For the full IBPS AFO syllabus covering current affairs topics, see IBPS AFO syllabus. Practice your recall with IBPS AFO mock tests. Scheme notifications are often released alongside exam cycles — check www.ibps.in for interview dates.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What government scheme questions are asked in IBPS AFO interviews? The panel asks about PMFBY (premium rates, coverage, AFO's role), PM-KISAN (₹6,000 annual support in 3 instalments, ~11 crore beneficiaries), eNAM (1,361 mandis, single licence), Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (₹1 lakh crore, 3% interest subvention), RKVY-RAFTAAR, and PMKSY components. Knowing the AFO's specific role in each scheme earns more marks than just defining the scheme.
Q: What is PMFBY and what premium do farmers pay in the IBPS AFO interview? Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, launched in 2016, covers crops against natural calamities, pests, and post-harvest losses. Farmers pay 2% of sum insured for Kharif crops, 1.5% for Rabi crops, and 5% for annual commercial/horticultural crops. The government pays the remaining actuarial premium. AFOs ensure KCC-linked farmers are enrolled and help submit crop loss intimation within 72 hours.
Q: How many current affairs questions are asked in the IBPS AFO interview? Panels typically ask 4–5 current affairs questions. Focus areas are: repo rate changes, new scheme launches, Union Budget agriculture highlights, current Agriculture and Finance Ministers, latest MSPs (wheat ₹2,275/quintal, paddy ₹2,300/quintal for 2024-25), and major agri events of the past year.
Q: What is the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund and who can access it? AIF is a ₹1 lakh crore debt financing facility for post-harvest management infrastructure. Farmers, FPOs, PACS, startups, agri-entrepreneurs, and APMCs can access it. Benefits include 3% interest subvention and CGTMSE credit guarantee cover for projects up to ₹2 crore. Examples funded include cold storage, warehouses, and primary processing centres.