PMFBY Provides Comprehensive Crop Insurance; States Allowed Add-On Cover for Wild Animal Damage

• Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) is India's flagship crop insurance scheme launched in 2016-17 by the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, covering non-preventable natural risks from pre-sowing to post-harvest.
• States have now been permitted to notify losses by wild animals as an add-on cover on individual assessment, with the premium subsidy borne entirely by the State Government.
• Marks a policy shift — wild-animal damage was earlier excluded as a "preventable" risk; inclusion reflects rising human-wildlife conflict concerns flagged by MoEFCC.
• UPSC relevance: GS-III (agriculture, insurance, disaster mgmt) + GS-III (biodiversity/HWC).