Convergence rather than new schemes is the hallmark of PM Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana. Examine how far district-level convergence can address regional disparities in Indian agriculture.

The PM Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana (PMDDKY) was approved by the Union Cabinet in July 2025. It targets 100 lagging districts chosen for low productivity, low cropping intensity and low credit disbursement. Instead of creating a new delivery channel, it brings together 36 existing schemes of 11 Departments [1]. Convergence can narrow regional gaps a great deal, but only partly, unless it also deals with markets, the quality of credit and the reliability of data.

How convergence addresses regional disparities

• Spatial targeting: every State gets at least one district, and districts are shared out by net cropped area and operational holdings. This steers resources to lagging pockets [1].
• One plan instead of many silos: a Collector-led Samiti prepares a single District Action Plan covering irrigation, credit, storage and diversification [2].
• Competitive ranking: districts are ranked monthly on a public dashboard. The average district score rose from 18.85 (April 2026) to 46.89 (August 2026) [2].
• Proven template: UNDP's appraisal found that Aspirational Districts Programme districts outperformed comparable districts outside it [4].
• Collective action: FPOs help farmers capture more value. For example, Tiptur FPO had a turnover of ₹1.60 crore in FY 2025-26 [2].

Limits of convergence

• Old money, new box: PRS shows no separate funded line for PMDDKY, while the Ministry's allocation fell 2.5% against the 2024-25 Revised Estimates [3].
• Activity, not impact: the monthly rankings count work done (output indicators), while results for farmers (outcomes) are reported only once a year [2]. UNDP also warned that the race for rank can lead to misreporting [4].
• Credit used for household needs: about 73% of credit taken by marginal farmers goes to non-farm uses [3].
• Irrigation versus diversification: the government procured 43% of paddy output but only 12% of pulses output [3]. New irrigation may therefore pull farmers towards paddy.
• Thin district staff: UNDP found too few staff and too little technical skill at district and block level [4].

Convergence therefore fixes the coordination gap behind regional disparity, but not the gaps in markets, credit quality and district staffing. Several steps would turn convergence into real catch-up:

• ranking each district against similar districts;
• having an outside agency check district data;
• tracking long-term credit separately from total credit;
• giving weight to micro-irrigation in irrigation scores;
• appointing dedicated district fellows.

With these steps, PMDDKY would advance SDG 2 and the Article 38(2) goal of reducing inequalities between regions.