RBI Grade B Current Affairs — 11 October 2026

The Prime Minister Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana (PMDDKY) targets 100 agriculturally underperforming districts across India, addressing gaps in crop productivity, irrigation coverage, credit access, and post-harvest infrastructure. The scheme adopts a district-specific convergence model, channelling existing Central and State programmes into identified districts rather than launching entirely new funding streams. It aims to raise farm incomes, reduce input costs, and strengthen agricultural value chains in regions chronically left behind by mainstream rural development efforts.

PMDDKY represents a departure from uniform, pan-India agricultural schemes toward geographically differentiated, district-level planning. The core design principle is convergence: instead of creating parallel bureaucratic structures, the scheme maps existing Central Sector and Centrally Sponsored Schemes onto 100 districts selected for chronically low agricultural productivity, weak credit penetration, and poor post-harvest infrastructure.

Four intervention pillars define PMDDKY: (1) Productivity enhancement through better seeds, soil health, and extension services; (2) Irrigation expansion and efficient water use; (3) Credit access — particularly through Kisan Credit Cards and cooperative credit channels; and (4) Post-harvest and market infrastructure such as storage, cold chains, and processing units.

For RBI and NABARD aspirants, the credit angle is critical. Districts with low Kisan Credit Card (KCC) penetration are prioritised, making PMDDKY a tool for closing the agricultural credit gap — directly aligned with Priority Sector Lending (PSL) mandates and NABARD's refinancing role. For UPSC aspirants, the governance model — district as the unit of planning, convergence as the delivery mechanism — connects to themes of cooperative federalism and decentralised planning.

The scheme also connects to food security: improving productivity in lagging districts reduces regional agricultural inequality and stabilises national food output. Aspirants should note that PMDDKY does not replace existing schemes but acts as an umbrella coordination framework, a distinction examiners commonly test through 'correct statements' format questions.

Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal has signalled that India and the United States have not yet locked in their interim trade agreement, with its final shape contingent on evolving circumstances. The statement comes amid broader US tariff uncertainty following the Trump administration's reciprocal tariff announcements. India is negotiating a bilateral trade deal with Washington, with an interim framework intended as a stepping stone toward a comprehensive agreement covering goods, services, and digital trade.

India and the US launched formal trade negotiations in 2025 aimed at a Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA), with an interim package intended to reduce friction on specific goods and address tariff disparities before a full deal is concluded. The context is critical: the Trump administration imposed 26% reciprocal tariffs on Indian goods in April 2025 before a 90-day pause, creating urgency for India to secure tariff relief.

Goyal's statement that the deal will be 'finalised in line with changed circumstances' signals strategic flexibility — India is not rushing to lock in terms that may disadvantage it if US trade policy shifts again. This reflects India's broader FTA negotiating posture: pragmatic sequencing rather than comprehensive-first agreements.

For exam purposes, the static hinterland matters: India's trade relationship with the US is the largest bilateral goods-and-services relationship by value. The US is India's single largest export destination. Key sectors under negotiation include pharmaceuticals, electronics, textiles, agricultural products, and digital services. India has historically resisted US demands on intellectual property, data localisation, and agricultural market access — all of which could resurface in BTA talks.

The interim deal concept mirrors India's approach with the UK and EU — phasing negotiations to deliver early wins on tariffs while deferring contentious chapters. Understanding this framework helps aspirants answer questions on India's FTA strategy, WTO commitments, and bilateral trade architecture.