Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana - a irrigation scheme for farmers.

Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approves Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana

Objective of PMKSY: To achieve convergence of investments in irrigation at field level, expand cultivable area under assured irrigation

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has given its approval to a new scheme the “Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana” (PMKSY).  It will have an outlay of Rs. 50,000 crore over a period of five years (2015-16 to 2019-20). The allocation for the current financial year is Rs. 5300 crore.

The major objective of the PMKSY is to achieve convergence of investments in irrigation at the field level, expand cultivable area under assured irrigation (Har Khet ko pani), improve on-farm water use efficiency to reduce wastage of water, enhance the adoption of precision-irrigation and other water saving technologies (More crop per drop), enhance recharge of aquifers and introduce sustainable water conservation practices by exploring the feasibility of reusing treated municipal based water for peri-urban agriculture and attract greater private investment in precision irrigation system. The scheme also aims at bringing concerned Ministries/Departments/Agencies/Research and Financial Institutions engaged in creation/use/recycling/potential recycling of water, brought under a common platform, so that a comprehensive and holistic view of the entire "water cycle" is taken into account and proper water budgeting is done for all sectors namely, household, agriculture and industries.

The programme architecture of PMKSY aims at a 'decentralized State level planning and execution' structure, in order to allow States to draw up a District Irrigation Plan (DIP) and a State Irrigation Plan (SIP). DIP will have holistic developmental perspective of the district outlining medium to long term developmental plans integrating three components namely, water sources, distribution network and water use application of the district to be prepared at two levels -  the block and the district. All structures created under the schemes will be geotagged.

The programme will be supervised and monitored at the national level by an Inter-Ministerial National Steering Committee (NSC) under the Chairmanship of the Prime Minister with Union Ministers of all concerned Ministries.  A National Executive Committee (NEC) is to be constituted under the Chairmanship of the Vice Chairman, NITI Aayog to oversee programme implementation, allocation of resources, inter ministerial coordination, monitoring and performance assessment, addressing administrative issues etc. At the state level the scheme is to be administered by a State Level Sanctioning Committee (SLSC) to be Chaired by the Chief Secretary of the respective States. The committee will have all authority to sanction the project and also monitor the progress of the scheme.  At the district level their shall be a district level implementation committee for ensuring last mile coordination a the field level.

It is expected that PMKSY will provide convergence to existing schemes of water management, thus bringing efficiency to the use of water.

Background:

In the last one year, the Government of India has taken several farmer friendly initiatives. These, amongst other things, include the following:

•   A new scheme has been introduced to issue a Soil Health Card to every farmer. Soil Health Management in the country is being promoted through setting up of soil and fertilizer testing laboratories. 34 lakh soil samples has been collected and analysis is continuing.
•   A new scheme for promoting organic farming "Pramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana" has been launched to promote organic farming.
•    A dedicated Kisan Channel has been started by  Doordarshan to address various issues concerning farmers.
•     Government is also encouraging formation of Farmer Producer organizations.
•   Assistance to farmers, as input subsidy, has been increased by 50 percent in case of natural calamities.
• Norms have been relaxed to provide assistance from previous norm of crop loss of more than 50 percent to 33 percent to farmers afflicted by natural calamities.
•    Minimum Support Price (MSP) for various Kharif crops has been increased. Bonus of Rs.200 per quintal has been announced for pulses. Area coverage under pulses has increased over the last year.

Taking it further, today the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by the Prime Minister has given its approval to two new schemes in agriculture sector. These are the PMKSY and Promotion of National Agriculture Market.

Selfie With Daughter - A Boost To Beti Bachao Beti Padao Andholan

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi while praising the initiative of sarpanch of Haryana's Bibipur village in his radio address 'Mann Ki Baat', Modi urged people to share selfie with their daughters along with a tagline for his government's initiative 'Beti Bachao Beti Padhao'.

Bibipur village sarpanch Sunil Jaglan had started "selfie with daughter" competition wherein fathers were to post their 'selfies' with their daughters.

And what a great initiative it has been, internet is flooded with selfie from all over the world, Indians, Americans, Africans , Europeans likewise everyone has taken this initiative with great enthusiasm. Immense response has been generated and Indians are flooding the internet with their selfies with daughters. You if didn't share yours share it and spread awareness among people. Here are the few snaps from internet with #selfiewithdaughter hashtag.

PRADHAN MANTRI JEEVAN JYOTI BIMA YOJANA

RULES FOR PRADHAN MANTRI JEEVAN JYOTI BIMA YOJANA
DETAILS OF THE SCHEME:
The scheme will be a one year cover, renewable from year to year, Insurance Scheme
offering life insurance cover for death due to any reason. The scheme would be offered
/ administered through LIC and other Life Insurance companies willing to offer the
product on similar terms with necessary approvals and tie ups with Banks for this
purpose. Participating banks will be free to engage any such life insurance company for
implementing the scheme for their subscribers.
Scope of coverage: All savings bank account holders in the age 18 to 50 years in
participating banks will be entitled to join. In case of multiple saving bank accounts held
by an individual in one or different banks, the person would be eligible to join the
scheme through one savings bank account only. Aadhar would be the primary KYC for
the bank account.
Enrolment period: Initially on launch for the cover period 1st June 2015 to 31st May
2016, subscribers will be required to enroll and give their auto-debit consent by 31st May
2015. Late enrollment for prospective cover will be possible up to 31st August 2015,
which may be extended by Govt. of India for another three months, i.e. up to 30th of
November, 2015. Those joining subsequently may be able to do so with payment of full
annual premium for prospective cover, with submission of a self-certificate of good
health in the prescribed proforma.
Enrolment Modality: The cover shall be for the one year period stretching from 1st
June to 31st May for which option to join / pay by auto-debit from the designated savings
bank account on the prescribed forms will be required to be given by 31st May of every
year, with the exception as above for the initial year. Delayed enrollment with payment
of full annual premium for prospective cover may be possible with submission of a self-certificate of good health.
Individuals who exit the scheme at any point may re-join the scheme in future years by submitting a declaration of good health in the prescribed proforma.
In future years, new entrants into the eligible category or currently eligible individuals who did not join earlier or discontinued their subscription shall be able to join while the scheme is continuing, subject to submission of self-certificate of good health.
Benefits: Rs.2 lakhs is payable on member’s death due to any reason
Premium: Rs.330/- per annum per member. The premium will be deducted from the
account holder’s savings bank account through ‘auto debit’ facility in one installment, as per the option given, on or before 31st May of each annual coverage period under the scheme. Delayed enrollment for prospective cover after 31st May will be possible with full payment of annual premium and submission of a self-certificate of good health. The premium would be reviewed based on annual claims experience. However, barring unforeseen adverse outcomes of extreme nature, efforts would be made to ensure that
there is no upward revision of premium in the first three years.
Eligibility Conditions:
a) The savings bank account holders of the participating banks aged between 18
years (completed) and 50 years (age nearer birthday) who give their consent to
join / enable auto-debit, as per the above modality, will be enrolled into the
scheme.
b) Individuals who join after the initial enrollment period extending up to 31st August 2015 or 30th November 2015, as the case may be, will be required to give a self-
certification of good health and that he / she does not suffer from any of the
critical illnesses as mentioned in the applicable Consent cum Declaration form as on date of enrollment or earlier.
Master Policy Holder: Participating Banks will be the Master policy holders. A simple
and subscriber friendly administration & claim settlement process shall be finalized by LIC / other insurance company in consultation with the participating bank.
Termination of assurance: The assurance on the life of the member shall terminate on any of the following events and no benefit will become payable there under:
1) On attaining age 55 years (age near birth day) subject to annual renewal up to
that date (entry, however, will not be possible beyond the age of 50 years).
2) Closure of account with the Bank or insufficiency of balance to keep the
insurance in force.
3) In case a member is covered under PMJJBY with LIC of India / other company
through more than one account and premium is received by LIC / other company inadvertently, insurance cover will be restricted to Rs. 2 Lakh and the premium shall be liable to be forfeited.
4) If the insurance cover is ceased due to any technical reasons such as insufficient
balance on due date or due to any administrative issues, the same can be
reinstated on receipt of full annual premium and a satisfactory statement of good health.
5) Participating Banks shall remit the premium to insurance companies in case of
regular enrolment on or before 30th of June every year and in other cases in the
same month when received.
Administration:
The scheme, subject to the above, will be administered by the LIC P&GS Units / other
insurance company setups. The data flow process and data proforma will be informed separately.
It will be the responsibility of the participating bank to recover the appropriate annual premium in one installment, as per the option, from the account holders on or before the
due date through ‘auto-debit’ process.
Members may also give one-time mandate for auto-debit every year till the scheme is in force. Enrollment form / Auto-debit authorization / Consent cum Declaration form in the prescribed proforma shall be obtained and retained by the participating bank. In case of claim, LIC / insurance company may seek submission of the same. LIC / Insurance Company reserves the right to call for these documents at any point of time.
The acknowledgement slip may be made into an acknowledgement slip-cum-certificate of insurance.
The experience of the scheme will be monitored on yearly basis for re-calibration etc., as may be necessary.
Appropriation of Premium:
1) Insurance Premium to LIC / insurance company : Rs.289/- per annum per  member
2) Reimbursement of Expenses to BC/Micro/Corporate/Agent : Rs.30/- per annum per member
3) Reimbursement of Administrative expenses to participating Bank: Rs.11/- per
annum per member
The next Annual renewal date shall be each successive 1st of June in subsequent years.
The scheme is liable to be discontinued prior to commencement of a new future renewal date if circumstances so require.

Atal Pension Yojana Complete details

Atal Pension yojana toll free number
1800-180-1111
1800-110-001
1. What is Pension? Why do I need it?
A Pension provides people with a monthly income when they are no longer earning.
Need for Pension:
 Decreased income earning potential with age.
 The rise of nuclear family-Migration of earning members.
 Rise in cost of living.
 Increased longevity.
Assured monthly income ensures dignified life in old age.
2. What is Atal Pension Yojana?
Atal Pension Yojana (APY), is a pension scheme for citizens of India focussed on the
unorganised sector workers. Under the APY, guaranteed minimum pension of Rs.
1,000/-, 2,000/-, 3,000/-, 4,000 and 5,000/- per month will be given at the age of 60
years depending on the contributions by the subscribers.
3. Who can subscribe to APY?
Any Citizen of India can join APY scheme. The following are the eligibility criteria,
i The age of the subscriber should be between 18 - 40 years.
ii He / She should have a savings bank account/ open a savings bank account.
iii The prospective applicant should be in possession of mobile number and its
details are to be furnished to the bank during registration.
 Government co-contribution is available for 5 years, i.e., from 2015-16 to 2019-20 for
the subscribers who join the scheme during the period from 1st June, 2015 to 31st
December, 2015 and who are not covered by any Statutory Social Security Schemes
and are not income tax payers.
 Who are the other social security schemes beneficiaries not eligible to receive
Government co-contribution under APY?
Beneficiaries who are covered under statutory social security schemes are not eligible
to receive Government co-contribution. For example, members of the Social Security
Schemes under the following enactments would not be eligible to receive Government
co-contribution:
i. Employees’ Provident Fund & Miscellaneous Provision Act, 1952.
ii. The Coal Mines Provident Fund and Miscellaneous Provision Act, 1948.
iii. Assam Tea PlantationProvident Fund and Miscellaneous Provision, 1955.
iv. Seamens’ Provident Fund Act, 1966.
v. Jammu Kashmir Employees’ Provident Fund & Miscellaneous Provision Act,
1961.
vi. Any other statutory social security scheme.
5. How much pension will be received under APY?
Guaranteed minimum pension of Rs 1,000/-, 2,000/-, 3,000/-, 4,000 and 5,000/- per
month will be given at the age of 60 years depending on the contributions by the
subscribers.
6. What is the benefit in joining APY scheme?
In APY, Government will co-contribute 50% of the total contribution or Rs. 1,000/- per
annum, whichever is lower, to the eligible APY account holders who join the scheme
during the period 1st June, 2015 to 31st December, 2015. The Government co-
contribution will be given for 5 years from FY 2015-16 to 2019-20.
7. How are the contributions of APY invested?
The contributions under APY are invested as per the investment guidelines prescribed
by Ministry of Finance, Government of India. The APY scheme is administered by
PFRDA/GOVERNMENT.
8. What is the procedure for opening APY Account?
i Approach the bank branch where individual’s savings bank account is held.
ii Fill up the APY registration form.
iii Provide Aadhaar/Mobile Number.
iv Ensure keeping the required balance in the savings bank account for transfer of
monthly contribution.
9. Whether Aadhaar Number is compulsory for joining the scheme?
It is not mandatory to provide Aadhaar number for opening APY account. However,
For enrolment, Aadhaar would be the primary KYC document for identification of
beneficiaries, spouse and nominees to avoid pension rights and entitlement related
disputes in the long-term.
10.Can I open APY Account without savings bank account?
No. For joining APY, savings bank account is mandatory.
11.What is the mode of contribution to the account?
All the contributions are to be remitted monthly through auto-debit facility from
savings bank account of the subscriber.
12.What is the due date for monthly contribution?
The due date for monthly contribution will be as per the initial date of deposit of
contribution into APY.
13.What will happen if required or sufficient amount is not maintained in the savings
bank account for contribution on the due date?
Non-maintenance of required balance in the savings bank account for contribution on the
specified date will be considered as default. Banks are required to collect additional
amount for delayed payments, such amount will vary from minimum Re 1 per month to Rs
10/- per month as shown below:
i. Re. 1 per month for contribution upto Rs. 100 per month.
ii. Re. 2 per month for contribution upto Rs. 101 to 500/- per month.
iii. Re 5 per month for contribution between Rs 501/- to 1000/- per month.
iv. Rs 10 per month for contribution beyond Rs 1001/- per month.
Discontinuation of payments of contribution amount shall lead to following:
After 6 months account will be frozen.
After 12 months account will be deactivated.
After 24 months account will be closed.
Subscriber should ensure that the Bank account to be funded enough for auto debit of
contribution amount.
The fixed amount of interest/penalty will remain as part of the pension corpus of the
subscriber.
14.How much should I invest in APY to get the guaranteed pension of Rs. 1000?
Age of         Years of          Indicative monthly
Joining        contribution  Contribution
18                 42.                       42
20.                 40.                       50
25                  35                        76
30                  30                        116
35                  25.                       181
40                  20.                        291

All the contributions are to be remitted monthly through auto debit facility from
savings bank account of the subscriber.
*For detailed age wise contribution refer Annexure 1.
15.Is it required to furnish nomination while joining the scheme?
Yes. It is mandatory to provide nominee details in APY account. The spouse details are
also mandatory wherever applicable. Their aadhaar details are also to be provided.
16.How many APY accounts I can open?
A subscriber can open only one APY account and it is unique.
17.Will there be any option to increase or decrease the monthly contribution for higher
or lower pension amount?
The subscribers can opt to decrease or increase pension amount during the course of
accumulation phase, as per the available monthly pension amounts. However, the
switching option shall be provided once in year during the month of April.
18.What is the withdrawal procedure from APY?
A. On attaining the age of 60 years:
The exit from APY is permitted at the age with 100% annuitisation of pension wealth.
On exit, pension would be available to the subscriber.
B. In case of death of the Subscriber due to any cause:
In case of death of subscriber pension would be available to the spouse and on the death of both of them (subscriber and spouse), the pension corpus would be
returned to his nominee.
C. Exit Before the age of 60 Years:
The Exit before age 60 would be permitted only in exceptional circumstances, i.e., in
the event of the death of beneficiary or terminal disease.
19.How will I know the status of my contribution?
The status of contributions will be intimated to the registered mobile number of the
subscriber by way of periodical SMS alerts. The Subscriber will also be receiving
physical Statement of Account.
20.Will I get any statement of transactions?
Yes. Periodic statement of APY account will be provided to the subscribers.
21.If I move my residence/city, how can I make contributions to APY account?
The contributions may be remitted through auto debit uninterruptedly even in case of
dislocation.
22.What will happen to existing subscribers in Swavalamban Yojana?
 All the registered subscribers under Swavalamban Yojana aged between 18-40 yrs will
be automatically migrated to APY with an option to opt out. However, the benefit of
five years of Government Co-contribution under APY would be available only to the
extent availed by the Swavalamban subscriber already. This would imply that if, as a
Swavalamban beneficiary, he has received the benefit of government Co-Contribution
of 1 year, then the Government co-contribution under APY would be available only for
4 years and so on. Existing Swavalamban beneficiaries opting out from the proposed
APY will be given Government co-contribution till 2016-17, if eligible, and the NPS  Swavalamban continued till such people attain the age of exit under that scheme.
 Other subscribers above 40 years who do not wish to continue may opt out of the
scheme with lump sum withdrawal.
 Subscribers above 40 years may also opt to continue till the age of 60 years and
eligible for annuities.
 The existing Swavalamban scheme may be automatically migrated to APY

Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana

RULES FOR THE PRADHAN MANTRI SURAKSHA BIMA YOJANA
DETAILS OF THE SCHEME:
The scheme will be a one year cover, renewable from year to year, Accident Insurance
Scheme offering accidental death and disability cover for death or disability on account
of an accident. The scheme would be offered / administered through Public Sector
General Insurance Companies (PSGICs) and other General Insurance companies
willing to offer the product on similar terms with necessary approvals and tie up with
Banks for this purpose. Participating banks will be free to engage any such insurance
company for implementing the scheme for their subscribers.
Scope of coverage: All savings bank account holders in the age 18 to 70 years in
participating banks will be entitled to join. In case of multiple saving bank accounts held
by an individual in one or different banks, the person would be eligible to join the
scheme through one savings bank account only. Aadhar would be the primary KYC for
the bank account.
Enrollment Modality / Period: The cover shall be for the one year period stretching
from 1st June to 31st May for which option to join / pay by auto-debit from the designated
savings bank account on the prescribed forms will be required to be given by 31st May
of every year, extendable up to 31st August 2015 in the initial year. Initially on launch,
the period for joining may be extended by Govt. of India for another three months, i.e.
up to 30th of November, 2015. Joining subsequently on payment of full annual premium
may be possible on specified terms. However, applicants may give an indefinite / longer
option for enrolment / auto-debit, subject to continuation of the scheme with terms as
may be revised on the basis of past experience. Individuals who exit the scheme at any
point may re-join the scheme in future years through the above modality. New entrants
into the eligible category from year to year or currently eligible individuals who did not
join earlier shall be able to join in future years while the scheme is continuing.
Benefits: As per the following table:
Table of Benefits Sum Insured
a. Death Rs. 2 Lakh
b. Total and irrecoverable loss of both eyes or loss of use
of both hands or feet or loss of sight of one eye and
loss of use of hand or foot
Rs. 2 Lakh
c. Total and irrecoverable loss of sight of one eye or loss
of use of one hand or foot
Rs. 1 Lakh
Premium: Rs.12/- per annum per member. The premium will be deducted from the
account holder’s savings bank account through ‘auto debit’ facility in one installment on
or before 1
st June of each annual coverage period under the scheme. However, in
cases where auto debit takes place after 1st June, the cover shall commence from the
first day of the month following the auto debit.
The premium would be reviewed based on annual claims experience. However, barring
unforeseen adverse outcomes of extreme nature, efforts would be made to ensure that
there is no upward revision of premium in the first three years.
Eligibility Conditions:
The savings bank account holders of the participating banks aged between 18 years
(completed) and 70 years (age nearer birthday) who give their consent to join / enable
auto-debit, as per the above modality, will be enrolled into the scheme.
Master Policy Holder: Participating Bank will be the Master policy holder on behalf of
the participating subscribers. A simple and subscriber friendly administration & claim
settlement process shall be finalized by the respective general insurance company in
consultation with the participating Banks.
Termination of cover: The accident cover for the member shall terminate on any of the
following events and no benefit will be payable there under:
1) On attaining age 70 years (age nearest birth day).
2) Closure of account with the Bank or insufficiency of balance to keep the
insurance in force.
3) In case a member is covered through more than one account and premium is
received by the Insurance Company inadvertently, insurance cover will be
restricted to one only and the premium shall be liable to be forfeited.
4) If the insurance cover is ceased due to any technical reasons such as insufficient
balance on due date or due to any administrative issues, the same can be
reinstated on receipt of full annual premium, subject to conditions that may be
laid down. During this period, the risk cover will be suspended and reinstatement
of risk cover will be at the sole discretion of Insurance Company.
5) Participating banks will deduct the premium amount in the same month when the
auto debit option is given, preferably in May of every year, and remit the amount
due to the Insurance Company in that month itself.
Administration:
The scheme, subject to the above, will be administered as per the standard procedure
stipulated by the Insurance Company. The data flow process and data proforma will be
provided separately.
It will be the responsibility of the participating bank to recover the appropriate annual
premium from the account holders within the prescribed period through ‘auto-debit’
process.
Enrollment form / Auto-debit authorization in the prescribed proforma shall be obtained
and retained by the participating bank. In case of claim, the Insurance Company may
seek submission of the same. Insurance Company reserves the right to call for these
documents at any point of time.
The acknowledgement slip may be made into an acknowledgement slip-cum-certificate
of insurance.
The experience of the scheme will be monitored on yearly basis for re-calibration etc.,
as may be necessary.
Appropriation of Premium:
1) Insurance Premium to Insurance Company: Rs.10/- per annum per member
2) Reimbursement of Expenses to BC/Micro/Corporate/Agent : Rs.1/- per annum
per member
3) Reimbursement of Administrative expenses to participating Bank: Rs.1/- per
annum per member
The proposed date of commencement of the scheme will be 1st June 2015.The next
Annual renewal date shall be each successive 1
st of June in subsequent years.
The scheme is liable to be discontinued prior to commencement of a new future renewal
date if circumstances so require.

RSBY- How it works

RSBY involves a set of complex and inter-related activities. These activities are shown in the form of a flow chart. The broad sets of activities are given as follows:

| Financing for RSBY

RSBY is a Government sponsored scheme for the BPL population of India. The majority of the financing, about 75 percent, is provided by the Government of India (GOI), while the remainder is paid by the respective state government. Government of India’s contribution is 90 percent in case of North-eastern states and Jammu and Kashmir and respective state Governments need to pay only 10% of the premium.

Beneficiaries need to pay only Rs. 30 as the registration fee. This amount shall be used for incurring administrative expenses under the scheme.

| Selection of Insurance Company

State governments engage in a competitive public bidding process and select a public or private insurance company licensed to provide health insurance by the Insurance Regulatory Development Authority (IRDA) or enabled by a Central legislation. The technical bids submitted must include a number of elements as per GOI requirements. All the bids which are technically qualified go to the financial evaluation stage. The insurer with the lowest financial bid is then selected for providing health insurance in the state for a particular district/ set of districts. The financial bid is essentially an annual premium per enrolled household. The insurer must agree to cover the benefit package prescribed by GOI through a cashless facility that in turn requires the use of smart cards which conform to certain specifications and must be issued to all members.

Each contract is specified on the basis of an individual district in a state and the insurer agrees to set up an office in each district. While more than one insurer can operate in a particular state, only one insurer can operate in a single district at any given point in time.

| Preparation of BPL Data

RSBY provides health insurance for the enrolled BPL families from each district up to a maximum number of households based on the definition and the figures provided for each state by the union Planning Commission. State Government must prepare and submit the BPL data in an electronic format specified by Government of India. The format requires details of all the family members including name, father or husband’s name for the head of household, age, gender and relationship with the head of household. Respective State Governments need to convert their existing BPL data in this format for each district and send these data to Government of India which in turn checks the compatibility of this data with the standard format. However, state governments alone are responsible for the accuracy of their BPL lists. Preparation of BPL data in the specified format is necessary for implementing the scheme in the district.

| Enrollment of Beneficiaries

An electronic list of eligible BPL households is provided to the insurer using a pre-specified data format. An enrollment schedule for each village, along with dates, is prepared by the insurance company with the help of the district level officials. As per the schedule, the BPL list is posted in each village at enrollment station and prominent places prior to the enrollment and the date and location of the enrolment in the village is publicized in advance. Mobile enrollment stations are set up at local centers (e.g., public schools) at each village. These stations are equipped by the insurer with the hardware required to collect biometric information (fingerprints) and photographs of the members of the household covered and a printer to print smart cards with a photo. The smart card, along with an information pamphlet describing the scheme and the list of hospitals, is provided on the spot once the beneficiary has paid the 30 rupee fee. The process normally takes less than ten minutes. The cards are handed over in a plastic cover.

A government officer (called Field Key Officer – FKO) needs to be present and must insert his/ her own, government-issued smart card to verify the legitimacy of the enrolment. (In this way, each enrollee can be tracked to a particular state government official). In addition to the FKO, an insurance company representative/ smart card agency representative must be present. At the end of the each day of enrolment, the list of households which have been issued smart cards is sent to the state nodal agency. This list of enrolled households is maintained centrally and is the basis for financial transfers from the Government of India to the state governments.

RSBY has a provision whereby an insurer has to hire intermediaries (e.g. NGOs, MFIs, etc.) to provide grassroots outreach and assist members in utilizing the services after enrollment.

| Empanelment of Health Care Providers

After the insurance company is selected, they need to empanel both public and private health care providers in the project and nearby districts. The empanelment of the hospitals is done based on prescribed criteria. Empanelment of hospitals shall be done as soon as the insurer gets the contract and it can continue simultaneously with the enrollment of the beneficiaries. The insurer shall empanel enough hospitals in the district so that beneficiaries need not travel very far to get the heath care services. For empanelment of the public hospitals, the insurer needs to coordinate with respective health department of the state.

These hospitals should install necessary hardware and software so that smart card transactions can be processed. They should also set up a special RSBY desk with a trained staff. The hospital list should allow for both public and private hospitals who agree to participate. The insurer must also provide a list of RSBY empanelled hospitals, to the beneficiaries at the time of enrollment. This list can be revised at periodic intervals as more and more hospitals are added in the list. When empanelment takes place, a nationally unique hospital ID number is generated so that transactions can be tracked at each hospital.

| Utilisation of Services by Beneficiaries

The transaction process begins when the member visits the participating hospital. After reaching the hospital, beneficiary will visit the RSBY help desk at hospital where his identity will be verified by his photograph and fingerprints which are stored on his/her smart card.

If a diagnosis leads to a hospitalization, the assistant at the help desk checks whether the procedure is in the list of pre-specified packages. If the procedure is in the list, the appropriate prescribed package is selected from the menu. If the procedure is not in the package list, the help desk assistant checks with the insurer regarding the price for that procedure. Upon release of the beneficiary from the hospital, the card is again swiped along with finger print verification and the pre-specified cost of the procedure is deducted from the amount available on the card. The beneficiary is also paid by the hospital Rs. 100 as transportation expense at the time of the discharge. However, total transportation assistance cannot exceed Rs. 1000/- per year and it is part of Rs. 30,000/- coverage. No proof is required to be submitted by the beneficiary to get the transportation assistance.

| Claim Settlement

After rendering the service to the patient, the hospitals need to send an electronic report to the insurer/ Third Party Administrator (TPA). The Insurer/ TPA after going through the records information will make the payment to the hospital within a specified time period which has been agreed between the Insurer and the hospital.

| Portability of Smart Card

On receipt of the smart card and consequent to the commencement of the policy, the beneficiary shall be able to use health service facilities in any of the RSBY empanelled hospital across India. Any hospital which is empanelled under RSBY by any insurance company will provide cashless treatment to the beneficiary.

| Monitoring and Evaluation

Information relating to transactions that take place each day at each hospital is sent through a phone line to a district server. A separate set of pre-formatted tables are generated for the insurer and for the government respectively. This allows the insurer to track claims, transfer funds to the hospitals and investigate in the case of suspicious claim patterns through on-site audits. Visit the site for further details

http://www.rsby.gov.in/index.aspx

RSBY- About the scheme

| Health Insurance for the Poor

For people living below poverty line, an illness not only represents a permanent threat to their income earning capacity, in many cases it could result in the family falling into a debt trap. When the need to get the treatment arises for poor families they often ignore it because of lack of resources, fearing wage loss, or wait till the last moment when it’s too late. Even if they do decide to get the desired health care it consumes their savings, forces them to sell their assets and property or cut other important spending like children’s education. Alternatively they have to take on huge debts. Ignoring the treatment may lead to unnecessary suffering and death while selling property or taking debts may end a family’s hope of ever escaping poverty.

These tragic outcomes can be avoided through a health insurance which shares the risk of a major health shock across many households by pooling them together. A well designed and implemented health insurance may both increase access to healthcare and may even improve its quality over time.

| Genesis of RSBY

In the past Government have tried to provide a health insurance cover to selected beneficiaries either at the State level or National level. However, most of these schemes were not able to achieve their intended objectives. Often there were issues with either the design and/ or implementation of these schemes.

Keeping this background in mind, Government of India decided to design a health insurance scheme which not only avoids the pitfalls of the earlier schemes but goes a step beyond and provides a world class model. A critical review of the existing and earlier health insurance schemes was done with the objective of learning from their good practices as well as seeks lessons from the mistakes. After taking all this into account and also reviewing other successful models of health insurance in the world in similar settings, Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojna was designed.

Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana or RSBY started rolling from 1st April 2008.

| What is RSBY?

RSBY has been launched by Ministry of Labour and Employment, Government of India to provide health insurance coverage for Below Poverty Line (BPL) families. The objective of RSBY is to provide protection to BPL households from financial liabilities arising out of health shocks that involve hospitalization. Beneficiaries under RSBY are entitled to hospitalization coverage up to Rs. 30,000/- for most of the diseases that require hospitalization. Government has even fixed the package rates for the hospitals for a large number of interventions. Pre-existing conditions are covered from day one and there is no age limit. Coverage extends to five members of the family which includes the head of household, spouse and up to three dependents. Beneficiaries need to pay only Rs. 30/- as registration fee while Central and State Government pays the premium to the insurer selected by the State Government on the basis of a competitive bidding.

| Unique Features of RSBY

The RSBY scheme is not the first attempt to provide health insurance to low income workers by the Government in India. The RSBY scheme, however, differs from these schemes in several important ways.

Empowering the beneficiary – RSBY provides the participating BPL household with freedom of choice between public and private hospitals and makes him a potential client worth attracting on account of the significant revenues that hospitals stand to earn through the scheme. Business Model for all Stakeholders – The scheme has been designed as a business model for a social sector scheme with incentives built for each stakeholder. This business model design is conducive both in terms of expansion of the scheme as well as for its long run sustainability. • Insurers – The insurer is paid premium for each household enrolled for RSBY. Therefore, the insurer has the motivation to enroll as many households as possible from the BPL list. This will result in better coverage of targeted beneficiaries. • Hospitals – A hospital has the incentive to provide treatment to large number of beneficiaries as it is paid per beneficiary treated. Even public hospitals have the incentive to treat beneficiaries under RSBY as the money from the insurer will flow directly to the concerned public hospital which they can use for their own purposes. Insurers, in contrast, will monitor participating hospitals in order to prevent unnecessary procedures or fraud resulting in excessive claims. • Intermediaries – The inclusion of intermediaries such as NGOs and MFIs which have a greater stake in assisting BPL households. The intermediaries will be paid for the services they render in reaching out to the beneficiaries. • Government – By paying only a maximum sum up to Rs. 750/- per family per year, the Government is able to provide access to quality health care to the below poverty line population. It will also lead to a healthy competition between public and private providers which in turn will improve the functioning of the public health care providers. Information Technology (IT) Intensive – For the first time IT applications are being used for social sector scheme on such a large scale. Every beneficiary family is issued a biometric enabled smart card containing their fingerprints and photographs. All the hospitals empanelled under RSBY are IT enabled and connected to the server at the district level. This will ensure a smooth data flow regarding service utilization periodically. Safe and foolproof – The use of biometric enabled smart card and a key management system makes this scheme safe and foolproof. The key management system of RSBY ensures that the card reaches the correct beneficiary and there remains accountability in terms of issuance of the smart card and its usage. The biometric enabled smart card ensures that only the real beneficiary can use the smart card. Portability – The key feature of RSBY is that a beneficiary who has been enrolled in a particular district will be able to use his/ her smart card in any RSBY empanelled hospital across India. This makes the scheme truly unique and beneficial to the poor families that migrate from one place to the other. Cards can also be split for migrant workers to carry a share of the coverage with them separately. Cash less and Paperless transactions – A beneficiary of RSBY gets cashless benefit in any of the empanelled hospitals. He/ she only needs to carry his/ her smart card and provide verification through his/ her finger print. For participating providers it is a paperless scheme as they do not need to send all the papers related to treatment to the insurer. They send online claims to the insurer and get paid electronically. Robust Monitoring and Evaluation – RSBY is evolving a robust monitoring and evaluation system. An elaborate backend data management system is being put in place which can track any transaction across India and provide periodic analytical reports. The basic information gathered by government and reported publicly should allow for mid-course improvements in the scheme. It may also contribute to competition during subsequent tender processes with the insurers by disseminating the data and reports. Visit the site for further details

http://www.rsby.gov.in/index.aspx