What is CROPIC?
CROPIC stands for Collection of Real‑Time Observations & Photo of Crops—an AI-driven initiative under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) launched by the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare.
Pilot Phase (Kharif 2025 & Rabi 2025–26):
- Deployed in 50 districts across diverse agro-climatic zones.
- For three major notified crops in each district.
How It Works:
- Crowdsourced Imagery: Farmers and officials click geo-tagged field photos (4–5 times/crop cycle) via the CROPIC mobile app.
- AI & Computer Vision: Cloud‑based AI analyzes images for crop type, growth stage, health, and damage.
- Dashboard Analytics: A web dashboard visualizes insights for officials, aiding real-time decision-making .
- Insurance Integration: Automates PMFBY claim assessments and payouts with photographic evidence.
Funding:
Supported by the Fund for Innovation & Technology (FIAT) under PMFBY, with a budget allocation of ₹825 crore .
Roadmap:
Initial pilots in 2025 seasons, nationwide implementation expected from 2026 for all PMFBY crops
UPSC Relevance
- GS Paper 3 (Technology in Agriculture): Use of AI and computer vision in improving crop health monitoring and risk management.
- GS Paper 2/3 (Governance & Scheme Implementation): Efficient execution of PMFBY and enhancements in agricultural insurance mechanisms.
- GS Paper 3 (Economy & Sustainable Development): Reliable farm data aiding in policy planning, crop insurance claims, and climate resilience.
Past-Year UPSC Question Linkage
While CROPIC itself hasn’t been directly asked, similar themes have appeared:
Prelims-Style (via ATIGyan sample):
Q: Which of the following correctly describes the purpose of CROPIC?
- Monitoring crop health and stress throughout the crop cycle.
- Automating crop loss assessment for faster insurance claim settlements.
- Providing real-time weather forecasts via the app.
- Creating a market platform for direct sales.
Answer: A) 1 and 2 only
This aligns directly with CROPIC’s core functions.
Mains-Style Linkage:
Previous UPSC questions on similar themes include:
- GS3 (2019): “Satellite remote sensing is used to estimate chlorophyll content, greenhouse gas emissions and land surface temperatures—discuss.”—Showcases tech in agri monitoring, analogous to CROPIC’s role in AI-driven imagery.
Summary Table
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Objective | Real-time crop health monitoring; automated PMFBY claims |
| Technology | AI + computer vision + crowdsourced geotagged photos |
| Coverage | Pilot in 50 districts (Kharif + Rabi 2025) → national rollout from 2026 |
| Budget | ₹825 crore under PMFBY’s FIAT fund |
| UPSC Linkages | GS3: Agri-tech, GS2/3: Scheme delivery and governance, GS3: Climate resilience |
Takeaway for UPSC Aspirants:
CROPIC is a prime example of integrating emerging technology into agricultural policy and insurance frameworks. It effectively addresses GS3 themes of “Science & Technology” and “Economy”, and GS2/3 themes of “Government Schemes” and “Sustainable Development”