MUKUNDA RAO, BNAGESH, HANUMANTHU2020-02-292020-02-292019http://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/5810143985D5925Research study entitled “A Critical Study on Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana in Srikakulam District of Andhra Pradesh” was under taken to study the profile characteristics of beneficiaries of PMFBY, knowledge, opinion levels of beneficiaries about Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, relationship between profile with knowledge and opinion levels of beneficiaries under Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana and aims to elucidate the constraints faced by the farmers and suggestions given by them to overcome the constraints and finally to formulate the strategies for effective implementation of Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana. The study was taken up in three mandals of Srikakulam district with a sample size of 120 members. Thirteen independent variables with knowledge and opinion as dependent variable were studied. The farmers interviewed personally by a well structured interview schedule. The data was coded, tabulated and analyzed using suitable statistical tools. The profile of the beneficiaries of PMFBY revealed that majority of the farmers were middle aged, educated up to middle school, had less than 2 hectors of land holdings, 21 to 30 years of farming experience, medium annual income, untrained, medium level of mass media utilization, material possession, extension contact. Bank officers and Mandal agricultural officers were consulted by the majority of beneficiaries to seek the information about PMFBY. The study also revealed that majority of beneficiaries had frequently faced disasters like floods, heat waves, droughts and the disaster occurrence pattern is high. Regarding to psychological variables, majority of respondents were under medium level of scientific orientation and risk orientation. Most of the beneficiaries had took the loan from co-operative societies. Majority of the farmers had medium level of the knowledge regarding PMFBY. Majority of the beneficiaries had knowledge about the premium rates, crops covered under kharif, rabi and horticultural crops, intimation of losses about the crops within the particular period of time, reason for failure PMFBY, source of premium for crop insurance. Majority of the farmers had low level of knowledge on aspects like xii indemnity of crop damage excluded during losses of war and nuclear risks, companies provide insurance to beneficiaries in srikakulam under this scheme, PMFBY is optional for non-farmers etc., Basis for implementation of PMFBY Majority of the beneficiaries had medium level of opinion about PMFBY. Majority of beneficiaries had favorable opinion on items like PMFBY providing financial support to farmers suffering crop damage arising out of unforeseen events. Usage of smart phones and drone for assessment of crop damage is a ideal measure. More involvement of insurance companies for settlement of claims, lower premium rates than usage of IT in settlement of claims, Premium should be payed by the government. Out of thirteen independent variables farming experience, annual income, education showed positive and non-significant association with the knowledge. Disaster occurrence pattern, extension contact, land holdings, mass media utilization, training undergone, scientific orientation, risk orientation showed positive and significant association with the knowledge at one per cent level of significance. Crop loan availed, material possession, showed positive and significant relationship with the knowledge at five per cent level of significance. The variable age showed negative and non- significant relationship towards the knowledge of PMFBY beneficiaries. The farming experience, annual income, material possession showed positive and non-significant relationship. The variables like landholdings, extension contact, disaster occurrence pattern, mass media utilization, training undergone, crop loan availed, scientific orientation, risk orientation, showed positive and significant relationship at one per cent level of significance towards the beneficiaries of PMFBY. The variables like age, education showed negative and non- significant relationship with the opinion of beneficiaries of PMFBY. Multiple linear regression analysis gave the “R2” value of 0.564 indicated that all the selected fourteen profile characteristics put together, explained about 56.40 per cent variation in the level of knowledge in beneficiaries of PMFBY. Remaining 43.60 per cent is due to the extraneous effects of the variables. The “R2” value of 0.456 indicated that all the selected thirteen profile characteristics put together, explained about 45.60 per cent variation in the level of opinion in beneficiaries of PMFBY. Remaining 54.40 per cent is due to the extraneous effects of the variables. The problems faced by the beneficiaries in PMFBY were Lack of knowledge regarding to PMFBY, lack of awareness of benefits of PMFBY, less compensatation offered in crop insurance scheme, delay in payment of compensatation, Rate of premium is not universal for all crops, on-line registration and assessment of risk complexity in PMFBY, unavailability of experts for assessment of loss at visit time, lack of coordination between banks and farmers and high rate of premium. Suggestion made by the beneficiaries to overcome the constraints in PMFBY were procedure of the scheme should be simplified, organization of awareness programmes for farmers regarding PMFBY, organization of training programmes on efilling of insurance and benefit of the farmers, payment of premium by the government for farmers below the poverty regarding pmfby, premium rate may be decreased, avoid delay in payment of compensatation, increase the number of extension agents, maintain universal premium for all crops, improve linkage between banks and farmers, unit area may be of individual or a village level, improve socio-economic conditions of the farmers and increase the insurance agents in rural areas.en-USnullThesis