Minimum Support Price — Policy Reforms

Entry	Year	Description	Impact
Policy Shift (not constitutional amendment)	1965	Establishment of the Agricultural Prices Commission (later CACP) and formalization of the MSP mechanism for major crops like wheat and paddy, marking a significant policy shift towards price support for agricultural produce.	Laid the foundation for India's food security strategy and incentivized farmers during the Green Revolution, leading to self-sufficiency in food grains.
PM-AASHA Scheme Introduction	2018	Introduction of the Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyan (PM-AASHA) as an umbrella scheme to ensure remunerative prices to farmers, incorporating PSS, PDPS, and PPS components.	Aimed to expand the effective reach of MSP beyond wheat and rice, particularly for pulses and oilseeds, and introduce alternative mechanisms like deficiency payments to reduce reliance on physical procurement.
Shift in Cost Calculation (Policy Interpretation)	2018	Government announced that MSPs would be fixed at a level of at least 1.5 times the A2+FL cost of production, fulfilling a long-standing demand and aligning with a key aspect of the Swaminathan Commission's recommendations.	Increased MSPs for various crops, aiming to provide better remuneration to farmers and address agricultural distress, though the debate on C2 vs A2+FL cost continues.