Webinar Link

Meeting No: 2515 140 2255
Password: farmer

Certificate of Participants

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Abstract

Crop insurance plays a vital role in safeguarding farmers against financial losses arising from natural calamities, adverse weather conditions, pest infestations, and crop failures. As agriculture remains highly vulnerable to uncertainties, an effective crop insurance system enhances farmers’ resilience, supports income stability, and promotes sustainable agricultural development. This webinar aims to provide insights into the importance of crop insurance, recent policy developments, implementation challenges, and opportunities for improving coverage and accessibility. The discussion will contribute to a deeper understanding of risk mitigation strategies and the role of crop insurance in strengthening agricultural security and rural livelihoods.

About the Panel

Ashok Vishandass

Ashok Vishandass, Professor (Applied Economics) (IIPA) has interest in Sustainable Agriculture, Risk Management, International Trade & Commerce. As ex-Chairman (CACP) in the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare at the level of the Secretary to the Govt. of India, he has rich experience of formulation of Agriculture Price and Non-Price Policies, nuances of fixing MSP of various agriculture commodities. Before joining IIPA, he had also served FAO of United Nations Organisation (UNO) as the Chief Technical Adviser. In his stint with the UNO, he provided high-level technical and economic advice relating to Food Security, SDGs, agricultural Marketing and brought out eight Reports.

Prof. Ashok holds Ph.D. (Agri. Economics), M.A. (Economics) (University of Manchester), M.B.A. (Financial Management), PG Diploma in Population and Development (JNU), M. Stat. (Master of Statistics) (Gold Medalist).

Sandeep Kaur

Professor Sandeep Kaur is Professor in the Department of Economic Studies and Dean of the School of Social Sciences at the Central University of Punjab. She has over 22 years of teaching experience and 14 years each of research and administrative experience.Her areas of expertise include International Economics, Environmental Degradation, Political Economy, and Social Entrepreneurship. Her research interests focus on international trade, regional trade blocs, gravity models of trade, environmental externalities such as groundwater depletion and pesticide use, and land acquisition.

She has received several recognitions for her academic and research contributions, including Outstanding Research Awards from the Central University of Punjab and international academic appointments with institutions in South Africa. She has also edited books and published extensively in the areas of trade, development, and sustainability. Professor Kaur earned her Ph.D. in Economics from Guru Nanak Dev University in 2010 She qualified the UGC-NET examination in 2000 and completed her M.Sc. (Honours) in Economics and B.A. from Guru Nanak Dev University.

Archana Singh

Archana Singh is Associate Professor, Development Insurance, at the National Insurance Academy, Pune. She has over eleven years of experience in training, research, and consultancy in the areas of financial inclusion, social security schemes, microinsurance, social insurance, rural insurance, and agricultural insurance.Her areas of interest include experiential learning, soft skills development, self-leadership, and personal transformation facilitation. She teaches Economics, Microinsurance, and Individual and Group Behaviour.

Archana Singh has served as a resource person, expert, and committee member for several national initiatives led by UNDP, NABARD, NIRDPR, the Ministry of Rural Development, and other development organizations. She has contributed to curriculum development, financial inclusion programs, social security initiatives, and capacity-building efforts for rural livelihoods and women’s entrepreneurship. She has also been involved in multiple research and consultancy projects related to social security schemes, microinsurance, agricultural insurance, and financial inclusion for organizations such as the Ministry of Finance, LIC, Agriculture Insurance Company of India, IGNOU, and SERP. Her academic contributions include 11 national publications and presentations at both national and international conferences.

She holds a Ph.D. from the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, IIT Bombay, She is a Rural Management graduate from IRMA, an Associate of the Insurance Institute of India, and a Certified Trainer in Design of Training and Direct Training Skills accredited by Thames Valley University, UK, and the Department of Personnel and Training, Government of India.