ROLLOUT OF WEATHER INFORMATION NETWORK DATA SYSTEM

The Weather Information Network and Data System (WINDS) is a Government initiative to set up a national network of Automatic Weather Stations and Automatic Rain Gauges, generating hyper‑local weather data for crop insurance, agricultural advisories and disaster‑risk resilience. Seven states/UTs have adopted WINDS, with 16,843 sites approved, civil work finished at 1,188 sites and 892 AWS/ARGs installed. Under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, the Yield Estimation System‑Technology (YES‑TECH) was launched from Kharif 2023 for paddy, wheat and soybean, covering 12 states and 344 districts in 2025‑26, with state‑specific weightage. The government has also created the National Crop Insurance Portal and the Digiclaim Module, introducing a 12 % penalty for delayed claim payments and mandating the Crop Loss Assessment App for all states/UTs.