Why it is in the news
Maharashtra declared drought in 265 of its 358 talukas by a Government Resolution issued on 25-26 September 2026, after a weak monsoon and an emerging El Niño; Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis described it as the worst drought since 1972. In the same week the state began issuing Woman Farmer Certificates (from 2 October 2026, Gandhi Jayanti) under the Maharashtra Women Farmers Empowerment Act, 2026, the first state law that recognises a woman as a farmer without a land title. The two developments together raise one question: who counts as a farmer when relief, credit and compensation are paid out in a drought year?
The exam angle
Issue: Can a state recognise women as farmers and respond to the worst drought in five decades with equal speed, so that relief reaches those who cultivate rather than those who own?