Royal Enfield bikes, tractors among prizes in MP govt's quiz outreach for students, farmers

As part of its celebration of the Farmers Welfare Year, the Madhya Pradesh government recently conducted quizzes under which participants received prizes worth lakhs. Two quiz competions were conducted. The first had questions focusing on Lord Krishna and the second competition targeted farmers. (Representative)These included Royal Enfield motorbikes, tractors and e-scooters, and farmers and students were among participants. “The aim is to create awareness about government initiatives,” said Shri Ram Tiwari, convener of culture department’s Veer Bharat Nyas and Krishna Pathey, the two programmes launched by chief minister Mohan Yadav.Tiwari added that 2026 is being celebrated as farmer welfare year. “Under the Kisan Kalyan Swabhiman Parv programme, this competition has been launched for farmers," he said.Two major quizzes organisedTwo quiz competions were conducted. The first had questions focusing on Lord Krishna and the state's Krishna Pathey initiative, based on the 14 Vidyas and 64 Kalas of Lord Krishna.The second competition targeted farmers. Tiwari said over 16,000 farmers qualified by correctly answering all 40 questions in an online quiz in March but result announced on October 27. The farmers' quiz focused on governance and welfare schemes, with questions on MSP, PM Kisan Samman Nidhi, procurement processes and new agricultural infrastructure projects.“We are happy students learnt about the initiative and participated in large numbers. Now, 102 students from schools, colleges and universities will receive ₹1 lakh each," Tiwari said.He added that several Muslim students not only participated but also won, reflecting their interest in learning about India's cultural heritage.Tractors, Royal Enfield bikes among prizesPrizes for the quiz competitions were decided through a lottery system, Tiwari said, adding that 165 farmers from 55 districts won tractors, Royal Enfield motorcycles and e-scooters , all worth ₹6.5 crore. "They will be felicitated during the state's Foundation Day celebrations on November 1," he said.Talking more about the initiative, a government official said women are already covered through the Ladli Behna Yojana, under which beneficiaries receive ₹1,250 a month and the government through of a fresh communication channel for youth and farmers.“A farmer winning a motorcycle in a village creates more recall than a hoarding,” the officer quoted above said. A second official said the student quiz was part of the government's cultural outreach."In Madhya Pradesh, several schemes and initiatives are being launched in the name of Lord Krishna. Through this quiz, young people are being made aware of Lord Krishna and his connection to Madhya Pradesh, particularly Ujjain, where he is believed to have learned the 14 Kalas and 64 arts," the official said.Political analyst Girish Upadhyay said such initiatives create stronger recall than conventional welfare outreach."Unlike a direct benefit transfer, a prize won on stage creates goodwill between the citizen and the government. The winner becomes a brand ambassador of the scheme in his village. It also drives behavioural outcomes, as a farmer who answers questions on natural farming or water conservation is more likely to remember them. Similarly, youth may become more aware of culture department initiatives," he said.The opposition however questioned the government's efforts towards farmers. "This year, farmers staged protests repeatedly for moong price, fertiliser, and now for electricity to irrigate the land so the government didn’t do any welfare of farmers. Distributing tractors and Bullet motorcycles is fine, but the state government should focus on resolving real issues faced by farmers, such as fertiliser availability, timely compensation for crop losses and ensuring fair prices for agricultural produce," said KK Mishra, Congress spokesperson.