Q. Consider the following statements about Gramin Agricultural Markets (GrAMs) announced in Budget 2018:

1. These are types of rural haats where farmers can directly sell to consumers and bulk purchasers
2. The physical infrastructure in the proposed GrAMs will be strengthened using MGNREGA scheme
3. GrAMs will be directly linked to e-NAM and exempted from regulations of APMCs

Which of the above statements is/are correct?
Answer: 1, 2 & 3
Notes: In Budget 2018, the government announced to convert the existing 22,000 rural haats in the country into Gramin Agricultural Markets (GrAMs). These GrAMs will allow farmers to sell their agricultural produce directly to consumers and bulk producers. The physical infrastructure in the proposed GrAMs will be strengthened using MGNREGA and other schemes. These GrAMs will be linked electronically to e-NAM and exempted from regulations of APMCs.