<br/>Cabinet has given its ex-post facto approval for interest waiver for the two months of November and December last year for farmers accessing short term crop loans from Cooperative Banks. <br/><br/>The decision also provides for interest subsidy to National Bank for Agricultural and Rural Development, NABARD on additional refinance by NABARD to cooperative banks. Farmers across the country availing short term crop loans from Cooperative Banks will be benefited by this. <br/><br/>The decision will ensure availability of resources with cooperative banks. It will also help farmers in easily accessing crop loans from these banks to overcome the difficulties in view of the reduction in availability of cash for carrying out Rabi operations. <br/><br/>Additional resources are to be provided to cooperative banks through NABARD for refinance to the cooperative banks on account of the interest waiver. This will be extended by Cooperative Banks to the farmers in the current financial year. An additional financial liability of 1060.50 crore rupees will be required for this purpose. <br/><br/>Cabinet also approved ratification of the second commitment period of Kyoto Protocol on containing emission of Green House Gases. The second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol was adopted in 2012. Sixty five countries have ratified the Commitment Period so far. This decision further underlines India's leadership in the global cause of environmental protection and climate justice. Ratification of the Kyoto Protocol by India will encourage other developing countries also to undertake this exercise.<br/><br/>