PM-KISAN completes 19 successful installments

Recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi released the 19th installment of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme.

Financial Assistance to Farmers: Over ₹3.46 lakh crore has been disbursed in 18 installments, benefiting millions of farmers directly. The 19th installment alone reached 9.8 crore farmers, including 2.41 crore women beneficiaries.
Technological Integration: The introduction of digital infrastructure, such as the PM-KISAN mobile app with a face authentication feature and AI chatbot ‘Kisan-eMitra,’ has streamlined grievance redressal and beneficiary verification.
Transparency and Inclusion: The scheme eliminates middlemen through Aadhaar-seeded bank transfers, ensuring direct and timely financial support to farmers. Common Service Centres (CSCs) and state government officials facilitate easy registration and e-KYC completion.

Direct Cash Transfers for Agricultural Stability: Small and marginal farmers receive ₹6,000 annually in three installments, helping them manage input costs and avoid debt traps.
Enhanced Digital Governance: The integration of AI-driven chatbots, mobile applications, and Common Service Centres has improved accessibility and transparency in fund disbursement.
Women Farmer Empowerment: With 2.41 crore female beneficiaries in the latest installment, the scheme plays a role in ensuring gender-inclusive agricultural welfare.

PM-KISAN Scheme is a Central Sector Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) Scheme with an objective of providing financial support to small and marginal farmer families(these families collectively hold or own up to 2 hectares of land).
The farmer families receive an income support of ₹6,000 per year, which will be distributed in 3 equal installments over the year.
Initially the PM-KISAN Scheme was to provide income support exclusively to Small and Marginal Farmers’ families owning cultivable land up to 2 hectares. However, The scheme was subsequently expanded to encompass all farmer families in the country.
Eligibility: According to PM-KISAN Scheme- a family is defined as comprising a husband, wife, and minor children. This helps to determine the eligibility and ensures that the support reaches the rightful beneficiaries.
The responsibility of identifying eligible farmer families rests with State Governments and Union Territory administrations.
A hallmark of the PM-KISAN Scheme is its direct benefit transfer mechanism. The financial support is electronically transferred directly into the bank accounts of eligible beneficiaries which ensures transparency, reduces intermediaries, and expedites the distribution of funds.

Increase Financial Assistance: Given inflation and rising agricultural costs, revising the annual assistance amount to match real-time needs could enhance the scheme’s impact.
Targeted Beneficiary Expansion: Identifying and including tenant farmers, landless labourers, and sharecroppers under the scheme will address gaps in farmer welfare.
Better Linkages with Agricultural Policies: PM-KISAN should integrate with agricultural reforms like better Minimum Support Price (MSP) implementation, credit access, and crop insurance to provide holistic support to farmers.

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