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Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM… — Govt Scheme for UPSC | Vaidra
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  4. Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN)

Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN)

Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers WelfareactiveagricultureLaunched: 2019-02-24

About the Scheme

PM-KISAN provides income support of ₹6,000 per year to all landholding farmer families, paid in three installments of ₹2,000 directly to bank accounts. 21 installments completed; 9.8 crore farmers covered per installment; ₹4.09 lakh crore disbursed since inception in 2019.

Target Beneficiaries: 9.8 crore farmer families; 21 installments completed; ₹4.09 lakh crore total disbursed since 2019

Official Website →

✦Key Features

  • ₹6,000 per year in 3 installments of ₹2,000 each (DBT to bank accounts)
  • 21 installments completed by Feb 2025; 9.8 crore farmers covered per installment
  • Total disbursement: ₹4.09 lakh crore since inception (2019)
  • All landholding farmer families eligible regardless of size of land
  • e-KYC mandatory for receiving benefits (face authentication available)
  • PM-KISAN Mobile App for self-registration, status tracking, and e-KYC
  • Beneficiary list managed by States/UTs and verified with Aadhaar

✓Eligibility Criteria

  • All landholding farmer families across the country
  • Small and marginal farmers (up to 2 hectares)
  • Large farmers also covered (from February 2019)
  • Families should be identified through land records

★Benefits

  • Rs. 2,000 transferred every four months (April-July, August-November, December-March)
  • Direct transfer eliminates middlemen
  • Helps meet expenses for seeds, fertilizers, and other inputs
  • Provides liquidity to farmers
  • Supports agricultural productivity

▶Application Process

  • Self-registration at PM-KISAN web portal
  • Registration through Common Service Centre (CSC)
  • Submit application with required documents
  • Verification by concerned revenue officials
  • Receive installments in bank account every four months

₹ Budget Allocation

63500

Funding Ratio (Centre:State): 100% Central Sector Scheme

Exam Relevance

GS Paper: GS3

Prelims Relevance9%
Mains Relevance9%

Syllabus Tags

AgricultureFarmers WelfareDirect Benefit TransferGS3

Historical Context

Announced in the Interim Budget 2019, initially for Small and Marginal Farmers (SMFs), later extended to all landholding farmers.

Exclusion Criteria

  • Institutional landholders
  • Income tax payers
  • Retired pensioners with pension > ₹10,000
  • Professionals (Doctors, Engineers, etc.)

Sub-Schemes

PM Kisan Maandhan Yojana

Voluntary pension scheme for PM-KISAN beneficiaries

Challenges

  • Exclusion of tenant farmers and sharecroppers
  • Inaccurate or outdated land records in several states
  • Banking bottlenecks in 'last-mile' delivery
  • Recovery issues from ineligible beneficiaries

Reforms & Recommendations

  • Including tenant farmers based on cultivation certificates
  • Increasing the annual amount to adjust for inflation
  • Linking payments with sustainable farming practices (Cross-compliance)

Performance Statistics

Metric

₹3.2+ Lakh Crore

Source: PIB / Agri Ministry

Metric

9.26 Crore

Source: Agri Ministry

Critical Analysis

PM-KISAN is a landmark shift from 'price support' (MSP) to 'income support.' It provides liquidity to farmers for agricultural inputs, reducing dependence on local moneylenders. However, its effectiveness is hindered by the exclusion of tenant farmers and landless laborers who comprise a significant portion of the distressed workforce. The fixed amount of ₹6000 has also seen its real value erode due to input inflation since 2019. Land record digitization remains the primary bottleneck for seamless implementation.

SDG Linkages

SDG 2 (Zero Hunger)SDG 1 (No Poverty)

Constitutional Backing

Article 38 (Promoting the welfare of the people)Entry 14 List II (Agriculture is a State subject, but the scheme is Central Sector)

Technology Used

Aadhaar-seeded databasePublic Financial Management System (PFMS)PM-KISAN Mobile App with Face Authentication

Success Stories

Highest Beneficiary Coverage

Key Takeaways

  • ₹6,000 per year in three equal installments.
  • Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) to bank accounts.
  • State governments identify beneficiaries.

Previous Year Questions

2022
2022
2023

Probable Questions

Can PM-KISAN be considered a precursor to Universal Basic Income (UBI) for the Indian agricultural sector?

ModerateMedium

Mains Answer Fodder

Utility: 1. Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) efficiency. 2. Tackling rural consumption slowdown. 3. Comparison with Rythu Bandhu (Telangana) and KALIA (Odisha). 4. Use in discussing 'Agricultural Reforms' and 'Formalization of Rural Economy'.

Convergence Schemes

  • PM Kisan Maandhan Yojana (Pension)
  • PM Fasal Bima Yojana (Insurance)
  • e-NAM

Sector Tags

AgricultureDirect Benefit TransferSocial Welfare