“Ours is a Government fully committed to (PM-KISAN) Kisan Kalyan. It is therefore fitting that the first file signed on taking charge is related to farmer welfare. We want to keep working even more for the farmers and the agriculture sector in the coming times.” Prime Minister Narendra Modi
Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) 2024
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will release the 17th instalment of the PM-KISAN scheme in Varanasi today. More than 9.26 crore farmers will receive the benefits amounting to over Rs. 20,000 crore. So far, over Rs 3.04 lakh crores has already been disbursed to more than 11 crore farmers across the nation and with the release of the 17th instalment, the total amount transferred to the beneficiaries since the inception of the scheme will cross well over Rs 3.24 lakh crores.
Considering the need for positive supplementary income support for the farmer families in the country and to promote a productive, competitive, diversified, inclusive and sustainable agriculture sector, the Government of India launched the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) on February 02, 2019.
Under the scheme, the eligible farmer families are provided a benefit of Rs. 6000/- per year in three equal instalments of Rs. 2000/- each, every four months. The benefit is transferred directly to the bank accounts of eligible beneficiaries through Direct Benefit Transfer mode.
This initiative is one of the world’s largest Direct Benefit Transfer schemes, leveraging digital platforms for transparent enrollment, authentication, and nationwide coverage. By eliminating intermediaries, the scheme ensures equitable support reaches all deserving farmers, marking a significant step towards agricultural empowerment and financial inclusion.
PM-KISAN has given a further boost to India’s agricultural sector. By addressing farmers’ challenges in accessing resources, the scheme offers vital financial assistance, enabling them to invest in crop health maintenance, optimize yields, and approach their anticipated income levels with each cycle.
Crucially, PM-KISAN has disrupted the reliance on moneylenders, fostering sustainable farming practices and securing farmers’ livelihoods for the future.
PM-KISAN: Shining Example of Cooperative Federalism
The scheme is a shining example of cooperative federalism as the States register and verify the eligibility of farmers while the Government of India provides 100% funding for the scheme. The inclusive nature of the scheme is reflected in the fact that at least one out of four beneficiaries is a woman farmer, besides more than 85% of small and marginal farmers being the beneficiaries under the scheme.
PM-KISAN: Promoting Inclusivity
The inclusive nature of the scheme is reflected in the fact that at least one out of four beneficiaries is a woman farmer, besides more than 85% of small and marginal farmers being the beneficiaries under the scheme.
With an objective to make the scheme more efficient, effective, and transparent, continuous improvements in a farmer-centric digital infrastructure have been made to ensure the benefits of the scheme reach all the farmers across the country without any middleman involvement. The PM-KISAN portal has been integrated with the portals of UIDAI, PFMS, NPCI, and the Income Tax department. The States/ UTs and all other stakeholders are on-boarded on the PM-KISAN platform to provide quick services to the farmers.
While farmers can register their grievances on the PM-KISAN portal and take the help of a 24×7 call facility for an effective and timely resolution, the Government of India has also developed ‘Kisan e-Mitra’ (a voice-based AI Chatbot), which enables farmers to raise queries and get them resolved in their own language in real-time. The Kisan-e Mitra is now available in 11 languages i.e., English, Hindi, Odia, Tamil, Bangla, Malayalam, Gujarati, Punjabi, Kannada, Telugu and Marathi.
Other technological interventions under PM-Kisan include the onboarding of over 5.0 lakh Common Service Centres across the country to provide services of the scheme at the doorstep of farmers. Linking of the Indian Post Payments Bank (IPPB) with the PM Kisan scheme has facilitated the opening of Aadhaar bank accounts of the beneficiaries at their convenience and doorsteps without any hassle.
To further enhance the PM Kisan scheme, the Government of India is using Agri Stack, a modern technology apparatus for farmer services, to ensure 100% saturation of farmers. Agri Stack will provide a Farmer ID to all Farmers using Aadhaar, which will be linked with Lands and their crops sown. It will help the Governments across States and the Centre to ensure proactive governance delivery to our farmers. Agri stack will not only benefit PM Kisan but also enable farmers to get access to many other schemes and services.
PM-KISAN: Achievements and Accolades
So far, over 11 crore farmers across India have received a staggering Rs. 3.04 lakh crore under the PM-KISAN scheme. With the 17th instalment release, the total funds released to farmers under PM-Kisan will be more than Rs. 3.24 lakh crore.
Of this, Rs 1.75 lakh Crores was transferred to eligible farmers during the COVID period, when they most needed direct cash benefits. Further, recently, as part of the Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra, undertaken to ensure saturation of the Government’s welfare schemes across more than 2.60 lakh Gram Panchayats, over 1 crore eligible farmers, including 6 lakh Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTG) farmers, were added to the PM KISAN Scheme.
In the last five years, the scheme has crossed many milestones and has received accolades from various organizations, including the World Bank, for its sheer vision, scale, and the seamless transfer of funds directly to the accounts of eligible farmers.
A study conducted by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) on farmers of Uttar Pradesh indicates that the benefits under the PM-Kisan reached the majority of farmers, and they received the full amount without any leakages. As per the same study, the farmers receiving cash transfers under PM-KISAN were more likely to invest in buying agricultural equipment, seeds, fertilizer, and pesticides.
Abhishek Kumar is the editor of Nutan Charcha News. Who has been working continuously in journalism for the last many years? Abhishek Kumar has worked in Doordarshan News, Radio TV News and Akash Vani Patna. I am currently publishing my news magazine since 2004 which is internationally famous in the field of politics.
