- Launch and Objective
- Was launched by the Prime Minister in February 2019 to supplement the financial needs of land-holding farmers.
- Ministry
- Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare
- Funding and Implementation
- PM-KISAN is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme with full funding from the Centre to the State, the ministry for implementing this is the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.
- Features
- Financial benefit of Rs 6,000/- per year in three equal instalments every four months.
- Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT)
- Transfers benefits into bank accounts of farmers’ families across the country through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mode.
- Scale of the Scheme
- One of the largest DBT Schemes of the World.
- Farmer-Centric Infrastructure
- Farmer-centric digital infrastructure ensures that the benefits reach all farmers in the country.
- Verification and Transfer Process
- Benefits are transferred to beneficiaries through DBT mode based on verified data from the PM-KISAN portal.
- Technological Interventions
- Technological interventions introduced to address ineligibility, including integration with PFMS, UIDAI, and the Income Tax Department.
Other Features
- Krishi Sakhis
- Krishi Sakhis are the practicing farmers and trained para extension professional in agriculture at grass root level.
- This is part of the certificate distribution to more than 30,000 women from Self Help Groups (SHGs) as Krishi Sakhis.
- Krishi Sakhi Training Program
- This is the convergence program of Krishi Sakhi Training Program, they will be trained along with certification for Krishi Sakhis as “Para-extension Workers.”
Recent Updates on PM-KISAN
- Per initial targets
- 2019-20 beneficiaries were estimated to be at 14.5 crore; estimated expenditure for each year ₹87,217.5 crores.
- Actual performance
- It never exceeded ₹70,000 crores yearly. The number of beneficiaries reached 9.59 crore by October 2024 which is much below the actual target of 14.5 crore.
- Funding Trends
- Allocations for 2019-20 and 2020-21: ₹75,000 crore each.
- Beneficiary Trends
- Total beneficiaries: 9.59 crore, Scheduled Castes: 12%, Scheduled Tribes: 9%, Women: 20% among SCs and others, 29% among STs.
- State-Wise Distribution Trends
- Disbursements and beneficiary counts have fluctuated across states, with states with significant agricultural activity witnessing a decline in beneficiaries and payouts.
- Issues and Suggestions
- Omitting tenant farmers from the coverage despite demands for expansion, underutilization of funds, and demand for higher payout.
- Suggestions
- Increase payout, promote resource efficiency, improve beneficiary inclusion, enhance transparency, and focus on state-level discrepancies.