PM-KISAN

• 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.”

• 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.