Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) | 15 Nov 2024

Launched: December 2018
Type: Central Sector Scheme
Objective: Provide financial assistance to land-holding farmer families across India
Income Support: Rs 6,000 annually (3 equal installments of Rs 2,000 each)
Eligibility: All landholding farmers (certain exclusions)
Beneficiary Identification: Done by State Governments and Union Territories as per the scheme’s guidelines

Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) is a Central-Sector scheme (100% funded by Government of India) launched in December 2018, to provide financial assistance to all land-holding farmer families across India.

Income Support: Under PM-KISAN, eligible farmer families receive income support of Rs 6,000 annually, distributed in three equal installments of Rs 2,000 each.
- Direct Benefit Transfer: The scheme ensures that funds are directly transferred to beneficiaries' bank accounts to promote transparency and reduce delays.
Eligibility: All landholding farmers' families, which have cultivable land holding in their names are eligible to get benefit under the scheme.
- Definition of Family: For the purposes of this scheme, a farmer "family" consists of the husband, wife, and any minor children.
Beneficiary Identification: The responsibility to identify eligible farmer families rests with State Governments and Union Territory (UT) administrations, following the scheme’s guidelines.
Implementing Agency: The Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (DA&FW) of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare is the implementing agency.
- The DA&FW works with the Department of Agriculture of all the states and union territories to implement the scheme.
KCC Linkage: The government linked Kisan Credit Card with PM-KISAN to streamline farmers' access to formal credit, reduce documentation, and make loan processing faster using existing beneficiary data.

The PM-KISAN scheme excludes beneficiaries with higher economic status, making them ineligible for benefits.These exclusions are as follows:

Institutional Landholders: All institutional landholders are not eligible.
High Economic Status Farmer Families: Families where any member holds, or has held, constitutional posts.
- Former and present Ministers (Central or State), Members of Parliament (Lok Sabha/Rajya Sabha), State Legislative Assemblies/Councils, as well as former/present Mayors of Municipal Corporations and Chairpersons of District Panchayats.
Government Employees and Pensioners: All serving or retired officers and employees of Central/State Government Ministries, Departments, and field units, including Public Sector Enterprises (PSEs) and autonomous institutions under government and regular employees of local bodies.
- Exclusion does not apply to Multi-Tasking Staff (MTS), Class IV, or Group D employees.
- All retired pensioners with a monthly pension of Rs. 10,000 or more, except MTS, Class IV, or Group D retirees.
Income Taxpayers: Individuals who paid Income Tax in the last assessment year are excluded from the scheme.
Professionals: Professionals such as Doctors, Engineers, Lawyers, Chartered Accountants, and Architects registered with professional bodies are also excluded.

Income Support for Farmers: With the 18th installment in October 2024, total disbursements surpassed Rs 3.45 lakh crore, benefiting 11 crore farmers. It provides income support to small and marginal farmers, reducing loan dependency.
Efficient Digital Implementation: The scheme ensures 100% Direct Benefit Transfer through Aadhaar-based verification and real-time payment tracking, minimizing leakages and ensuring transparency.
Boost to Rural Economy: Regular financial assistance encourages spending on agricultural inputs, healthcare, and education, positively impacting the rural economy and local markets.