Daily News Analysis

PM-KISAN

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The Union Cabinet has approved the continuation of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme for another five years, from 2026–27 to 2030–31, reaffirming the Government’s focus on strengthening farmers’ income security and rural livelihoods.

About PM-KISAN

PM-KISAN is a Central Sector Scheme launched in 2019 to provide direct income support to eligible landholding farmer families having cultivable land. Under the scheme, each eligible farmer family receives ₹6,000 annually, transferred in three equal instalments of ₹2,000.

The Union Cabinet has approved a total outlay of ₹3.15 lakh crore for the continuation of the scheme during 2026–27 to 2030–31. The Union Budget 2026–27 has also allocated ₹60,000 crore for PM-KISAN.

Mode of Financial Assistance

The financial assistance is transferred directly into farmers’ Aadhaar-seeded bank accounts through the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mechanism. This reduces intermediaries and promotes transparency and timely delivery of benefits.

Objectives of the Scheme

PM-KISAN aims to provide farmers with assured income support to meet agricultural expenses such as the purchase of seeds, fertilisers and other inputs. The scheme also seeks to improve crop productivity, strengthen farmers’ financial capacity and reduce their dependence on informal sources of credit.

Beneficiary Identification and Digital Governance

The State Governments are responsible for identifying eligible farmer families and maintaining their beneficiary database. The PM-KISAN portal and mobile application facilitate registration, beneficiary verification, e-KYC, fund-transfer tracking and other digital services.

The scheme is monitored through a multi-tier institutional framework operating at the national, State and district levels, with the national review mechanism chaired by the Cabinet Secretary.

Major Achievements

Under PM-KISAN, more than ₹4.47 lakh crore has reportedly been transferred directly into farmers’ bank accounts through 23 instalments. During the COVID-19 pandemic, more than ₹1.71 lakh crore was disbursed, while women farmers have received over ₹1.06 lakh crore and account for nearly one-fourth of beneficiaries.

Impact on Agriculture

An evaluation by the Development Monitoring and Evaluation Office of NITI Aayog found that more than 92% of beneficiaries used PM-KISAN assistance for agricultural activities and investment, while around 85% reported higher agricultural income and reduced dependence on informal credit.

Between 2020–21 and 2025–26, the scheme is also associated with an increase of around 9.65% in cultivated area, 10.53% in productivity and 21.18% in total foodgrain production.

Significance

The continuation of PM-KISAN is important for strengthening farmers’ investment capacity, improving agricultural productivity, reducing financial vulnerability and supporting the broader rural economy. By combining direct income support with digital delivery, the scheme represents an important component of India’s agricultural welfare framework.


 

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