Why In News?
The Union Cabinet approved the continuation of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme for another five years from 2026-27 to 2030-31.
About PM-KISAN
Scheme Launch: Launched in February 2019 as a Central Sector Scheme to provide assured income support to eligible landholding farmer families and supplement farm income.
Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT): Financial assistance is transferred through Aadhaar-enabled DBT (AeDBT) directly into beneficiaries' bank accounts, ensuring transparency, reducing leakages and eliminating intermediaries.
Primary Objective: Supports farmers in meeting agricultural input costs and reducing dependence on informal credit, with impact evaluations by International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) and NITI Aayog reporting improved farm income and investment.
Agricultural Investment: Timely instalments help farmers purchase seeds, fertilisers, pesticides and other inputs before each crop season, strengthening productivity and liquidity.
Income Security: Complements the government's broader objective of doubling farmers' income by providing predictable income support alongside other agricultural reforms.
Key Features of the Extended Scheme
Extended Duration: Extended for five years (2026–27 to 2030–31) to ensure continued income support.
Financial Outlay: Total allocation of ₹3.15 lakh crore for the extension period.
Financial Assistance: Eligible landholding farmer families receive ₹6,000 annually.
Instalment Pattern: Assistance is paid in three equal installments of ₹2,000 through DBT.
Universal Coverage: Covers all eligible landholding farmer families, irrespective of landholding size, subject to exclusion criteria.
Technology-Driven Delivery: Uses Aadhaar authentication, digitised land records, e-KYC and DBT, improving targeting and transparency.
Digital Governance: Farmers can verify eligibility and payment status through the PM-KISAN Portal, Mobile App and Kisan eMitra chatbot.
Key Achievements of PM-KISAN
Massive Direct Transfers: Over ₹4.47 lakh crore has been transferred directly to farmers through 23 installments since 2019.
Unprecedented Reach: The 23rd instalment benefited more than 9.49 crore farmers, with direct transfer of about ₹18,984 crore.
Women Empowerment: Women farmers have received over ₹1.06 lakh crore, accounting for around one-fourth of total beneficiaries, strengthening financial inclusion.
Global Scale: PM-KISAN is recognised as one of the world's largest Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) programmes.
Evidence-Based Impact: IFPRI and NITI Aayog evaluations indicate that PM-KISAN has enhanced farmers' income, encouraged timely investment in agriculture and reduced reliance on informal borrowing.
Financial Inclusion: The scheme has accelerated Aadhaar seeding, e-KYC compliance and digitisation of land records, improving efficiency and transparency in welfare delivery.