PM KISAN – Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi

A central sector scheme called Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM KISAN) was introduced by the Indian government in 2019. It aims to provide income support to small and marginal farmers and their families. The scheme was launched with the objective of providing financial assistance to 14.5 crore beneficiaries on the basis of the Agriculture Census 2015-16. The scheme is implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmer’s Welfare.

Scheme Overview

The scheme was first implemented in Telangana as the Rythu Bandhu scheme, and later, it was announced as a nationwide project during the 2019 Interim Union Budget of India. On February 24, 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi introduced the PM-KISAN scheme in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh. Under this scheme, all small and marginal farmers would receive income support which will be paid to them in three installments of Rs. 6,000 each directly into their bank accounts. The scheme is a central sector scheme with 100% funding from the Indian Government.

The scheme is applicable to all farmer families in the country irrespective of the size of their landholdings, including both urban and rural agriculture cultivating lands only. The definition of family for the scheme is husband, wife, and minor children owning cultivable land as per land records of the concerned State/UT. Institutional landholders, present or retired employees of state/central government/PSUs, income tax payees, farmer families holding constitutional posts, professionals like doctors, engineers, and lawyers, and retired pensioners with a monthly pension of over Rs 10,000 are excluded from the scheme.

• Scheme Name: Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM KISAN)
• Scheme Modified: Effective from 2018
• Scheme Fund Allocated: Rs. 75,000 crores annually
• Type of Government Scheme: Central Sector Scheme
• Sponsored / Sector Scheme: All farmer families in the country irrespective of the size of their landholdings (both urban and rural- agriculture cultivating lands only)
• Website to apply: https://pmkisan.gov.in/
• Helpline No: PM-Kisan Helpline No. 155261 / 1800115526 (Toll-Free)

Features of Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi

The key features of the PM-KISAN scheme are as follows:

• Assistance: Rs. 6,000 per year to all eligible farmers and their families in three equal installments of Rs. 2,000 each every four months
• Eligibility: All farmer families in the country (both urban and rural) that own cultivable land as per land records of the concerned State/UT, except for those who are institutional landholders, income taxpayers, retired pensioners with a monthly pension of over Rs. 10000/-, farmer families holding constitutional posts and professionals like doctors, engineers and lawyers.
• Identification of beneficiaries: Responsibility rests with State/UT Governments.
• Exclusion: Tenant farmers, micro land holdings that are not cultivable and agricultural land being used for non-agricultural purposes are excluded from the scheme.

Benefits

• The main benefit of the PM-KISAN scheme is to provide income support to small and marginal farmers.
• This financial assistance will help farmers meet their farm-related expenses and improve their livelihood. 
• This scheme will also help in reducing the gap between rural and urban incomes, thus promoting balanced regional growth. 
• The scheme will provide a direct benefit transfer to farmers, eliminating middlemen and corruption in the process.

Drawback of the Scheme

A certain segment of farmers, like taxpayers, retired pensioners with more than Rs. 10,000/- pension, doctors etc. are eligible for this scheme. 

How to Apply?

To register for the PM-KISAN scheme, follow these steps:

1. Go to the official website of the PM-KISAN scheme at https://pmkisan.gov.in/
2. Look for the “Farmers Corner” tab on the top right corner of the homepage and click on it.
3. Click on  “New Farmer Registration” from the options provided.
4. Fill in your Aadhaar number, full name and the image text in the necessary fields.
5. Click on the “Click to Continue” button.
6. Provide your bank account details and the relevant landholding documents in the required fields.
7. Finally, click on the “Submit” button to complete the registration process.

Documents Required

The following documents are required to apply for the PM-KISAN scheme:

• Aadhaar Card
• Bank account details (account number, branch code and IFSC code)
• Landholding documents (as per land records of the concerned State/UT)
• Mobile number (optional but recommended)

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM KISAN) scheme is a much-needed initiative by the Indian government to support the country’s small and marginal farmers. The scheme’s objective to provide income support through direct transfer to their bank accounts has already benefited a considerable number of beneficiaries. However, the exclusion categories in the scheme must be revisited to ensure that all eligible farmers receive the benefits. If implemented effectively and monitored closely, the PM KISAN scheme has the potential to transform the lives of farmers and bring about a positive change in the agriculture sector of India.