Why in the News?
The Union Cabinet approved a five-year extension of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) from 2026-27 to 2030-31, with an outlay of ₹3.15 lakh crore. The annual assistance of ₹6,000 per farmer remains unchanged.
What is PM-KISAN?
- Launched in February 2019.
- A Central Sector Scheme under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.
- Provides ₹6,000 per year to eligible landholding farmer families in three equal instalments of ₹2,000 through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).
- Fully funded by the Central Government.
Key Highlights
- Scheme extended till 2030-31.
- Total outlay: ₹3.15 lakh crore.
- 23rd instalment (June 2026): Over 9.49 crore farmers received ₹18,984 crore.
- Since launch, over ₹4.47 lakh crore has been transferred through 23 instalments.
- Women beneficiaries have received over ₹1.06 lakh crore.
Significance
- Provides assured income support for purchasing seeds, fertilisers and other inputs.
- Reduces dependence on informal credit.
- Promotes financial inclusion through DBT.
- Strengthens farmers’ income security.
Challenges
- Annual assistance (₹6,000) has remained unchanged since 2019 despite rising input costs.
- Excludes tenant farmers and sharecroppers due to land ownership criteria.
- Errors in Aadhaar and land records may exclude genuine beneficiaries.
- Uniform benefit irrespective of landholding size or farm distress.
Features of PM-KISAN
- Type: Central Sector Scheme.
- Funding: 100% Central Government.
- Transfer Mode: Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).
- Implementing Ministry: Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.
Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT)
- Introduced to transfer subsidies directly into beneficiaries’ bank accounts.
- Reduces leakages and improves transparency.
- Uses the JAM Trinity: Jan Dhan Accounts, Aadhaar, and Mobile
Related Schemes
- PM Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY)
- Kisan Credit Card (KCC)
- PM Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY)
- e-NAM (National Agriculture Market)
[2015, GS3, 12.5 marks] In what way could replacement of price subsidy with direct benefit Transfer (DBT) change the scenario of subsidies in India? Discuss.”
[2020] Consider the following statements:
1.Aadhaar metadata cannot be stored for more than three months.
2.State cannot enter into any contract with private corporations for sharing of Aadhaar data.
3.Aadhaar is mandatory for obtaining insurance products.
4.Aadhaar is mandatory for getting benefits funded out of the Consolidated Fund of India.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
[A] 1 and 4 only
[B] 2 and 4 only
[C] 3 only
[D] 1, 2 and 3 only