Agriculture is one of the most crucial aspects of a country’s economy, and farmers are the backbone who consistently work on producing quality crops. It would be difficult to even imagine a normal and healthy life without the agriculture sector. Every country in the world needs to support the agriculture sector to ensure the holistic growth and development of the country as a whole, and that is why the government of India launched the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana.
Read the article to learn more about the scheme for farmers, ranging from its meaning and features to eligibility and application process.
What Is The Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana?
The PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana is a govt scheme launched by the Indian government in February 2019 to provide direct monetary aid to the small and marginal farmers of the country. Kisan Yojana’s primary aim is to offer a financial helping hand to the farmers so that they can cover their household expenses, agricultural investments, or any other related expenses from a fixed sum of money provided by the government.
In the initial stages of the PM Kisan Samman, it was limited to small and marginal farmers with land areas of up to 2 hectares. But in 2019, the government expanded the scope of the govt scheme as it now covers all the farmers irrespective of the area of the land they own.
This inclusion was a commendable step taken toward making the agriculture sector booming and safe for every farmer and those young people interested in the magnificent sector of agriculture. Kisan Yojana is currently benefiting at least 14 core farmers from various corners of the country.
Read More: Zero Budget Natural Farming: A Sustainable Approach Towards Organic Growth
Successful Completion Of The 19th Instalment Of PM Kisan
The 19th instalment of PM Kisan has been successfully rolled out. Herein, it has been made compulsory for all the registered farmers under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana to complete e-KYC.
PM Kisan Samman Nidhi 18th Instalment Latest Update
PM Narendra Modi recently released the 18th instalment of the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana. Under this instalment, over 9.4 crore farmers received direct benefits of more than Rs 20,000 crores via direct transfer to the beneficiaries’ accounts. The announcement was made in a program organised at Washim, Maharashtra. Earlier, the 17th instalment was released on June 18, 2024.
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Over 9.4 crore farmers received benefits from Direct Transfer Technology (DBT) directly to their bank accounts.
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Over 20 thousand crores have been disbursed under the 18th instalment announced by the Prime Minister on October 5, 2024.
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Under this scheme, farmers receive Rs 6,000 annually in three equal instalments.
Objectives
The PM Kisan Nidhi was ideated and launched to provide numerous benefits to the farmers so that they grow and develop both themselves and the agriculture sector of India. The Sarkari Yojana has numerous key objectives, such as:
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A fixed income: The primary objective of this govt scheme is to provide a direct and fixed annual income of Rs. 6000 to the farmers, especially small and marginal farmers. This helps them maintain their household or other personal expenses and empowers them financially. This also helps them in not taking unnecessary loans and falling into the deep traps of debt.
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Agricultural investment: The Sarkari Yojana encourages farmers to make agricultural investments, such as purchasing quality seeds or fertilisers, irrigation techniques, and others. This would help in enhancing the quality of crop yields, maintaining soil health, and improving the overall outcome of the land.
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Reducing farmer suicides: In the year 2023, the state of Maharashtra alone recorded over 2000 farmer suicides. The PM Kisan Nidhi aims to lower the rates of suicides committed by farmers due to poor yields, crop failure, or the most complex of all, rising debt. As the scheme offers a fixed annual income, it aims to protect the farmers' lives in any way possible.
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Financial Inclusion: Under the Sarkari Yojana, the funds are deposited directly into the farmers’ bank accounts. This encourages farmers to open bank accounts and be a part of the formal and organised financial system. Financial inclusion would also help them in accessing and reaping the benefits of other such government schemes.
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Broader goals: The scheme aims to double the incomes of the farmers to increase their productivity and enhance their quality of life.
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Sustainable farming practices: PM Kisan Nidhi also promotes sustainable farming practices, such as organic farming, yielding a variety of crops, and mindful water usage.
Read More: What Are Agri-Clinics And Agri-Business Centres?
Features
There are several key significant features of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Yojana. Some of its key features are laid down below in brief:
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Financial support: PM-Kisan provides financial support to the farmers by guaranteeing an annual amount of Rs. 6000 released in three instalments of Rs. 2000. Each instalment is deposited in the bank accounts of the farmers through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) every four months.
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Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT): Under Pradhan Mantri Kisan, as the instalments are deposited directly into the bank accounts of the farmers, the chances of leakages or cheating practices are reduced. It also ensures transparency between the management systems of the government and the farmers.
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Role of State and Union Territories (UTs): It is the responsibility of the state and Union Territory (UT) governments to identify and verify the eligible farmers and submit their information to the central government. This is done to ensure that no fraud avails the benefits of the scheme.
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Coverage: PM-Kisan covers every farmer farming within the borders of the country.
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Digitisation: The scheme works through an online portal as well to increase convenience for the farmers. There is a dedicated Grievance Redressal system for them as well so that they can lodge complaints without having to visit government offices.
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Regular checks: Regular checks and monitoring are carried out to check whether the Pradhan Mantri Kisan is being implemented properly and to identify and rule out any malpractices if any.
What Are The Benefits Of The Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi?
The PM Nidhi Yojana comes with numerous benefits to ensure and promote the welfare of the farmers. Some of its key benefits are:
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Reduces financial stress: One of the primary PM Kisan benefits includes reducing the financial stress of the farmers by providing a direct and promised annual income. It helps them deal with the uncertainties of life and survive without difficulties.
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Inclusion: Compared to before, when the scheme could only be availed by small and marginal farmers, the scheme went through changes and amendments and now provides an umbrella of security to all the farmers irrespective of the size of the land they own.
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Boosting rural India: PM Kisan Samman aims to empower farmers by increasing their purchasing power, especially those from rural India. This enables the farmers to invest in quality seeds, fertilisers, machinery, and other expenses. This stimulates the growth of rural India as well.
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Support in crises: PM Nidhi Yojana has a special provision of financially assisting the farmers in the event of unforeseen crises such as natural calamities or COVID-19. This helps in providing immediate relief to farmers in such critical times so that they can maintain their livelihoods despite the challenges.
Eligibility Criteria Of The PM-Kisan Yojana
Individuals first need to ensure whether they fit into the eligibility criteria for the Narendra Modi Yojana or not. The criteria are mentioned below:
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All farmers who own fertile land (land on which they do farming) are eligible for the Kisan Yojana.
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A farmer is defined as a husband, wife, or minor child under this Sarkari Yojana.
Exclusion
Categories of individuals who are excluded from the Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana are described below in points for one’s better understanding:
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Government employees
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Retired officers from government offices
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Employees of Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) and autonomous institutions
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Professionals like doctors, engineers, lawyers, and Chartered Accountants (CA)
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People who pay tax on their incomes
Required Documents For The PM-Kisan Yojana
Certain documents are required to be submitted by the farmers under this government scheme. The list of those documents is as follows:
What Is The New Farmer Registration Process?
To register as a new farmer under PM-Kisan, one needs to follow some steps. The steps are written below in step-wise format:
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Step 1: Visit the official portal of PM-Kisan and click on the ‘New farmer registration’ option.
Step 2: Enter the Aadhar number present on the aadhar card.
Step 3: Fill in the required details, such as your age, gender, name, bank account information, and landholding information.
Step 4: Click on ‘apply,’ which will generate an application number for tracking the Sarkari Yojana.
How To Check The Status Of the Application?
Farmers can check the status of their respective applications can do so from the comfort of their homes by:
Step 1: Visit the official website and click on ‘Know Your Status’.
Step 2: Fill in the application number.
Step 3: Check the status of your application.
How To Check The Beneficiary List?
To check the beneficiary status of the PM-Kisan, please follow the following steps:
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Step 1: Visit the official website of PM-Kisan and click on the ‘Beneficiary list’ option.
Step 2: Fill in the required details like state, district, sub-district, block, and village.
Step 3: Click on ‘generate report’ to see the beneficiary list.
How To Complete e-KYC Of The PM-Kisan Yojana?
To complete the e-KYC of one’s respective account, please follow the following steps:
Step 1: Visit the official website and navigate to the ‘e-kyc’ section.
Step 2: Fill in your aadhar number, which will send a One-time Password (OTP) to the linked registered phone number.
Step 3: Submit the OTP to complete the e-KYC.
What Are The Impacts Of The Farmer Scheme?
The PM-Kisan has had significant impacts on India’s agricultural sector and rural economy. Its impact has been written below in concise points for one’s reference:
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Direct monetary aid: The govt. scheme provides a fixed annual amount to the farmers deposited directly into their bank accounts. According to various reports, a minimum of 9.26 crore farmers have reaped the benefits of this monetary aid.
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A boon for small and marginal farmers: The PM-Kisan scheme reduces the financial burden from the shoulders of all farmers, but this feature is especially useful for small and marginal farmers. Many small and marginal farmers rely completely on the yields of the crops and end up facing difficulties. This feature protects them against all odds.
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Less rural distress: Farmers and their families are subjected to various agricultural uncertainties, such as unpredictable weather conditions, fluctuating demands in the market, rising prices, and others. With the help of this govt. scheme, rural distress is reduced by reducing people’s dependence on informal credit channels like local moneylenders to stop them from falling into the complex maze of debt.
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Agricultural investments: The PM-Kisan scheme empowers farmers to be able to access and invest in new-age land and farming techniques. The funds given under the scheme may not be that large, but it helps farmers with their immediate needs so that they don’t have to worry about money for necessities.
Also read: How India Is Pushing Forward For a Greener Future With National Mission On Natural Farming!
Challenges Of The Scheme
The government scheme has numerous benefits, but it still faces a range of challenges. The challenges that the scheme faces have been described briefly below:
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Less awareness: Many farmers, especially those from remote areas of the country, aren’t aware of the scheme. This is one of the biggest hindrances faced by the government of India.
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Digital illiteracy: Due to digital illiteracy or limited digital knowledge, many farmers take the help of intermediaries to register under the government scheme, who sometimes take advantage by charging fees or giving wrong information.
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Delay in fund transfer: At times, funds are often delayed due to bureaucratic obstacles, which means farmers don’t receive their funds on time, which reduces the effectiveness of the scheme and poses difficulties in the farmers’ lives.
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Verification: Many times, it has been recorded that excluded people are also reaping the benefits of the government scheme. Ineffective verification of applicants can lead to such cheating practices by people who are ineligible for the scheme.
PM-Kisan Mobile Application
The PM-Kisan App has been introduced as an upgrade available for both android and iOS users. Users can access all the functions that they can from the website. It has been designed to make the lives of farmers easy by allowing them to conduct several scheme-related functions with just a few taps. Farmers can access a range of functions, such as applying for the scheme, checking the status of the application, keeping track of payments, etc.
Conclusion
The PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana is a crucial initiative taken by the government of India to transform the lives of the farmers of India by making the agricultural sector safe and secure from unpredictability and uncertainty. It benefits not only the farmers but the overall agricultural sector of the country as well.
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