Parliament Question: Assessment of PM-KISAN Scheme

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4041 TO BE ANSWERED ON 17TH MARCH, 2026 ASSESSMENT OF PM-KISAN SCHEME 4041. SHRI ATUL GARG: SHRI MUKESHKUMAR CHADRAKAANT DALAL: DR. LATA WANKHEDE: SHRI RAJESH VERMA: SMT. SHAMBHAVI: SHRI ARUN BHARTI: Will the Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare कृ(cid:874)ष एव ं (cid:873)कसान क(cid:227)याण मं(cid:287)ी be pleased to state: (a) Whether the continued allocation and timely release of funds under PM-KISAN reflects the Government’s commitment to ensuring assured income support to eligible farmer families across the country particularly in States of Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar. (b) Whether the implementation of Aadhaar-based authentication and direct benefit transfer under PM-KISAN has successfully ensured transparency, accuracy, and leak- proof delivery of financial assistance. (c) Whether the periodic updating and verification of beneficiary data have strengthened target efficiency and minimized inclusion or exclusion errors under the scheme. (d) Whether the integration of PM-KISAN with digital agriculture databases and Farmer ID systems has improved monitoring, accountability, and service delivery mechanisms. (e) Whether the cumulative financial assistance provided since inception has enhanced liquidity at the farm level and supported small and marginal farmers in meeting input costs. (f) Whether PM-KISAN continues to serve as a foundational pillar in promoting income security and stability in agriculture sector? ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ(cid:874)ष एव ं (cid:873)कसान क(cid:227)याण रा(cid:207)य मं(cid:287)ी (SHRI BHAGIRATH CHOUDHARY) (a): The PM-KISAN scheme is a central sector scheme launched in February 2019 by the Hon’ble Prime Minister to supplement the financial needs of farmers with cultivable landholding. Under the scheme, a financial benefit of ₹ 6,000/- per year is transferred in three equal instalments, into the Aadhaar seeded bank accounts of farmers through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mode. Under the PM-KISAN Scheme, cultivable landholding is primary eligibility criteria to receive benefit of the Scheme subject to some certain exclusions relating to higher income status.A farmer-centric digital infrastructure has ensured the benefits of the scheme reach all the farmers across the country without involvement of any intermediaries. Maintaining absolute transparency in registering and verifying beneficiaries, the Government of India has disbursed over ₹ 4.27 lakh Cr. through 22 installments since inception of the Scheme including the State of Bihar, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh. (b) to (d): Under the PM-KISAN Scheme, States/UTs are mandated to identify and verify the eligible beneficiaries under the scheme and upload the data of eligible farmers including land records, linking of Aadhaar with their bank accounts and e-KYC for successful transfer of the benefits. The benefit under the PM-KISAN scheme is transferred to beneficiaries via Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), based on verified data provided by States and UTs through the PM-KISAN portal. The following key initiatives have been taken under the PM-KISAN to ensure transparency, accuracy, and leak-proof delivery of financial assistance.  All beneficiaries under PM-KISAN are Aadhaar authenticated, ensuring the beneficiary identity through demographic checks before payment release.  To ensure that the benefits are provided only to the eligible beneficiaries, land seeding, Aadhaar-based payment, and e-KYC have been made mandatory under the PM-KISAN scheme.  The PM-KISAN portal has been integrated with UIDAI, PFMS, and Income Tax Department to enhance the speed and efficiency of data validation so that the benefit payment can be transferred without delay.  To enhance data reliability, the PM-KISAN database is also cross-verified with other national database such as PDS ration card database, UIDAI records (including deactivated Aadhaar due to death), PFMS and Income Tax data for deduplication. Similarly, cross verification is also done with National Health Authority (NHA) records to identify medical professionals registered under PM- KISAN.  Face Authentication–based e-KYC facility was added to the PM-KISAN mobile app, in June 2023 enabling beneficiaries to complete their e-KYC from home as well as perform e-KYC for up to 100 other farmers. This facility has specially helped old age beneficiaries and also the beneficiaries who live in remote areas to complete their eKYC. In addition to digital validations, before release of every instalment, field level officials of States/UTs always ensure that any beneficiary who become ineligible on account of death, sale of land etc. are marked ineligible and do not continue to receive benefit.  PM-KISAN has been integrated with the Farmer Registry, and a Farmer ID has been made mandatory for new registrations under PM-KISAN in 19 States where the Farmer Registry has been initiated. This enables real-time verification of land records, facilitates ease of registration for farmers, and faster processing of applications. (e) & (f): There have been multiple impact evaluation assessments of the PM-KISAN scheme that highlight its impact on farmers’ income and rural economy. Their findings are as follows: (i) An independent study conducted by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) in 2019 analyzed how the cash transfers under the scheme were being utilized by farmers. The findings of the study suggest that the funds provided under PM-KISAN have significantly contributed to rural economic growth, alleviated credit constraints, and increased investments in agricultural inputs. Additionally, the funds have improved farmers' risk-taking capacity, enabling them to make productive yet riskier investments. Besides agricultural needs, the funds were also used to meet other expenses such as education, medical, and marriage costs. (ii) The Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has also implemented a comprehensive feedback mechanism using Kisan Call Centers (KCC), and surveys conducted have shown that more than 93% of the farmers utilize the benefits for agricultural activities. (iii) The Development Monitoring and Evaluation Office (DMEO) of NITI Aayog conducted an impact evaluation study on the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme. The study's findings demonstrate that the scheme is successfully fulfilling its primary function of providing direct financial assistance to farmers holding agricultural land, thereby enhancing their economic stability and agricultural productivity. The study also shows that over 92 percent of beneficiary farmers utilized the financial assistance for essential agricultural inputs such as seeds, fertilizers, and pesticides, which are particularly important in the face of rising input costs and weather-related uncertainties. Additionally, approximately 85 percent of beneficiary farmers reported an increase in agricultural income, and a significant reduction in reliance on informal credit during crop failures or medical emergencies. This study demonstrates the scheme's contribution to India's progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals related to poverty reduction, food security, gender equity, and institutional transparency.The above assessment highlights that the PM-KISAN scheme has emerged as an important pillar of the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) ecosystem, with transaction failures significantly reduced due to the Aadhaar-enabled payment system and continuous system improvements. Further, it is noteworthy that a majority of the beneficiaries under the PM- KISAN scheme are small and marginal farmers. As indicated in the studies mentioned above, the scheme has helped farmers, including small and marginal, to meet their agricultural input requirements. *****