On Monday, February 24, the Centre will release the 19th installment of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme to eligible farmer families. The funds will be disbursed during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Bhagalpur, Bihar, as announced on the official PM-KISAN website.
Launched on December 1, 2018, the PM-KISAN scheme is a centrally funded initiative aimed at providing direct financial assistance to landholding farmer families. Each eligible farmer receives Rs 6,000 annually, split into three equal installments of Rs 2,000 every four months.
The funds are transferred directly to the beneficiaries’ bank accounts, with state governments and Union Territories responsible for identifying eligible farmers based on the scheme’s criteria.
To date, more than 110 million farmers have benefitted from 18 installments. The most recent installment, released on October 5, 2024, in Washim, Maharashtra, reached nearly 9.58 crore farmers.
Eligibility Criteria
The scheme defines a farmer’s family as the husband, wife, and minor children. State and Union Territory administrations identify eligible beneficiaries, who must complete their eKYC verification to receive the funds.
Payment Process
Financial assistance is directly transferred to the bank accounts of registered farmers. To remain eligible for future payments, farmers must complete their eKYC (electronic Know Your Customer) verification. There are three ways to do this:
- OTP-based eKYC (via the PM-Kisan portal or mobile app)
- Biometric-based eKYC (at Common Service Centres or State Seva Kendras)
- Face authentication-based eKYC (using the PM-Kisan Mobile App)
Checking Beneficiary Status
Farmers can easily check their eligibility and payment status by following these steps:
- Visit the official PM-Kisan website.
- Select ‘Beneficiary Status’ from the menu.
- Enter either the Aadhaar number or Account number.
- Click ‘Get Data’ to view the payment status.
Who is Ineligible for PM-KISAN?
Certain individuals are not eligible for benefits under the scheme, including:
- Institutional landholders
- Current or former Ministers, MPs, MLAs, and Mayors
- Government employees (excluding Group D or Multi-Tasking Staff)
- Retired pensioners receiving Rs 10,000 or more per month
- Income tax payers from the previous assessment year
Surrendering PM-KISAN Benefits
Farmers who no longer meet the eligibility criteria can voluntarily surrender their benefits. To do this:
- Visit the PM-Kisan website.
- Click on ‘Voluntary Surrender of PM-KISAN Benefits’.
- Enter your registration number, captcha code, and request OTP.
- Authenticate using the OTP and confirm the surrender.
