Lok Sabha Question No. 4041 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-17
Subject: Assessment of PM-KISAN Scheme
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Smt. Shambhavi, Shri Rajesh Verma, Shri Mukeshkumar Chandrakaant Dalal, Shri Arun Bharti, Dr. Lata Wankhede, Shri Atul Garg

## 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 17 TH  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 ͪष एवं ͩकसान कãयाण मंğी 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 leakproof 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 ͪष एवं ͩकसान कãयाण राÏय मंğी (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 PMKISAN.
-  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 PMKISAN 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.

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