Lok Sabha Question No. 5159 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-24
Subject: Impact of PM-KISAN on Small and Marginal Farmers
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Shri Rajesh Naranbhai Chudasama

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5159

TO BE ANSWERED ON 24 TH  MARCH, 2026

## IMPACT OF PM-KISAN ON SMALL AND MARGINAL FARMERS

5159.  SHRI RAJESH NARANBHAI CHUDASAMA:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ ͪष एवं ͩकसान कãयाण मंğी be pleased to state:

- (a) the number of farmers who have been benefited from the 21st installment of Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN);
- (b) the impact of PM-KISAN on small and marginal farmers' income levels;
- (c) the manner in which the farmers can check their beneficiary status and installment payment details; and
- (d) the  manner  in  which  the  Government  is  addressing  issues  related  to  Aadhaar verification and payment delays?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE FOR AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ ͪष एवं ͩकसान कãयाण राÏय मंğी (SHRI RAMNATH THAKUR )

- (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 cultivable land-holding farmers. 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. The Government of India has disbursed over ₹ 4.27 lakh Cr. in 22 installments since inception.

During  the  release  of  21 st instalment  of  the  PM-Kisan  scheme  on  19 th November, 2025, more than 9.35 crore farmers received the benefit.

- (b): 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  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.
- (ii)  The  Department  of  Agriculture  and  Farmers  Welfare  has  also  implemented  a comprehensive feedback mechanism using Kisan Call Centres (KCC) and its surveys show that more than 93% of the farmers utilising the benefits for agricultural activities.
- (iii)  The  Development  Monitoring  and  Evaluation  Office  (DMEO)  of  NITI  Aayog conducted  an  impact  evaluation  study  on  the  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.
- (c):       A dedicated 'Farmers Corner' has been provided on the PM-KISAN portal where a number  of  facilities  have  been  provided  to  farmers  including  checking  their  beneficiary status and instalment payment details. There is an additional functionality i.e. Know Your Status, provided on the portal for the farmers to check their eligibility and payment status. Farmers  can  also  visit  their  local  Common  Service  Center  where  they  can  get  their beneficiary status and instalment payment details.

Further, considering the large beneficiary base of the scheme, to promptly address the general queries and grievances raised by the beneficiaries, a voice-based PM-KISAN AI Chatbot (Kisan e-Mitra)  was developed. This  Chatbot  provides  quick, accurate, and clear responses to farmers' queries round the clock in their native languages, making the system more accessible and user-friendly. It is accessible on all platforms such as web, mobile, etc. The Kisan eMitra Chatbot currently operates in 11 languages-English, Hindi, Odia, Tamil, Bengali, Malayalam, Gujarati, Punjabi, Kannada, Telugu, and Marathi. So far, over 95 lakh queries  of  more  than  53  lakh  farmers  have  been  addressed.  This  chatbot  also  provides information about farmer's beneficiary status and payment details.

- (d): Aadhaar  Number  is  mandatory  for  registration  under  PM-Kisan  Scheme  and  all beneficiaries  under  PM-KISAN  are  Aadhaar  authenticated.  Further,  all  the  payments  are made through Aadhaar Based Payment System mode directly into the bank account seeded with beneficiaries' Aadhaar. The Department regularly conducts focused saturation drives in coordination with States/UTs, Common Service Centres (CSCs) and India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) to facilitate Aadhaar seeding of bank accounts.