Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN): A Lifeline for Indian Farmers

 The Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) is a flagship Central Sector Scheme launched by the Government of India to provide direct income support to landholding farmers across the country. Announced in the Union Budget 2019 and implemented retrospectively from December 1, 2018, this scheme aims to ensure financial stability for farmers, particularly during the crop season. Under PM-KISAN, eligible farmer families receive ₹6,000 annually, distributed in three equal instalments of ₹2,000 each. The amount is directly transferred to the bank accounts of beneficiaries through the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) system, ensuring transparency and timely credit.

However, the scheme specifically excludes certain categories from availing benefits. These include institutional landholders, and farmer families where members are current or former holders of constitutional posts, Ministers, MPs/MLAs, Mayors, Panchayat Chairpersons, as well as serving or retired officers/employees of central and state governments, PSUs, and autonomous bodies drawing pensions of ₹10,000 or more (excluding Class IV employees). Moreover, income tax payers and professionals like doctors, engineers, and chartered accountants practicing their profession are also ineligible. The eligibility is determined by the State Governments and Union Territory Administrations, and changes in land ownership after February 1, 2019 are not considered.

Notably, PM-KISAN does not consider the size of landholding, making it a universal income supplement for landholding farmers, regardless of land size. However, landless tenant farmers are excluded, which remains a critical gap. Despite this limitation, PM-KISAN has become a vital source of support for millions of farmers, helping them manage agricultural inputs and financial burdens more effectively.