In News:

The Union Cabinet has approved the continuation of the PM-KISAN Scheme from 2026–27 to 2030–31 with a financial outlay of ?3.15 lakh crore.

About PM-KISAN

PM-KISAN is a Central Sector Scheme, launched in February 2019 by the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare, to provide assured income support to eligible landholding farmer families.

Objective

• Provide assured income support to farmers.
• Enable timely purchase of agricultural inputs such as seeds, fertilizers, irrigation, and machinery.
• Reduce dependence on informal credit.
• Improve agricultural productivity and rural livelihoods.

Key Features

• Implementation Period: 2026–27 to 2030–31 (extended).
• Financial Outlay: ?3.15 lakh crore.
• Financial Assistance: ?6,000 per year per eligible farmer family, paid in three equal instalments of ?2,000.
• Transfer Mechanism: Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) into Aadhaar-seeded bank accounts.
• Beneficiary Identification: State Governments identify and verify eligible landholding farmer families.
• Digital Delivery: Aadhaar authentication, e-KYC, PM-KISAN Portal, and Mobile App ensure transparent and efficient fund transfer.

Achievements

• Over ?4.47 lakh crore transferred directly to farmers through 23 instalments.
• 23rd instalment: More than 9.49 crore farmers received ?18,984 crore.
• During the COVID-19 pandemic, over ?1.71 lakh crore was disbursed.
• Women farmers received over ?1.06 lakh crore, accounting for nearly one-fourth of all beneficiaries.

Impact

According to the Development Monitoring and Evaluation Office (DMEO), NITI Aayog:

• 92% of beneficiaries used assistance for agricultural activities and investments.
• 85% reported increased agricultural income and reduced dependence on informal credit.

Between 2020–21 and 2025–26:

• Cultivated area increased by 9.65%.
• Agricultural productivity increased by 10.53%.
• Foodgrain production increased by 21.18%.