PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana

The Union Government launched the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana (PM KISAN scheme) in February 2019. Through the scheme, the government aims to support families of small and marginal farmers with a combined landholding of up to 2 hectares. The benefits have now been extended to all farmers.

Farmers who own cultivable land can get an annual financial benefit of ₹6,000. They get this benefit in three equal instalments of ₹2,000 each, every four months.

This scheme utilises the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mechanism to provide benefits to a vast number of farmers across the country. Some crucial details of PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana are as follows:

The responsibility of identifying the beneficiaries for this scheme lies with the state/UT governments. Applicants need to meet the following eligibility criteria for PM Kisan Samman Nidhi:

• Belong to the families of farmers who own cultivable land

• Have cultivable land in their name or their family’s name

• The date of entry of their land rights in the land record should be on or before February 2, 2019

• The transfer of land on succession is possible in the case of the death of the previous landholder, even after the cut-off date

Here, a family includes a husband, wife, and minor children who own cultivable land as per the land records of the concerned union territory or state. This existing land ownership system is used to identify the beneficiaries.

Institutional landholders and the following categories of beneficiaries with high economic status are not eligible for the Pradhan Mantri KISAN Yojana:

• Farmers who are present or former holders of the constitutional posts

• Former and present ministers, Mayors of Municipal Corporations, and Chairpersons of District Panchayats

• Serving or retired employees under the state or central government

• Employees working for different Public-sector Enterprises (PSEs), autonomous institutions, and local bodies under the government

• Retired people with a monthly pension above ₹10,000

• People belonging to professions such as engineering and medicine

• Income-tax payers from the previous assessment year

With the view of digitising this process, the government has made it mandatory for farmers under this scheme to get e-KYC done. You need to submit their Aadhaar and phone details while initiating the e-KYC process. You can complete the e-KYC process on the PM Kisan portal:

1. Visit the official website at https://pmkisan.gov.in/

2. Click on the ‘e-KYC’ option

3. Enter your Aadhaar number

4. Click on the ‘Search’ button

5. Enter the OTP to verify your details

6. Once done, click on the ‘Submit OTP’ button

You can apply for the scheme in different ways. These include:

• Through CSC

Visit the nearest Common Service Centres (CSCs) to apply for this scheme. You must fill in an application form, arrange the necessary documents, and pay the fees to complete the process. 

• By Visiting the Revenue Department

You can approach village patwaris, revenue officials, or other government offices offering registration under this scheme

• Through the PM KISAN Portal 

You can also complete the registration process via the official PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana portal. Click on the ‘New Farmer Registration’ tab. Then, provide mandatory details, such as name, contact details, age, gender, category, bank account number, and Aadhaar number.

Follow these steps to complete online registration for the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme:

1. Navigate to the official website at pmkisan.gov.in/

2. Click on ‘New Farmer Registration’

3. Select between ‘Rural Farmer Registration’ or ‘Urban Farmer Registration’

4. Enter your Aadhaar and contact numbers

5. Select your state, enter the captcha code, and click on ‘Get OTP’

6. Enter the OTP to complete the registration process

You will need to submit any of the following essential documents:

• Aadhaar card (This is essential when registering through the portal)

• Driving licence

• Voter ID card 

• NREGA job card

• Any other identification documents issued by the government

The mobile app can be downloaded from the Google Play Store or the App Store. After downloading the app, follow these steps:

1. Open the app and click on ‘New Farmer Registration’

2. Enter the Aadhaar number and the CAPTCHA code

3. Click on the ‘Continue’ button

4. Fill in basic details like name, bank details, address, IFSC code, and so on

5. Enter the required details in the registration form

6. Click on the ‘Submit’ button 

Note that the registration number received after this process should be saved. You can use it to check the status of their application.

Registering does not mean automatic entry into the scheme. After registration, the data will be verified. Once eligible, the applicant can check the status by following these steps:

• Visit the official website of PM KISAN

• Navigate to the ‘Farmer’s Corner’ tab

• Click on ‘Know Your Status’

• Enter your registration number and captcha code

• Click on the ‘Get Data’ button once you enter the OTP details