Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi or PM-KISAN: Empowerment of farmers through income support

The agriculture sector is the back of India's economy with millions of its persons currently hired and contributing their share to feed the whole nation; despite this, farmers generally face the challenges of low incomes, high costs of production, and unpredictable weather. To improve these issues, the Indian government introduced the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN), which delivers direct financial support to farmers. This initiative provides the farmers with a source of financial support to acquire inputs in the crops and thus improve crop health, culminating in better yields and improvement in the livelihood of the farmers.

In this blog, we'll go into details regarding PM-KISAN, including its objectives, benefits, eligibility criteria, application process, and everything in between. We will also mention how this Government Scheme has helped farmers gain access to income support, agricultural inputs, and all financial resources necessary for growth and sustainability in the agricultural sector.

Overview of PM-KISAN

The central government welfare scheme, Prime Minister Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN), was recently launched to provide financial assistance to landholding farmers in India. The scheme was initiated to supplement the financial requirements of farmers so that they can develop inputs at their ends for agriculture and equally facilitate the procurement of agricultural inputs that comprise seeds, fertilizers, and pesticides. These are all necessary for proper crop care and yield improvement, thereby helping increase the farmers' income.

Eligible farmer families will get ₹6,000 per annum, for each family, in three equal instalments of ₹2,000 each. Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) shall be applied to transfer this amount directly into the bank account of the beneficiary, which eliminates the role of intermediaries and ensures no delay or deduction to reach the intended farmers.

The Role of Technology: PM-KISAN Portal

One of the salient features of PM-KISAN is the online portal ease, which provides easy registration, application, and disbursement of the amount. It is an end-to-end technology solution that simplifies the whole process for farmers receiving financial benefits. The system is managed by the Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare through the Department of Agriculture of all states and Union Territories.

On the other hand, this PM-KISAN portal itself is a type of database on farmers, which helps in smoothing the process of beneficiary identifications and tracking the fund distribution process. The system assures the right amount to each eligible farmer.

Objectives of the Scheme

The primary objective of PM-KISAN is to enhance the income of the farmers and provide financial support to the farmers at large for other agricultural-related activities. The objectives of this scheme have been portrayed as follows:

1. Supporting Agricultural Inputs: The benefit of farm income support is that farmers can buy necessary inputs such as seeds, fertilizers, irrigation systems, and pesticides. These inputs ensure healthy crops and increase agricultural productivity.

2. Improving Farm Livelihoods: It would reduce the burden on the farm community by supplementing their farm incomes to enhance their overall well-being and improve their socio-economic conditions.

3. Improvement in Agricultural Yield: With sufficient financial resources available, farmers can invest more in good technology and also improve on their techniques. They eventually achieve a higher yield.

4. Promotion of Sustainable Agriculture: The financial aid given under the scheme will promote sustainable agriculture practices among farmers through modern technology and resources, which aim to yield healthy soil and water for longer periods of time.

Benefits of PM-KISAN

Under this Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi, many benefits have been provided to farmers throughout the country. Some of the most important once are as follows:

1. Direct Financial Assistance

The farmer beneficiary families will directly accrue ₹6,000 a year by way of three equal instalments of ₹2,000 each. This amount is credited directly to the bank account of the farmer through the DBT mechanism thereby eliminating middlemen and without any delayed receipt.

2. Facilitation

The entire process is accessible through the PM-KISAN portal or CSCs in rural areas. Thus, the entire process becomes really very simple and easy to apply as well as track the status for the farmers.

3. Support for Agricultural Inputs

₹6,000 under the scheme provides financial assistance for the purchase of inputs like seeds, fertilizers, irrigation sets, etc. essential to the agrarian household for enhancing crop health, which ensures proper yields and allows for an increase in farm incomes.

4. Inclusivity

The scheme is applicable to all landholding farmer families, irrespective of small or marginal holdings. Thus, it attains the goal of reaching financial assistance to the majority of the farming population, irrespective of the landholding size.

5. Lessening Financial Burden

The high cost of inputs to farming also means that various inputs into farming are costly, which can make farmers indebted or unable to use what is vital. PM-KISAN helps to alleviate this burden, which allows farmers to invest in better practices and tools for their crops.

Eligibility Criteria

o ensure that the benefits of PM-KISAN reach the right beneficiaries, certain eligibility criteria must be met. These include:

1. Landholding Farmers: Only families that hold cultivable land in their names can benefit from the scheme. This includes small as well as big landholders, but the family must possess valid landholding documents.

2. Exclusions: The following categories are excluded from the scheme:

Institutional landholders for example, corporate bodies, organizations, etc.

• Former and present holders of constitutional posts

• Former and incumbent ministers, members of parliaments, and state legislative assemblies

• Employees from the Central/State Government

• Superannuated pensioners with an amount of ₹ 10,000 or more per month in their pension accounts

• Taxpaying citizens: The citizens who have paid income tax during the last assessment year are exempted from the scheme

• Aadhaar Linking: Farmers will need to link their Aadhaar card with his bank accounts for direct and convenient transfer of funds.

3. Landholding documents: Proof or documentation of ownership or rights of tilling needs to be provided by the farmers.

How to Apply for PM-KISAN?

Its application process is very simple. The applicant can do this online on a Common Service Center or through the myScheme mobile application. Below are the steps to apply for the scheme:

Step 1: Collect the necessary documents

To apply for the scheme, carry the necessary documents with you as mentioned below.

• Aadhaar card

• Landholding documents such as land registration papers

• Bank account details with his/her name

Step 2: Visit the Application Portal

You can either apply online on the official PM-KISAN website or from the myScheme mobile app. You may also visit a CSC near your locality wherein the VLE (Village Level Entrepreneur) will be there to assist you with the process of application.

Step 3: Fill in Your Details

The VLE will fill in details such as:

• Aadhaar number

• Bank account details

• Landholding details that include the survey number, khasra number, area of land, etc.

• Personal details in the form of name and date of birth, etc.

Step 4: Uploading Supporting Documents

All required supporting documents must be uploaded in correct manner such as Aadhaar, landholding papers, etc. and a bank passbook.

Step 5: Self-declaration

Self-declaration statement to be given to the applicant who has to sign an attestation that all submitted information are true.

Step 6: Fees for Application

A small amount of charge is levied for the service after filling the application through CSC ID.

Step 7: Status Check of Application

He can also check the status of himself being a beneficiary after submitting his Aadhaar number or information of bank account details on the portal.

The Role of Gov Scheme Platforms

The Gov Scheme Platform, myScheme, has been instrumental in spreading an awareness regarding Government Schemes such as PM-KISAN. It is easier for the user to find out the right government scheme based on eligibility criteria. This ensures greater accessibility and participation. It assists users to easily browse through various government initiatives established for the welfare of farmers, workers, and other socioeconomically marginalized sections of society.

Conclusion

Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi, or PM-KISAN, is also a scheme to support agricultural income as well as access to necessary agricultural inputs for enhanced productivity and productivity growth. Direct financial assistance to farmers into the bank account would ensure that there is a smaller number of intermediaries between the farmer, the consumer, and the government and disbursal becomes quicker and more transparent.

There is a reduction of tedious application forms for the farmer due to online portals and Gov Scheme Platforms, wherein enrollment for oneself and benefits have started to be received under various schemes. Technology and Government Schemes such as PM-KISAN are empowering farmers and changing the agriculture sector in India.

With the march to be right at the forefront among global leaders in agriculture for India, schemes like PM-KISAN will integrate and enhance the lives of the farming community, allowing every Kisan to have financial support for better sustenance in the farming sector.