The Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) is a Central Sector Scheme of the Government of India, implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. It was conceived to provide income support to landholding farmer families across the country. The scheme was announced by Piyush Goyal during the 2019 Interim Union Budget on February 1, 2019, and was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 24, 2019, in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, though it was implemented with effect from December 1, 2018. The scheme was inspired by the Rythu Bandhu scheme of the Government of Telangana, which also provided direct income support to eligible farmers.
The core mechanism of PM-KISAN is the provision of ₹6,000 per year to eligible farmer families, transferred directly to their bank accounts through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT). This annual amount is disbursed in three equal installments of ₹2,000 each, typically covering the periods of April–July, August–November, and December–March. The scheme aims to supplement the financial needs of farmers for procuring agricultural inputs and meeting domestic needs, thereby reducing their dependence on informal credit sources. Eligibility is extended to all landholding farmer families, defined as the husband, wife, and minor children, who have cultivable land registered in their names.
A significant recent change occurred in June 2019, when the government removed the initial restriction that limited the scheme to small and marginal farmers with a landholding of up to two hectares, extending the benefits to all landholding farmers. The scheme is closely connected to the government's push for digital delivery, as it mandates Aadhaar-based verification and e-KYC for beneficiaries to ensure smooth and secure fund transfer. Furthermore, the government has linked the scheme with the Kisan Credit Card (KCC) scheme, allowing PM-KISAN beneficiaries to easily apply for KCCs to obtain short-term loans at low-interest rates.