New Delhi [India], February 24 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi released the 19th instalment of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme on Monday in Bhagalpur, Bihar.
According to an official release, around 9.8 crore farmers including 2.41 crore female farmers across the country will be benefitted through the 19th instalment release.
The farmers will be receiving direct financial assistance exceeding Rs 22,000 crore through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) without the involvement of any middlemen, reinforcing the Government's commitment to farmer welfare and agricultural prosperity.
With this instalment, the scheme will be supporting farmers nationwide and further reaffirming the government's commitment to rural development and agricultural prosperity.
While addressing a rally in Bihar's Bhagalpur, the Prime Minister emphasised the BJP-led NDA government's commitment to preserving India's glorious heritage and building a glorious future.
The Prime Minister was accompanied by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Bihar Governor Arif Mohammed Khan at the rally.
PM Modi said that Viksit Bharat has four pillars: the poor, the farmers, the women, and the youth!
He said that the NDA government prioritises farmer welfare at the Centre or in the state.
He emphasised the NDA government's commitment to farmer welfare, citing the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana, which has credited around Rs 1,600 crore to over 75 lakh farmer families in Bihar.
"Today the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana includes over 75 lakh farmer families as beneficiaries from Bihar itself. In their accounts, around 1600 crore rupees have been credited to their accounts. I congratulate them on this," he said.
"A farmer needs good seeds for farming, adequate and cheap fertilisers, irrigation facilities, protection of animals from diseases and protection from losses during disasters. Earlier, farmers used to be surrounded by crises regarding all these aspects. Those who can eat animal feed can never change these conditions. The NDA government has changed these conditions," said PM Modi.
PM Modi also took a jab at the Congress and RJD and highlighted the stark contrast between the current government's efforts and the past regimes, emphasising that while the Congress and the "Jungle Raj" government had allocated a meagre budget for agriculture, the NDA government has already transferred far more money into farmers' bank accounts.
He asserted that only a government truly committed to farmers' welfare could achieve such feats, not those plagued by corruption.PM Modi pointed out that, unlike previous governments, the NDA ensured farmers weren't left to face the challenges of natural disasters like hailstorms, floods, and droughts on their own.
He recalled the creation of the PM Phasal Bima Yojana in 2014, which has provided farmers with Rs. 1.75 lakh crore in claims during disasters.
He also noted the increase in India's agricultural exports, which has led to better prices for farmers' produce.
Highlighting the growing global recognition of Indian crops, he mentioned Bihar's Makhana, which he described as a "superfood" now ready for international markets.
"When the Congress, Jungle Raj wale were in power, they had kept the total budget for agriculture, we have already sent many times more money than that in the bank accounts of you farmers. No corrupt person can do this work, only the government can do it which is dedicated to farmers' welfare," he said.
The Prime Minister also announced the formation of a Makhana Board to support farmers and promote Bihar's Makhana, a "superfood" now ready for international markets. His vision is to have Indian-grown products featured in kitchens around the world.
"My dream is that there should be some product grown by Indian farmers in every kitchen of the world," said PM Modi.
Prime Minister Modi shared that this year's budget continues to push forward his vision for farmers' welfare, with the introduction of the 'PM Dhan Dhanya Yojana.'This initiative will identify 100 districts across the country with the lowest crop production and launch special campaigns to boost farming in these areas.
He also celebrated the achievement of a significant milestone, revealing that the government had set a target to create 10,000 Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) across the country, and this goal has now been accomplished.
PM Modi proudly announced that Bihar will host the 10,000th FPO, which will focus on crops such as maize, bananas, and paddy.
He said that the FPO has been registered in Khagaria district, marking an important step in supporting farmers and strengthening regional agricultural practices.
A huge crowd had turned up at the rally to see Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Previously, Prime Minister Narendra Modi released the 18th instalment of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme on October 5, 2024, in Washim, Maharashtra.
This significant event witnessed over 9.4 crore farmers across the country receiving direct financial benefits, amounting to more than Rs 20,000 crore.
The PM-KISAN scheme is a central sector scheme launched in February 2019 by the Prime Minister to supplement the financial needs of land-holding farmers.
Under the scheme, a financial benefit of Rs 6,000 per year is transferred in three equal instalments, into the Aadhaar seeded bank accounts of farmers through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mode.
A farmer-centric digital infrastructure has ensured the benefits of the scheme reach all farmers across the country without the involvement of any middlemen. Maintaining absolute transparency in registering and verifying beneficiaries, the Government of India has disbursed over Rs 3.46 lakh crore in 18 instalments since inception, as of February 2025.
With a view to augment the income of the Small and Marginal Farmers (SMFs), the PM-KISAN scheme aims to:
Supplement the financial needs of the SMFs in procuring various inputs to ensure proper crop health and appropriate yields, commensurate with the anticipated farm income at the end of each crop cycle.
This would also protect them from falling into the clutches of moneylenders to meet such expenses and ensure their continuance in farming activities.
Technological Advancements
With an objective to make the scheme more efficient, effective, and transparent, continuous improvements in a farmer-centric digital infrastructure have been made to ensure the benefits of the scheme reach all the farmers across the country without any middleman involvement.
The PM-KISAN mobile app was launched on February 24, 2020. This was developed with an emphasis on greater transparency and to reach more farmers.
The PM-KISAN mobile app servers a simple and efficient extension to the PM-KISAN web portal.
In 2023, the app was launched with an additional "Face Authentication Feature". This enabled remote farmers to do e-KYC by scanning their faces without OTP or fingerprint.
The portal and mobile app offer services like self-registration, benefit status tracking, and facial authentication-based e-KYC. Farmers in remote areas can complete e-KYC via face scans, with provisions to assist neighbours.
Over 5 lakh Common Service Centres (CSCs) have been onboarded to facilitate registrations and meet mandatory requirements.
Additionally, a robust grievance redressal system was established on the portal, and an AI chatbot, Kisan-eMitra, launched in September 2023, provides instant query resolution in local languages regarding payments, registration, and eligibility.
Farmers can also assist 100 other farmers in their neighbourhood to complete e-KYC at their doorstep. In addition, the Government of India has also extended the facility for completing the e-KYC of farmers to State Government officials, allowing each official to do e-KYC for 500 farmers.
In 2023, an AI Chatbot was launched for the PM-KISAN scheme, becoming the first AI chatbot integrated with a major flagship scheme of the Union government.
The AI Chatbot provides farmers with prompt, clear, and accurate responses to their queries. It has been developed and improved with the support of the EKstep Foundation and Bhashini.
The introduction of the AI chatbot in the PM-KISAN grievance management system is aimed at empowering farmers with a user-friendly and accessible platform.
The AI Chatbot, accessible through the PM KISAN mobile app, is integrated with Bhashini, which offers multilingual support, catering to the linguistic and regional diversity of the PM KISAN beneficiaries.
'Digital India BHASHINI' seeks to enable easy access to the internet and digital services in Indian languages, including voice-based access, and help the creation of content in Indian languages. This integration of advanced technology will not only enhance transparency but will also empower farmers to make informed decisions.
Additionally, the Department of Posts offers the facility of linking/updating mobile numbers with Aadhaar for farmers benefiting from the PM KISAN scheme. This is to complete e-KYC, through India Post Payment Bank.
Since its inception, the Government of India has disbursed over Rs 3.46 lakh Cr. in 18 instalments.
A significant saturation drive launched in November 2023 under the Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra added over 1 crore eligible farmers to the scheme.
An additional 25 lakh farmers were included within the first 100 days of the subsequent government in June 2024. As a result, the number of beneficiaries receiving the 18th instalment increased to 9.59 crore.
The scheme has a wide reach across various states. For instance, during the 18th instalment (August 2024 - November 2024), Uttar Pradesh had the highest number of beneficiaries at 2,25,78,654, followed by Bihar with 75,81,009 beneficiaries.
An independent study conducted by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) in 2019, found that PM-KISAN funds boosted rural economic growth, eased farmers' credit constraints, and increased agricultural input investments.
Further, the scheme has enhanced farmers' risk-taking capacity, leading them to undertake riskier but comparatively productive investments.
The funds received by recipients under PM-KISAN are not only helping them with their agricultural needs, but it is also catering to their other expenses such as education, medical, marriage, etc.
These are the indicators of the positive impact of the scheme on the farmers of the country. PM KISAN has truly been a game changer for the farming community of our country.
In the last five years, the PM-KISAN Scheme has evolved into a transformative initiative for the farming community, achieving significant milestones in financial inclusion and rural empowerment.
Its vision of providing direct and timely assistance to millions of farmers has been implemented with remarkable efficiency. The scheme's seamless digital infrastructure, which enables direct transfers to beneficiaries' accounts, has set a benchmark for transparency and effective governance.
As PM-KISAN continues to expand its reach, it stands as a testament to the government's commitment to strengthening the agricultural sector and enhancing the livelihoods of India's farmers.