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AgricultureCentral schemeLaunched 2019

PM-KISAN — Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi

An income support scheme that pays eligible landholding farmer families ₹6,000 a year, transferred directly to their bank accounts in three instalments of ₹2,000.

Administered by Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.

Last updated

Official source last verified 9 August 2026

At a glance

Benefit
₹6,000 a year
Paid as
Three instalments of ₹2,000
Transfer method
Direct benefit transfer to a bank account
Who runs it
Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare
Application fee
None

Who this scheme is for

  • Landholding farmer families with cultivable land recorded in their name in the State or Union Territory land records.
  • Small and marginal farmers who need predictable income support between harvests.

Benefits

  • ₹6,000 per year per eligible farmer family.
  • Paid in three equal instalments of ₹2,000, released roughly every four months.
  • Transferred directly to the beneficiary’s bank account, which removes intermediaries from the process.
  • No fee is charged at any stage. Registration on the official portal is free.

Eligibility

  • The family must be a landholding farmer family — husband, wife and minor children — with cultivable land in their name as per the State land records.
  • The applicant must be an Indian citizen.
  • Aadhaar is required, and Aadhaar-based e-KYC must be completed for instalments to be released.
  • The bank account must be linked to Aadhaar and seeded for direct benefit transfer.

Who is excluded

Exclusions matter as much as eligibility — they are the most common reason an application is rejected after submission.

  • Serving or retired officers and employees of Central or State Government departments, public sector undertakings and attached offices or autonomous bodies — excluding multi-tasking, Class IV and Group D staff.
  • Anyone who paid income tax in the previous assessment year.
  • Professionals such as doctors, engineers, lawyers, chartered accountants and architects registered with professional bodies and carrying out their profession.
  • Present and former holders of constitutional posts, serving or former Ministers, Members of Parliament and State Legislatures, Mayors of Municipal Corporations and Chairpersons of District Panchayats.
  • Retired pensioners drawing a monthly pension above the threshold specified in the scheme guidelines, excluding multi-tasking, Class IV and Group D staff.
  • Institutional landholders.

Documents required

  • Aadhaar card — mandatory, and used for e-KYC
  • Land records establishing ownership of cultivable land, as maintained by your State
  • Bank account details with IFSC, with the account seeded to Aadhaar
  • Mobile number registered with Aadhaar, for OTP-based e-KYC
  • Citizenship proof as required by the State authority

How to apply

  1. Go to the official PM-KISAN portal at pmkisan.gov.in.
  2. Open the Farmers Corner section and choose New Farmer Registration.
  3. Select whether you are a rural or urban farmer, enter your Aadhaar number and mobile number, choose your State, and complete the captcha.
  4. Fill in your personal details, land details as recorded in the land records, and bank account details exactly as they appear on your passbook.
  5. Complete Aadhaar-based e-KYC using the OTP sent to your Aadhaar-registered mobile number.
  6. Submit the form and note the reference number shown on screen.
  7. Alternatively, apply through your local Common Service Centre or the village revenue officer or patwari, who is the designated official for verification in most States.
PM-KISAN official portal — pmkisan.gov.inThe official portal for this scheme.https://pmkisan.gov.in/(opens the official website in a new tab)New farmer registration on the PM-KISAN portalApply directly on the official portal.https://fw.pmkisan.gov.in/RegistrationFormNew.aspx(opens the official website in a new tab)

How to check your status

  1. Open pmkisan.gov.in and go to the Farmers Corner section.
  2. Choose Know Your Status, or Beneficiary Status, depending on how the portal is currently labelled.
  3. Enter your registration number, or use your mobile number or Aadhaar number where the portal allows it.
  4. The screen shows your registration status, e-KYC status, and the instalments credited so far.
  5. If an instalment is shown as failed, the reason is usually an Aadhaar mismatch, an unseeded bank account, or incomplete e-KYC. Correct it through the portal’s update option or at a Common Service Centre.

Why instalments get held up

The most common reason a registered farmer does not receive an instalment is not rejection — it is an incomplete or mismatched record. The scheme runs on Aadhaar-based verification, and every link in that chain has to hold.

  • e-KYC not completed. This is the single largest cause. It can be done on the portal with an Aadhaar OTP, or biometrically at a Common Service Centre.
  • The name on the bank account does not match the name on Aadhaar, even by a spelling variant or an initial.
  • The bank account is not seeded with Aadhaar for direct benefit transfer. Having an Aadhaar number on file with the bank is not the same as being seeded.
  • Land record details do not match what the State revenue authority holds.
  • The account is dormant, closed, or has been converted during a bank merger.

How the scheme is administered

PM-KISAN is a Central Sector scheme, fully funded by the central government, but the identification of beneficiaries is done by State and Union Territory governments. State officials verify the land records and certify eligibility; the central portal then processes the payment.

That split matters when something goes wrong. A payment failure is usually resolved centrally through the portal, but a land record or eligibility dispute has to be taken up with your State revenue authority — typically the patwari, village accountant or tehsildar depending on the State.

Frequently asked questions

How much does PM-KISAN pay and how often?
₹6,000 a year per eligible farmer family, paid in three equal instalments of ₹2,000. The instalments are released roughly every four months and credited directly to the beneficiary’s bank account.
Why has my instalment not been credited?
Most commonly because e-KYC has not been completed, the bank account is not Aadhaar-seeded, or the name on the bank account does not exactly match Aadhaar. Check your status in the Farmers Corner on pmkisan.gov.in — the portal usually states the specific reason, and most issues can be corrected online or at a Common Service Centre.
Are tenant farmers eligible?
The scheme is designed for landholding farmer families, with cultivable land recorded in the applicant’s name in the State land records. Tenant farmers who do not have land recorded in their own name are generally not covered. Check the position with your State revenue authority, since land record practice varies.
Is there any fee to register?
No. Registration, e-KYC, corrections and status checks are all free on the official portal. Common Service Centres may charge a small government-notified service fee for assistance, but no fee is payable to the scheme itself, and nobody can charge you to "release" an instalment.
Can someone who pays income tax receive PM-KISAN?
No. Anyone who paid income tax in the previous assessment year is specifically excluded, as are government employees above Group D, retired pensioners above the specified pension threshold, practising professionals, and holders of constitutional and elected posts.
How do I correct my Aadhaar or bank details?
Use the Farmers Corner on pmkisan.gov.in, which has options to update Aadhaar details and to re-check beneficiary status. For land record corrections, approach your village revenue officer. Do not share your Aadhaar OTP with anyone offering to do this on your behalf.

Official sources

Every figure on this page is traceable to the official source below. If a source has changed since the date shown, please tell us and we will correct it.