Installment dates, amounts, and beneficiary counts below are drawn from official government announcements and Ministry press releases. Because installment dates shift slightly each cycle, always confirm the latest release date on the official PM-KISAN portal.
| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Scheme Name | Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) |
| Launched On | 24 February 2019 |
| Ministry | Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare |
| Who Can Apply | Landholding farmer families (subject to exclusion criteria) |
| Annual Benefit | ₹6,000 per year |
| Installment Structure | 3 installments of ₹2,000 every 4 months |
| Mode of Payment | Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) to Aadhaar-linked bank account |
| Latest Installment (23rd) | Released 20 June 2026 — ₹18,880 crore to 9.44 crore+ farmers |
| Total Disbursed (cumulative) | Over ₹3.70 lakh crore since launch |
| Official Website | pmkisan.gov.in |
| Helpline | 155261 / 011-24300606 |
Table of Contents
- What Is PM-KISAN?
- Objectives of the Scheme
- Key Features & Benefits
- Installment History & Schedule
- Eligibility Criteria
- Who Is Excluded
- Documents Required
- How to Apply / Register
- How to Check Beneficiary Status
- e-KYC: Why It’s Mandatory
- Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Pros & Cons
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Quick Links
What Is PM-KISAN?
Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi is a central government income-support scheme that gives eligible farmer families ₹6,000 every year, paid directly into their bank accounts in three equal installments of ₹2,000, roughly every four months. It was launched to supplement farmers’ income for agricultural and household needs — covering costs like seeds, fertilisers, and other inputs at the start of a cropping season.
PM-KISAN is one of the largest Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) programmes in the world, reaching over 11 crore farmer families cumulatively, with more than ₹3.70 lakh crore disbursed since the scheme began. Because the money goes directly into the farmer’s Aadhaar-linked bank account, there are no intermediaries and minimal scope for leakage.
Objectives of the Scheme
- Provide supplementary income support to landholding farmer families
- Help farmers meet input costs for agriculture (seeds, fertiliser, equipment) and other domestic needs
- Reduce farmers’ dependence on informal, high-interest credit
- Ensure transparent, leakage-free transfer of benefits via Aadhaar-linked DBT
- Extend targeted support to small and marginal farmers, who make up the majority of India’s farming households
- Increase the share of benefits reaching women farmers (currently over 25% of total beneficiaries)
Key Features & Benefits
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Annual benefit | ₹6,000 per eligible farmer family |
| Installment amount | ₹2,000 per installment |
| Number of installments | 3 per year, at roughly 4-month intervals |
| Payment mode | Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) to Aadhaar-seeded bank account |
| Registration channels | Official portal, Common Service Centres (CSC), PMKISAN mobile app, or via local Patwari/Lekhpal/Krishi Sahayak |
| Mandatory compliance | Aadhaar-bank linkage, e-KYC, and land record seeding |
| Farmer ID | Now mandatory for new registrations in 14 states under the AgriStack initiative |
| Face Authentication eKYC | Available for farmers without an Aadhaar-linked mobile number |
| Budget allocation (2026–27) | ₹60,000 crore allocated for the scheme |
Installment History & Schedule
| Installment | Approximate Release Date | Amount Disbursed | Beneficiaries |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17th | June 2024 | ~₹20,000 crore | 9.3 crore farmers |
| 18th | 5 October 2024 | — | — |
| 20th | 2 August 2025 | ~₹20,500 crore | 9.7 crore farmers |
| 21st | 19 November 2025 | ~₹18,000 crore | ~9 crore farmers |
| 23rd (latest) | 20 June 2026 | ₹18,880 crore | 9.44 crore+ farmers |
Installments are typically released roughly every four months (a February–March, June, and October cycle), though exact dates depend on government scheduling and are usually announced by the Prime Minister from a different state each time.
Eligibility Criteria
| Criterion | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Family definition | Husband, wife, and minor children |
| Core requirement | Must be a landholding farmer family with cultivable land recorded in their name as per land records at the time of the scheme’s initial rollout criteria |
| Citizenship | Indian citizen |
| Land ownership | Land records must be seeded/verified in the PM-KISAN portal |
| Bank account | Must be Aadhaar-linked to receive DBT payments |
| e-KYC | Mandatory for all beneficiaries to continue receiving installments |
Who Is Excluded
The scheme excludes several higher-income and institutional categories, including:
- Institutional landholders
- Farmer families where one or more members are/were holding constitutional posts (former or current Ministers, MPs, MLAs, Mayors, etc.)
- Serving or retired officers/employees of Central/State Government Ministries, Departments, and PSUs (with some exceptions for lower-grade staff)
- All persons who paid income tax in the last assessment year
- Professionals such as doctors, engineers, lawyers, chartered accountants, and architects registered with professional bodies and practising
- Pensioners drawing a monthly pension of ₹10,000 or more (certain categories exempted)
Documents Required
- Aadhaar card
- Land ownership documents / land records (Khasra-Khatauni or equivalent, depending on the state)
- Bank passbook with IFSC code (Aadhaar-linked account)
- Citizenship proof
- Mobile number registered with Aadhaar (for OTP-based e-KYC)
How to Apply / Register
Via the PMKISAN Mobile App
| Step | Action |
|---|---|
| 1 | Download the “PMKISAN GoI” app from the Google Play Store |
| 2 | Select your preferred language |
| 3 | Tap “New Farmer Registration” |
| 4 | Enter your Aadhaar number and captcha, then continue |
| 5 | Fill in your name, bank details, address, IFSC code, and land details |
| 6 | Submit the form and complete Face Authentication for identity verification |
Via the Official Website
- Visit pmkisan.gov.in
- Go to “Farmers Corner” → “New Farmer Registration”
- Enter Aadhaar and other requested details
- Submit land records for verification by state authorities
Via Local Officials
- Approach your village Lekhpal, Patwari, or Krishi Sahayak (Agriculture Assistant) with a filled application form and supporting documents; they will upload your details through their official login.
How to Check Beneficiary Status
| Step | Action |
|---|---|
| 1 | Go to pmkisan.gov.in |
| 2 | Click on “Farmers Corner” |
| 3 | Select “Know Your Status” |
| 4 | Enter your Registration Number (or retrieve it using your Aadhaar/mobile number) |
| 5 | Verify with the OTP sent to your registered mobile number |
| 6 | View your installment history, e-KYC status, and land-seeding status |
You can also check the village-wise beneficiary list by selecting your state, district, block, and village under the “Beneficiary List” section.
e-KYC: Why It’s Mandatory
Every PM-KISAN beneficiary must complete e-KYC to keep receiving installments. There are three ways to do this:
- OTP-based e-KYC: Directly on the PM-KISAN portal, using your Aadhaar-linked mobile number
- Biometric e-KYC: At your nearest Common Service Centre (CSC)
- Face Authentication e-KYC: Through the PMKISAN GoI mobile app, useful for farmers without an Aadhaar-linked mobile number
Without completed e-KYC, your installment will be held even if you are otherwise a verified, eligible beneficiary.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Skipping e-KYC renewal: This is the single biggest reason installments get delayed or stopped.
- Incorrect bank/IFSC details: Even a small typo can cause payment failure — double-check before submitting.
- Unseeded land records: If your land details aren’t verified in the portal, your registration stays incomplete.
- Not updating a changed mobile number: OTP-based e-KYC fails if your Aadhaar isn’t linked to your current, active mobile number.
- Assuming automatic enrolment: You must actively register — the scheme does not automatically include all farmers.
- Ignoring exclusion criteria: Applying despite falling under an excluded category (e.g., income-tax payee, government pensioner above the threshold) can lead to recovery of wrongly paid installments.
Pros & Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Direct, leakage-free cash transfer — no middlemen | ₹6,000/year is modest relative to actual farming input costs |
| Simple registration via app, portal, or local officials | Land record verification can be slow in some states |
| Large-scale reach — 9+ crore farmers per installment | e-KYC and Aadhaar-linking hurdles for farmers with poor connectivity |
| No repayment required — it’s a direct benefit, not a loan | Certain landholding categories and tenant farmers may be excluded |
| Multiple e-KYC options, including face authentication | Installment dates aren’t always fixed to an exact calendar date |
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. How much money do I get under PM-KISAN?
₹6,000 per year, paid in three installments of ₹2,000 each, roughly every four months.
Q2. How do I check if I received my installment?
Visit pmkisan.gov.in → Farmers Corner → Know Your Status, and enter your registration number or Aadhaar/mobile number with OTP verification.
Q3. Is PM-KISAN available to tenant farmers who don’t own land?
The scheme is primarily targeted at landholding farmer families with land records in their name; tenant/sharecropper farmers without recorded land ownership are generally not covered under the core eligibility criteria.
Q4. What is a Farmer ID and why do I need it?
Farmer ID is a unique identifier under the AgriStack digital agriculture initiative, now mandatory for new registrations in several states, designed to create a verified national farmer database.
Q5. My installment hasn’t come what should I do?
Check your e-KYC status, Aadhaar-bank linkage, and land-seeding status on the portal first; if everything shows complete but payment is still missing, contact the helpline 155261 or raise a grievance on the portal.
Q6. Can government employees or income-tax payers apply?
No serving/retired government employees (above certain grades), income-tax payers, and several professional categories are explicitly excluded from PM-KISAN.
Quick Links
| Resource | Link |
|---|---|
| 📝 New Farmer Registration | Click Here |
| 🌐 Official PM-KISAN Website | Click Here |
| 📊 Check Beneficiary Status | Click Here |
| 🗂️ Other Government Yojana Info | Click Here |
| 🏠 National Government Home Page (India.gov.in) | Click Here |
| ☎️ PM-KISAN Helpline | 155261 / 011-24300606 |