PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Scheme 2025: Who is Eligible, How to Apply, Benefits & More

The Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-Kisan) is one of India’s flagship schemes for the welfare of farmers. It provides income support to farmers through periodic payments, aiming to help with agricultural inputs, allied activities, and reduce dependence on informal credit.

What is PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana?

• Full name: Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-Kisan). Source: PM Kisan
• Launched: February 2019. Source: Press Information Bureau
• Aim: To provide income support to all land-holding farmer families to supplement their financial needs, especially for agricultural inputs and allied activities. Source: National Informatics Centre 
• How funds are disbursed: Via Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) into Aadhaar-seeded bank accounts. 
• Amount: ₹6,000 per year, divided into three equal installments of ₹2,000 each.

PM Kisan Scheme Details

• The scheme is fully funded by the Government of India, i.e. a central sector scheme. 
• It covers all States & Union Territories of India. Registration is open to eligible farmers across the country. 
• The scheme uses a digital platform: the PM-KISAN Portal, which has features like Farmers’ Corner, Aadhaar authentication (eKYC), bank account verification, status checking, beneficiary lists, corrections, etc

Who is Eligible? – PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana Eligibility

As per the official guidelines, the following criteria define who can receive benefits under the PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana:

Eligible Farmers

1. Landholding Farmer Families
   • Farmers who own cultivable land as per the land records of their respective State/UT.
   • Definition of Farmer’s Family: A landholder farmer’s family includes a husband, wife, and minor children who together own cultivable land as per official land records.
   • The existing land-ownership system will be used to identify beneficiaries and calculate benefits.
2. Aadhaar Requirement
   • Farmers must have a valid Aadhaar number.
   • Aadhaar authentication/eKYC is mandatory for registration and benefit transfer.
3. Bank Account Details
   • A valid bank account number with IFSC code is required.
   • Funds are transferred directly to the farmer’s account via Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).

Exclusions (Who Are Not Eligible for PM-Kisan Benefits)

The following categories of farmer families are not eligible under the PM-Kisan scheme:

1. Institutional landholders
   • All farmers holding land under institutions are excluded.
2. Families with members in high-ranking positions
   • Former or present holders of constitutional posts.
   • Former/present Ministers and State Ministers.
   • Former/present Members of Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha, State Legislative Assemblies, or State Legislative Councils.
   • Former/present Mayors of Municipal Corporations and former/present Chairpersons of District Panchayats.
3. Government employees (serving or retired)
   • Officers and employees of Central/State Government Ministries, Departments, Offices, and field units.
   • Employees of Central or State PSUs, Autonomous Institutions, and Attached Offices.
   • Regular employees of Local Bodies.
   • Exception: Multi-Tasking Staff (MTS), Class IV, or Group D employees are still eligible.
4. Pensioners
   • Retired individuals receiving a pension of ₹10,000/- or more per month.
   • Exception: MTS, Class IV, or Group D pensioners are eligible.
5. Income tax payers
   • Any person who has paid income tax in the last assessment year.
6. Professionals engaged in private practice
   • Doctors, Engineers, Lawyers, Chartered Accountants, and Architects registered with professional bodies and actively practicing.

PM Kisan Installment Eligibility

• To receive any instalment, Aadhaar authentication / Aadhaar-seeded bank account is essential. Without this, the amount cannot be transferred. 
• The farmer family must have been approved / verified at the State/UT level. Self-registered farmers go through verification by State/UT officials.
• The instalments are released in three periods in a year. Farmers must satisfy eligibility and verification criteria in time for those instalments

PM Kisan Yojana Benefits

• Financial support of ₹6,000 per year, split into three payments of ₹2,000 each.
• It helps farmers cover expenses for:
  • Agricultural inputs (seeds, fertilizers, pesticides etc.)
  • Allied activities or ensuring proper crop health, yield etc.
• It aims to reduce farmers’ dependence on informal credit (moneylenders etc.) during lean periods. 
• Big reach: By the 20th instalment (as of August 2025), over 9.7 crore farmers benefitted in that instalment.
• Since inception, the scheme has transferred several lakhs of crores rupees to farmers. For example, more than ₹3.90 lakh crore through 20 instalments. 

How to Apply for PM Kisan Scheme / PM Kisan Registration Online?

Here are the official channels through which farmers can register under the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana:

1. Self-Registration via PM-KISAN Portal

• Farmers can directly register through the official PM-KISAN Portal (pmkisan.gov.in).
• Under the Farmers’ Corner section, there is an option for New Farmer Registration, where beneficiaries can enter their Aadhaar number, fill in details, and submit their application online.

2. Common Service Centres (CSCs)

• Farmers can also visit a nearby CSC and get help with the registration process.
• A nominal service fee may apply.
• Over 5 lakh CSCs across India have been onboarded to support registrations and help farmers meet mandatory requirements.
• The portal has an integrated grievance redressal system and even an AI-powered chatbot, Kisan-eMitra (launched in September 2023) that answers queries about payments, registration, and eligibility in local languages.
• Farmers can also assist up to 100 neighbouring farmers to complete their e-KYC at the doorstep.
• Additionally, the Government has authorised State Government officials to complete e-KYC for farmers. Each official can process up to 500 e-KYC verifications.

3. PM-KISAN Mobile App

• The official PM-KISAN Mobile App (Android) also allows farmers to self-register and track benefits.
• In 2023, the app introduced a Face Authentication Feature, enabling farmers in remote areas to complete e-KYC by simply scanning their face—no OTP or fingerprint needed.
• The app offers multiple services, including registration, checking beneficiary status, and facial authentication-based e-KYC.
• Farmers can also use the face authentication facility to assist neighbours in completing their e-KYC.

Data / Documents Required for PM Kisan Registration

To complete your registration under the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana, you will need the following:

• Aadhaar Number – It must be linked and authenticated.
  • Special Case: In States/UTs like Assam, Meghalaya, and Jammu & Kashmir, where Aadhaar has not been issued to many citizens, the Aadhaar number will be collected wherever available. For others, States/UTs can accept alternate prescribed identity documents for verification.
• Bank Account Details – Account number and IFSC code for Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).
• Landholding Details – Ownership information and land records as maintained by the respective State/UT government.
• Personal Information – Name, address, and family details such as father’s, mother’s, or husband’s name.

Step-by-Step Process (Self-Registration via Portal):

1. Visit the official PM-KISAN portal: pmkisan.gov.in.
2. Go to Farmers’ Corner > click New Farmer Registration. 
3. Enter your Aadhaar number, mobile number, state and captcha; the portal will check if Aadhaar is already registered. If not, you can proceed.
4. Fill in all required details: personal, bank, land details etc. Certify correctness. 
5. Submit; your application goes to the relevant State / UT authority for verification. Once approved, you become beneficiary. 

Corrections / Updates:

• If details like name (as per Aadhaar), bank account, IFSC, etc. are wrong, there is a facility to edit/update through the portal or via CSCs.
• For wrong/incomplete applications, there is a correction window at various stages. PM Kisan Samman User Manual

How to Check PM Kisan Status / PM Kisan Status Check

Farmers can check different statuses related to PM-Kisan:

1. Beneficiary Status – whether payments are being/will be made into your bank account under your registration.
   • Via PM-KISAN portal → Farmers’ Corner → Beneficiary Status (Know Your Status) page. Enter registration number. 
2. Status of Self-Registered / CSC Farmer – if you registered yourself or via CSC, to see whether your application is approved / pending / rejected.
3. Beneficiary List – to check if your name appears in the list of beneficiaries for your village / block / district. 
4. Status of Surrender/ Revocation – if you had surrendered benefits or there’s a revocation request, that status can also be checked.

PM Kisan Beneficiary List

• On the portal, under Farmers’ Corner, there is a Beneficiary List option. You can select State → District → Sub-District → Block → Village to see all farmer families in that area who are beneficiaries.
• Also, there is a public beneficiary status page which shows the name, last payment details etc. for an individual if you enter Aadhaar/bank account/mobile.

Common Issues & Things to Note

• Aadhaar Seeding and Authentication: If your Aadhaar is not authenticated or doesn’t match with the name / demographic details, payment may be delayed or rejected. 
• Bank Account Details: Incorrect account number, IFSC codes, or mismatch between name on bank account and registration can cause rejections.
• Land Records: Only land holdings that are correctly recorded will count. Any discrepancies in state land records could make an applicant ineligible or delay verification.
• Timeliness: To get an instalment, you need to be eligible, registered, and verified before the cut-offs for that instalment period. If your application is approved after the period ends, you may have to wait for the next one.

Summary Table

Recent GST Changes Affecting Agriculture

In September 2025, in its 56th GST Council meeting, the government introduced significant GST rate rationalisations (sometimes called GST 2.0). Many of these directly benefit agricultural inputs, machinery, processing, and allied sectors. 

Here are the key changes relevant to agriculture:

Why These Changes Matter for Farmers

• Better policy coherence: Correcting “inverted duty structures” (where inputs had higher GST than processed outputs) means less inefficiency.
• Reduced input costs: With GST coming down on tractors, machinery, fertiliser components, irrigation equipment etc., farmers will spend less on essential agricultural inputs. This helps small / marginal farmers especially.
• Encouragement for mechanization: Making machinery cheaper via lower GST means more farmers can afford better tools, harvesters, irrigation systems etc. → boosts productivity.
• Benefit for allied & processing sectors: Processed fruits & vegetables, dairy, honey, etc., being taxed less helps both farmers (who supply raw / semi-processed goods) and small food processors or cooperatives.
• Reduced nutrition costs: Lower taxes on items like cheese, milk etc., help make dairy products more affordable for consumers, and improve incomes for farmers.