PM-Kisan Goes Digital: What’s Changing from 2025
Mandatory Farmer ID for PM-Kisan Scheme: A Digital Shift in Agricultural Welfare: From January 1, 2025, all new applicants under the PM-Kisan scheme must submit a Farmer ID — a digitally verified identity linked to land records. Existing beneficiaries are not affected. This move aims to improve transparency, prevent fraud, and streamline subsidy targeting across the nation’s farming ecosystem.
What Is PM-Kisan and Why It Matters
Launched on February 24, 2019, PM-Kisan offers ₹6,000 per year to eligible farmer families, split into three ₹2,000 instalments via Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT). Fully funded by the Centre, the scheme supports small and marginal farmers by easing input costs and daily expenses.
In the October 2024 instalment, ₹2,000 each was credited to 9.4 crore farmers, reinforcing the importance of DBT-enabled welfare.
What Is the Farmer ID and Why It’s Needed
The Farmer ID is a unique digital identity that includes:
- Land ownership verification
- Crop details and Aadhaar linkage
- Access to digital marketplaces
It forms the foundation of the Farmer Registry under the Agri-Stack initiative, ensuring only genuine farmers benefit from schemes like PM-Kisan, crop insurance, and fertiliser subsidies.
Key Benefits:
- Reduces fake beneficiaries
- Simplifies registration for future schemes
- Enables real-time verification for DBT
Where Has It Been Implemented So Far?
As of January 2025, 10 states have adopted mandatory Farmer ID, including:
UP, MP, Bihar, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh — covering 84% of all PM-Kisan beneficiaries.
States like Tamil Nadu are in process of completing land digitisation before rollout.
Parliament Pushes for Higher Payouts
Amid inflation and rising farm input costs, a Parliamentary committee has recommended doubling PM-Kisan benefits to ₹12,000 per annum. This could improve resilience for small farmers, especially those hit by climate extremes and price fluctuations.
STATIC GK SNAPSHOT FOR EXAM PREP
Mandatory Farmer ID for PM-Kisan Scheme: A Digital Shift in Agricultural Welfare:
| Topic | Details |
| Scheme Name | Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-Kisan) |
| Launch Date | February 24, 2019 |
| Annual Benefit | ₹6,000 (3 instalments of ₹2,000) |
| New Rule Effective From | January 1, 2025 |
| Farmer ID Mandatory For | New Applicants Only |
| Number of States Implemented | 10 (84% of total beneficiaries) |
| Farmer ID Target (by March 2025) | 6 crore IDs |
| IDs Issued by Jan 2025 | 1 crore |
| Latest DBT Transfer | October 2024 to 9.4 crore farmers |
| Fully Funded By | Central Government |
| DBT Mechanism | Yes – Direct Benefit Transfer to Bank Accounts |
| Suggested Payout Revision | ₹12,000 per annum (Parliament Panel Recommendation) |
