PM-KISAN 23rd Instalment: Digital Governance, Key Agriculture Initiatives, and Case Study

Source: PIB
GS II: Government policies and interventions, GS III: Agriculture

Overview

1. News in Brief
2. PM-KISAN as a Digital Governance Model
3. Measures to Expand PM-KISAN Coverage
4. Key Agricultural Initiatives
5. Case Study: Impact of PM-KISAN in Uttar Pradesh

Why in the News?

The Prime Minister released the 23rd instalment of the Pradhan Mnatri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme from Hooghly, West Bengal, transferring over rupees 18,880 crore directly to around 9.44 crore farmers through the Direct Benefit Transfer mechanism.

News in Brief

• A fresh instalment of PM-KISAN was transferred and beneficiaries include a large number of women farmers across the country.
• Multiple agriculture and farmer welfare initiatives were highlighted alongside the instalment release.
• The occasion was celebrated as “PM KISAN Utsav Diwas”.

PM-KISAN as a Digital Governance Model

Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT)

• Eliminate intermediaries
• Ensures timely and transparent fund transfer
• Strengthens financial inclusion in rural areas.
• PM-KISAN continues to be one of the world’s largest DBT programmes.

PM-KISAN Portal

• Functions as a national farmer database
• Integrated with the Public Financial Management System (PFMS) for fund transfers.
• Enables beneficiary registration and verification
• Facilitates monitoring and fund transfer processes.

Mobile Application

• Features include
  • Self-registration
  • Benefit tracking
  • e-KYC services
  • Face-authentication facility

Kisan -eMitra

• AI-powered chatbot for farmers
• Provides information on registration, eligibility and payment status.
• Supports multilingual interaction through voice and text.

Monitoring and Grievance Redressal

• Multi-tier Monitoring
  • National-level review chaired by the Cabinet Secretary.
  • State and District Monitoring Committees oversee implementation.
• Grievance Mechanism
  • Complaints can be submitted through the PM-KISAN portal and CPGRAMS.
  • Ensures timely resolution and transparency.

Significance

• Economic
  • Enhances farmers’ purchasing power
  • Provides predictable income support
  • Facilitates investment in farm inputs
• Social
  • Strengthens rural livelihoods
  • Supports women farmers
  • Improves financial inclusion
• Governance
  • Demonstrates successful  use of DBT architecture
  • Integrates Aadhaar, banking, and digital databases.
  • Reduces leakages and improves transparency.

Measures to Expand PM-KISAN Coverage

• Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra
  • Conducted to ensure saturation of government welfare schemes.
  • Helped identify and enroll eligible farmers left out of PM-KISAN.
• Common Service Centres (CSCs)
  • Facilitated registration and e-KYC completion.
• Face Authentication
  • Introduced for easier beneficiary verification
• Digital Inclusion
  • Strengthen outreach to remote and rural beneficiaries.

Key Agricultural Initiatives

Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY)

• Crop insurance scheme covering losses due to natural calamities, pests, and diseases.
• Significance
  • Reduces farming risks
  • Improves resilience against crop failures.

Restructured Weather-Based Crop Insurance Scheme (RWBCIS)

• Provides insurance against adverse weather events.
• Significance
  • Protects farmers from climate-related risks.

Digital Agricultural Mission

• AgriStack
  • Creation of digital identities for farmers
  • Integration of land records and service delivery.
• Benefits
  • Facilitates credit
  • Supports insurance coverage
  • Enables procurement and DBT delivery.

National Mission on Natural Farming

• Objectives
  • Promote chemical-free agriculture
  • Improve soil health
  • Encourage sustainable farming practices
• Features
  • Cluster-based implementation
  • Farmer training and capacity building

PM Dhan -Dhaanya Krishi Yojana

• Focus areas include productivity enhancement, Crop diversification, irrigation support, and institutional credit access.

Case Study: Impact of PM-KISAN in Uttar Pradesh

Background

• Conducted by the Agricultural Economics Research Centre, University of Allahabad.
• Sponsored by the Ministry of Agricultural and Farmers Welfare
• Examined PM-KISAN’s impact on income and productivity.

Key Findings

• Majority beneficiaries were small and marginal farmers.
• Funds  were primarily used for seeds, fertilizers, land preparation, cultivation expenses.
• Beneficiary farmers recorded higher wheat and  paddy productivity.
• Net farm income was higher among beneficiary households than non-beneficiaries.

Significance

• Improved liquidity for farmers
• Reduced dependence on informal borrowing
• Encouraged investment in farm inputs
• Enhanced agricultural productivity
• Strengthened income security

Conclusion

PM-KISAN represents the convergence of welfare delivery, digital governance and agricultural support through the JAM (Jan Dhan-Aadhaar-Mobile) architecture, making it one of the largest direct income-support programmes for farmers globally.

UPSC Prelims Practice Question

Consider the following statements

1. 1. Kisan- eMitra is an AI -powered chatbot associated with PM-KISAN.
   2. PM-KISAN is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme funded jointly by the Centre and States.
   3. AgriStack is a part of the Digital Agriculture Mission.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

a) 1and3 only

b) 2 and 3 only

c) 1 only

d) 1,2 and 3

Answer: a) 1and 3 only

Daily Current Affairs: Click Here

Rate this Article and Leave Feedback