New Delhi, August 1: The Union Cabinet declared an extension of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) flagship scheme for an additional five-year period. Under this scheme, eligible farmer families across the country continue to receive direct income support through structured financial transfers.
Government representatives declared that the extension aims to maintain income security for rural households, supporting seasonal agricultural input costs and agrarian stability. Officials maintained that the decision reinforces long-term support mechanisms for the agricultural sector while encouraging continuous financial inclusion in rural communities.
The extension secures the flagship direct cash transfer program from the financial year 2026-27 through 2030-31, backed by a massive financial outlay of ₹3,15,614 crore.
Sustained Financial Support for Farmers
Announcing the landmark decision, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw confirmed that the core structure of the central sector scheme will remain unchanged. Under the extension, eligible landholding farmer families across the country will continue to receive financial assistance of ₹6,000 per year.
The financial aid will be distributed in three equal instalments of ₹2,000 every four months. To ensure complete transparency and eliminate middleman leakage, the government will continue routing funds directly into bank accounts using the Aadhaar-seeded Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mechanism.
A Track Record of Rural Impact
Since its historic launch on February 24, 2019, PM-KISAN has grown into one of the world’s largest DBT initiatives. To date, the central government has disbursed more than ₹4.47 lakh crore across 23 successful instalments.
The scheme has also driven significant gender inclusion in agriculture. Women farmers now make up approximately 25% of the total beneficiary pool, having received over ₹1.06 lakh crore in direct assistance so far.
Fueling the Agricultural Sowing Cycle
Independent evaluations, including studies by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), highlight that PM-KISAN plays a critical role during peak agricultural months.
By delivering cash tranches right before the Kharif and Rabi sowing windows, the scheme gives small and marginal farmers the immediate liquidity needed to buy high-quality seeds, fertilizers, and equipment. This timely support has successfully reduced farmers’ reliance on high-interest informal moneylenders, lowering rural debt distress and empowering growers to invest in modern farming technologies.
With this five-year renewal, the government aims to provide long-term income predictability to millions of farming households navigating unpredictable climate and market conditions.
