Recently, the Prime Minister of India attended the PM Kisan Samman Sammelan 2022 at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute in New Delhi. Various new initiatives were launched and updates on existing projects were presented.
The Key Highlights of PM Kisan Samman Sammelan
At the PM Kisan Samman Sammelan, the 12th installment of Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) funds were released by the Prime Minister. A total of Rs 16,000 crores was transferred benefiting more than 8.5 crore eligible farmers under this scheme. Additionally, 600 ‘Pradan Mantri Kisan Samruddhi Kendras’ (PMKSK) were inaugurated as part of the Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers’ project.
Understanding PMKSK and its Objectives
The PMKSK centers are designed to convert over 3.3 lakh retail fertilizer shops across the country into comprehensive farmer support centers. They aim to provide facilities such as testing for soil, seeds, fertilizers, generate awareness among farmers about various government schemes, and impart training to retailers at block/district level outlets.
New Schemes Launched
In the same event, a new initiative ‘Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Jan Urvarak Pariyojana’ – One Nation, One Fertilizer was introduced. Under this initiative, ‘Bharat Urea Bags’ were launched to help companies market fertilizers under the single brand name “Bharat”. The PM also introduced an e-magazine on fertilizer, ‘Indian Edge’. It aims to keep the readers informed about the domestic and international fertilizer scenarios, recent developments, consumption analysis, successful farmer stories, and more.
About PM Kisan
Launched on November 1, 2018, PM Kisan aims to supplement the financial needs of landholding farmers. Under this scheme, a financial benefit of Rs 6000/- per year is transferred into the bank accounts of farmers’ families across India through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mode. Initially, the scheme was designed for Small and Marginal Farmers (SMFs), however, later it was extended to all landholding farmers.
Funding and Implementation
PM Kisan is a Central Sector Scheme with complete funding from the Government of India and is implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. The scheme’s primary objective is to supplement the financial needs of the Small and Marginal Farmers ensuring proper crop health and yields. It also aims to protect farmers from falling into debt by providing them financial support for farming activities.
PM-KISAN Mobile App
A mobile application for PM Kisan was developed and designed by National Informatics Centre in collaboration with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. The app provides information about the scheme and aids in its effective implementation.
Exclusion Criteria
Certain categories of beneficiaries are excluded from the benefits under PM Kisan. These categories include all institutional landholders, former and present constitutional post holders, serving or retired officers and employees of Central/ State Government Ministries, individuals who have paid Income Tax in the last assessment year, and professionals like Doctors, Engineers, Lawyers, Chartered Accountants, and Architects registered with professional bodies.
The information for this article has been sourced from the Press Information Bureau (PIB).
