The latest, 18th installment of the scheme, was released to 9.58 crore beneficiaries, with a detailed breakup showing 1.16 crore SC farmers, 88.34 lakh ST farmers, and 7.54 crore farmers in the ‘others’ category.
Addressing potential barriers to farmer inclusion, the minister said the government has implemented several measures to ensure seamless registration, particularly for SC, ST, and OBC communities facing land ownership documentation challenges.
Key flexibility measures include, relaxing land seeding conditions in north-eastern states; accepting alternative land ownership proofs in states like Manipur, Nagaland, and Jharkhand; and recognising Forest Rights Act (FRA) patta holders as eligible beneficiaries
Under PM-KISAN, eligible farmers receive a financial assistance of Rs 6,000 annually, transferred in three equal installments directly into their Aadhaar-linked bank accounts.
The minister clarified that the scheme applies only to cultivable land-holding farmers and does not provide accommodation for agricultural labourers from SC, ST, or OBC communities. Notably, the government does not maintain separate data for OBC farmers, who are included in the ‘others’ category.