🇮🇳 Trending in India · 27 October 2026
What is PM-KISAN, and when does the 24th instalment arrive?
What is PM-KISAN?
Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) is a central government scheme that gives eligible farmer families ₹6,000 a year as income support. The money comes in three equal instalments of ₹2,000, one every four months. It is sent by Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) straight into the farmer's bank account. The Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare runs the scheme.
How it started
The scheme was announced in the Interim Union Budget 2019-20 on 1 February 2019 and took effect from December 2018. Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched it on 24 February 2019 at Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh, sending the first ₹2,000 instalment to more than one crore farmers. At first it was meant for small and marginal farmer families owning up to 2 hectares of land. Today it covers all land-holding farmers, except for some exclusion criteria, such as higher-income groups.
How big is it?
The Government of India pays the full cost, which makes PM-KISAN a central sector scheme. It is one of the world's largest DBT programmes. When the 21st instalment was paid in November 2025, total transfers had crossed ₹3.7 lakh crore, reaching more than 11 crore farmer families. More than 25 percent of the benefits now go to women farmers.
Recent instalments
PM Modi released the 21st instalment, worth about ₹18,000 crore for around 9 crore farmers, at Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu on 19 November 2025. Earlier that year, in October 2025, Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan released the 21st instalment early for farmers in Jammu and Kashmir who were hit by floods and landslides. The 24th instalment is set for 30 October 2026.
Why some farmers may miss the money
A farmer may not get the instalment if their e-KYC is incomplete, their Aadhaar is not linked to their bank account, or their land records are not verified. e-KYC can be done using an Aadhaar OTP, biometrics or face authentication. Farmers can check their status on the official portal, pmkisan.gov.in, or call the helpline on 155261.
Quick points
Quick quiz
1. Where was the PM-KISAN scheme launched on 24 February 2019?
2. How much income support does an eligible farmer family get each year under PM-KISAN?
3. Which Union ministry runs the PM-KISAN scheme?
