PM-KISAN: Can both husband and wife claim Rs 6,000/year benefit? Know which farming families are eligible for 10th Instalment

New Delhi: The Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) Scheme, launched by PM Narendra Modi in 2019, aims to provide income support to all landholder farmer families across the country with cultivable land, subject to certain exclusions. 

Under the Scheme, an amount of Rs 6000 per year is released in three 4-monthly instalments of Rs 2000 each directly into the bank accounts of the beneficiaries. Now, with the disbursal of 10th installment of the PM-KISAN Scheme around the corner, it is important to know the eligibility. (PM KISAN Scheme documents rules changed, know what to do for registration to reap Rs 6,000 yearly benefits)

Who are eligible to get benefits under the PM-KISAN Scheme? Can both husband and wife claim Rs 6,000/year benefit?

Under the PM KISAN scheme, an income support of 6,000 per year in three equal installments is being provided to all land holding farmer families. Definition of family for the scheme is husband, wife and minor children. Hence, if both the husband and the wife applies for PM Kisan, both can't get Rs 6,000 benefit each. The beneficiary amount is for the entire family, hence either of the two has to give up on the amount.

ln the beginning when the PM-KISAN Scheme was launched (February, 2019), its benefits were admissible only to Small & marginal Farmers' families, with combined landholding upto 2 hectare. The Scheme was later on revised in June 2019 and extended to all farmer families irrespective of the size of their landholdings. The Central Government had notified a decision to extend the benefit of Rs 6,000 per year under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme to all 14.5 crore farmers in the country, irrespective of the size of their landholding.

Who are excluded from the PM-KISAN Scheme?

Those excluded from the PM-KISAN include institutional land holders, farmer families holding constitutional posts, serving or retired officers and employees of State or Central government as well as Public Sector Undetakings and Government Autonomous bodies. Professionals like doctors, engineers and lawyers as well as retired pensioners with a monthly pension of over Rs 10,000 and those who paid income tax in the last assessment year are also not eligible for the benefits.