In News:

The Prime Minister of India is set to announce the 18th installment of the PM-KISAN scheme in Washim, Maharashtra. This will benefit over 9.4 crore farmers nationwide, with the government allocating more than ?20,000 crore for this initiative.

About PM-KISAN

The Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) is a Central Sector Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) initiative aimed at providing income support to farmers.

Key Features:

• Financial Assistance: The scheme offers ?6,000 annually to small and marginal farmer families, distributed in three equal installments.
• Eligibility: Initially targeted at families with up to 2 hectares of cultivable land, the scope was later broadened to include all farmer families, regardless of land size.
• Family Definition: The definition of a family under this scheme includes the husband, wife, and minor children.
• Identification of Beneficiaries: State governments and Union Territory administrations are responsible for identifying eligible farmer families based on the scheme's guidelines.
• Direct Transfers: The funds are directly credited to the beneficiaries' bank accounts.

Exclusion Criteria

Certain categories of individuals are not eligible for benefits under the PM-KISAN scheme, including:

• Institutional Land-holders: Those who hold land under institutional ownership.
• High-Profile Government Officials: This includes former and current holders of constitutional posts, ministers, members of legislative assemblies, mayors, and district panchayat chairpersons.
• Government Employees: Serving or retired officers and employees of central or state government ministries and departments are excluded.
• Pensioners: Retired pensioners receiving a monthly pension of ?10,000 or more, as well as those in the previously mentioned categories, are also ineligible.
• Income Tax Filers: Individuals who have paid income tax in the last assessment year.
• Registered Professionals: Professionals such as doctors, engineers, lawyers, chartered accountants, and architects who are engaged in practice and registered with professional bodies.