PM-Kisan 2026: eligibility, how to apply, eKYC and status check

PM-KISAN (Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi) is a central scheme that gives landholding farmer families ₹6,000 a year in three installments of ₹2,000, paid every four months straight into the bank account. The The 24th instalment was released on 30 October 2026, sending over ₹18,690 crore to 9.34 crore farmers. This guide explains who can get the money, who cannot, how to apply, how to do eKYC, how to check your status and what to do if an installment does not arrive. Always use only the official website, pmkisan.gov.in.

What is PM-KISAN and who runs it?

PM-KISAN is a Central Sector scheme with 100% funding from the Government of India. It is run by the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. It gives income support to landholding farmer families, so they can pay for farm inputs and household needs.

The scheme became operational on 1 December 2018 and was launched by the Prime Minister on 24 February 2019. At first it covered only small and marginal farmer families with up to 2 hectares of land. From 1 June 2019 it was extended to all farmer families, whatever the size of their land.

The state or Union Territory government finds the eligible families from its land records and uploads their data on the PM-KISAN portal. The money is then sent to the bank account.

How much money do you get and when?

Each eligible family gets ₹6,000 per year, paid in three equal installments of ₹2,000 by Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) into the bank account.

Period (every four months)	Installment
April to July	₹2,000
August to November	₹2,000
December to March	₹2,000

The 23rd installment was released on 20 June 2026. When we checked the official homepage on 18 October 2026, it showed 9,44,65,646 farmers benefited in the April–July 2026-27 period. This figure can change.

A family gets the benefit at one place only, so double payment is not allowed. If an eligible farmer misses an installment for any reason other than an exclusion, the official FAQ says the dues are payable once the cause of delay is removed.

Who is eligible for PM-KISAN?

The basic rule is that the family owns cultivable land as per the land records of the state or UT. A family means husband, wife and minor children.

• The land must be in the farmer’s own name. Land held by a father or forefathers does not count, unless ownership has passed to the farmer by succession.
• The cut-off date is 01-02-2019. Land that comes by inheritance after the owner’s death is allowed.
• There is no limit on land size since 1 June 2019.
• Urban land counts if it is under actual cultivation. Micro holdings that are not cultivable, and farmland used for non-farm purposes, are not covered.
• If many families are recorded on one holding, each family is separately eligible up to ₹6,000.
• Families of Multi Tasking Staff / Class IV / Group D employees are eligible if no other exclusion applies.
• Tenant farmers who do not own land are not eligible. Land holding is the only criterion.

Some North-Eastern states and Jharkhand have special arrangements for identifying farmers. Ask your state nodal officer.

Who is NOT eligible?

The scheme excludes institutional landholders and any family in which one or more members belong to these groups:

• Former and present holders of constitutional posts.
• Former and present Ministers, MPs, MLAs and MLCs, Mayors of Municipal Corporations and Chairpersons of District Panchayats.
• Serving or retired officers and employees of central or state governments, PSEs, autonomous institutions and regular employees of local bodies (except Multi Tasking Staff / Class IV / Group D).
• Retired pensioners getting ₹10,000 or more a month (except MTS / Class IV / Group D).
• Anyone who paid income tax in the last assessment year.
• Registered doctors, engineers, lawyers, chartered accountants and architects who practise.

Under the guidelines, new beneficiaries who are NRIs under the Income Tax Act are also excluded. A buyer or gift receiver of land after 01-02-2019 is not eligible, because he or she was not the owner on that date. A wrong declaration can lead to recovery of the money and action under law.

What documents do you need and how do you apply?

Keep ready: Aadhaar number, mobile number linked to Aadhaar (for OTP), bank account number with IFSC code (the account must be Aadhaar seeded), and your land details as per the land record. You also give your name, age, gender and category (SC/ST).

Apply online

1. Open pmkisan.gov.in and choose New Farmer Registration in Farmers Corner.
2. Enter your Aadhaar number, mobile number and state, accept the consent and confirm. You can go ahead only if your Aadhaar is authenticated with UIDAI.
3. Fill in the form, including the self-declaration about eligibility, and submit.
4. Your form goes to the State Nodal Officer for verification. After that, it is processed for payment.

Apply offline: meet the village Patwari, revenue officer or the PM-Kisan Nodal Officer named by your state. Common Service Centres (CSCs) can also register farmers on payment of a fee. The official pages do not state the registration fee.

After registering, complete eKYC.

How to complete eKYC and check your status?

eKYC is mandatory for registered farmers. There are three ways:

• OTP eKYC on pmkisan.gov.in (click e-KYC) or in the PM-KISAN app. Your mobile number must be linked to Aadhaar.
• Biometric eKYC at a Common Service Centre (CSC) or State Seva Kendra. Carry your Aadhaar card and linked mobile. The convenience fee is ₹15. Find a CSC at locator.csccloud.in.
• Face authentication in the PM-KISAN mobile app along with the Aadhaar Face RD app. If your eKYC status shows No, tap eKYC and scan your face.

The eKYC status shows in your beneficiary status after 24 hours.

To check status: open Know Your Status on pmkisan.gov.in, enter your registration number (use Know Your Registration No. if you forgot it) and the OTP sent to your registered mobile. It shows payment status, bank name, UTR number, date credited and eKYC by year. You can also use the PM-KISAN app, the Kisan eMitra chatbot, the Beneficiary List on the portal, or the village list at the Panchayat.

Installment not received? Common problems and fixes

• eKYC not done: complete it and check again after 24 hours.
• Bank account not Aadhaar seeded or details wrong: payments are made only on Aadhaar-seeded bank data. Failed transactions go back to the state for correction and reprocessing, so correct your details through your Nodal Officer. The portal also offers Edit / Update Self Registration, Update Missing Information and Update Mobile Number.
• Name different from Aadhaar: the official FAQ says farmers can edit their name as per Aadhaar through Farmers Corner on the portal.
• Payment withheld: the department has held payments in suspected cases, such as land acquired after 01-02-2019 or more than one family member (for example husband and wife) receiving the benefit. They stay on hold until physical verification is completed. Check Know Your Status or the Kisan eMitra chatbot.
• Name not in the beneficiary list: approach the District Level Grievance Redressal Monitoring Committee in your district.
• Land inherited or sold: land records must be updated, and the state reassesses eligibility.

Helpline and where to complain

• Help-Desk on the portal: open the Grievance Query Form on pmkisan.gov.in, choose Raise Grievance, enter your registration number (use the Temporary ID if registration is new or pending), describe the problem (up to 500 words) and upload a document if needed. Use Check Status with your Grievance ID later. The grievance goes straight to the concerned Nodal Officer.
• Nodal Officers: states have Nodal Officers at block, district and state level. District Agriculture Officers or District Collectors normally attend to grievances. State Nodal Officer contacts are on the portal’s Contact Us page.
• Other routes: the Public Grievance Portal, or write directly to the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.
• Helpline 155261: a 24x7 IVRS line to check beneficiary status. A PIB note of February 2026 says it is also linked to Bharat-VISTAAR, which supports PM-KISAN complaint registration and tracking.
• A PIB release of February 2020 also gave 1800-11-5526 and the email pmkisan-ict@gov.in. These are older, so confirm on pmkisan.gov.in before use.

The guidelines say grievances should be disposed of on merit, preferably within two weeks.

Recent changes and updates

24th instalment (30 October 2026): According to the PIB release of 30 October 2026, the government released the 24th instalment of PM-KISAN on 30 October 2026 at Banaskantha, Gujarat. More than 9.34 crore eligible farmers received around ₹18,690 crore through DBT, and cumulative disbursement over 24 instalments is now above ₹4.64 lakh crore. Check whether you got the money with “Know Your Status” on pmkisan.gov.in; if not, check eKYC, Aadhaar seeding and land verification. No official date has been announced for the next (25th) instalment.

• 20 June 2026: the Prime Minister released the 23rd installment from Tarakeswar, Hooghly, West Bengal.
• eKYC is mandatory for PM-KISAN registered farmers. The homepage says biometric-based eKYC is now available for CSC VLE logins, the PM-KISAN mobile application and State Authorized User logins.
• The homepage carries an important note on suspected exclusion cases (land acquired after 01-02-2019, or more than one family member receiving benefits). Their benefits are temporarily withheld till physical verification.
• 17 February 2026: a PIB notice dated 16 February 2026 announced the launch of Bharat-VISTAAR on this date. Its first phase includes PM-KISAN information, benefit status and complaint tracking, reachable also on 155261.

The rules in this guide come from the official FAQ and the Operational Guidelines revised on 29 March 2020. Always check pmkisan.gov.in for the latest.