August 14, 2023: Around 8 lakh farmers have accomplished their e-KYC the PM Kisan mobile app, agriculture and farmers’ welfare minister Narendra Singh Tomar informed the Rajya Sabha in a written reply on August 11. During the pilot testing phase, over 2 lakh farmers completed their e-KYC across the nation using the PM Kisan mobile app’s face authentication feature, the minister added.
The mobile app was launched in February 2020, with the provision for e-KYC through face authentication introduced in June 2023.
“Since its inception, the scheme has leveraged technology to enhance its implementation and administration. A farmer-centric digital infrastructure ensures the scheme’s benefits reach all farmers nationwide, eliminating middlemen involvement,” the minister said.
The PM Kisan mobile app, featuring the face authentication feature, enables farmers to complete their e-KYCs effortlessly from their mobile devices. This user-friendly app is available for download on Google Play Store for Android phones.
As part of the facial e-KYC process, farmers are required to provide digital consent before their faces undergo scanning.
“The PM Kisan is one of the largest direct benefits transfer (DBT) schemes globally. Under the scheme, a notification under Section 7 of the Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and other Subsidies, benefits, and services) Act, 2016, has been issued, permitting the government to utilise farmers’ Aadhaar for verification purposes, including eKYC,” he said.
Centrally sponsored Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM Kisan) aims to provide financial assistance to cultivable landholding farmer families across the country. Under this scheme, an annual amount of Rs 6,000 is transferred in three equal instalments of Rs 2,000 directly into the Aadhaar-seeded bank accounts of the farmers.
The government has disbursed over Rs 2.60 lakh crore to more than 11 crore farmers so far. Of the beneficiaries, over 3 crores are women farmers, the minister informed.
How to complete eKYC?
To bridge the digital divide, the mobile app offers flexible provisions. Farmers can complete their own e-KYC through the app and assist up to 100 other farmers in their vicinity with their e-KYCs. Additionally, state government officials, including district, block, and village-level nodal officers, can perform e-KYC for 500 farmers using their registered mobile numbers. The scheme’s services are also accessible through more than 4 lakh CSCs across the country.
Various steps have been taken by respective state/UT governments and the Central government to raise awareness about the scheme and its digital features. Text messages in regional languages are sent to all PM Kisan beneficiaries at different stages of the scheme.
Social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, etc., are utilised by Central and state governments to engage the farmers and make them aware about eligibility criteria, mandatory verifications and the process to avail the benefits of the scheme.
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