An Evaluation of PM-KISAN Scheme Effectiveness in Delivering Direct Income Support to Small and Marginal Farmers: (A Comparative Study of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand)

The Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme, launched in 2019 by the Government of India, aims to provide direct income support of ₹6,000 annually to small and marginal farmers in three equal instalments. This paper critically evaluates the effectiveness of PM-KISAN in achieving its stated objective—ensuring timely financial assistance to eligible farmers—by conducting a comparative case study of two agrarian states: Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. The study employs a mixed-method approach, combining quantitative analysis of secondary data from government portals (PM-KISAN dashboard, Agriculture Census) with primary insights from structured interviews and surveys of 200 beneficiary households across selected districts. Key performance indicators include enrolment coverage, timeliness of fund disbursement, utilization of funds, and beneficiary satisfaction.

            Findings suggest that while PM-KISAN has significantly improved income stability for many farmers in Uttar Pradesh, implementation challenges in Uttarakhand—such as difficult terrain, lower digital literacy, and Aadhaar mismatches—have limited the scheme's reach. Moreover, delays in payment and exclusion of landless tenants remain major concerns in both states. The paper concludes that while PM-KISAN has made meaningful progress in institutionalizing direct benefit transfers (DBTs) in Indian agriculture, further reforms are needed in land record digitization, grievance redressal mechanisms, and convergence with other farmer welfare schemes to maximize impact. Policy recommendations focus on improving last-mile delivery and designing region-specific implementation strategies.