Over 10 crore farmers across India are eagerly awaiting the 21st instalment of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-Kisan) scheme, which provides
Rs 6,000 per year to eligible farmers in three equal instalments. Although the payment was earlier expected before Diwali, reports now suggest that the Rs 2,000 tranche could be released in the first week of November, possibly ahead of the Bihar Assembly elections. The Union Agriculture Ministry has issued an advisory to states, warning that farmers who have not completed e-KYC, Aadhaar seeding, or bank account verification may not receive the upcoming instalment. A nationwide registration and verification drive is currently underway, with states instructed to send updated lists of verified beneficiaries to the Centre to avoid delays. Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan recently reaffirmed that the next instalment “will soon be credited” to eligible farmers’ bank accounts. He also urged state governments to speed up the verification process. During a visit to Jammu and Kashmir earlier this month, Chouhan noted that many farmers cultivating land in border areas lacked complete land ownership records and asked states to verify such cases to ensure their inclusion under PM-Kisan. Interestingly, the central government has already released the 21st instalment in several states. On September 26, 2025, payments were disbursed to farmers in Punjab, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh as advance relief following flood and landslide damage. On October 7, farmers in Jammu and Kashmir also received their payments , indicating that the instalment rollout has begun in a phased manner and will reach other states next month. While the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) is in effect in Bihar, government officials have clarified that payments under previously approved schemes such as PM-Kisan are not restricted. This means the Centre can legally transfer funds to eligible farmers even during the election period. Launched in February 2019, the PM-Kisan Yojana provides financial support to small and marginal farmers through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT). Each farmer receives Rs 6,000 annually in three equal instalments to help with agricultural and household expenses. As the verification process nears completion, the next instalment , the 21st since the scheme’s inception , is expected to reach millions of beneficiaries in early November. However, the Agriculture Ministry has made it clear that farmers who fail to complete Aadhaar seeding, e-KYC, or bank linkage may miss out on the upcoming payment.
