Unique Identity Card Scheme
- Context: In 2024, the Central Government announced a Unique Identity Card Scheme for farmers. As a fundamental feature of this scheme, linking agricultural land with the Aadhaar number has been made mandatory.
- In Tamil Nadu, there is a total of 1.23 crore acres of agricultural land and 42.52 lakh farmers.
- Under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme which has been operational since 2019-21.57 lakh farmers in Tamil Nadu, who own less than 5 acres of land, are currently receiving benefits.
- Since it was discovered that ineligible individuals had been included as beneficiaries in this scheme, a need was felt to ensure the accuracy of beneficiary identification.
- Furthermore, allegations arose that subsidized fertilizers were being diverted for industrial use rather than for agriculture; this further reinforced the need for stricter regulatory controls.
- In this regard, although the previously launched Soil Health Card Scheme attempted to streamline fertilizer usage, it did not achieve the expected level of success.
- Therefore, the primary objective of the current Unique Identity Card Scheme is to prevent the leakage and misuse of subsidies.
Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN)
- The Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) is a Central Sector Scheme of the Government of India.
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- The scheme was launched in February 2019 and was implemented with retrospective effect from December 1, 2018.
- Subject to certain exclusion criteria, this scheme aims to provide financial assistance to land-holding farmer families across the country to help them meet expenses related to agriculture, allied activities, and domestic needs.
- Under this scheme, an annual sum of ₹6,000 is deposited directly into the bank accounts of farmers in each financial year, in three equal installments of ₹2,000 each (April–July, August–November, and December–March), through the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mode.
