New Delhi: Giving significant convenience to farmers who are beneficiaries under the PM-Kisan Yojana, the central government has announced a new facility that allows them to complete the e-KYC process simply by scanning their face. Union Minister of Agriculture, Narendra Tomar, unveiled this new feature as part of the government’s mission to ensure e-KYC completion for all beneficiary farmers.

e-Kyc mandatory for beneficiary farmers

e-KYC is mandatory for beneficiary farmers according to the Central government. It is crucial for them to complete their e-KYC promptly in order to receive grants under the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana. If a farmer has not completed their e-KYC, the installment can be withheld. However, due to the stringent requirements, many farmers have not completed their e-KYC thus far.

Until now, only the OTP or fingerprint option was available for e-KYC verification. This could pose a challenge for farmers whose fingerprints have become distorted or faded due to extensive physical work. With the new face scanning feature, they can now easily complete their e-KYC process.

How Does Face Recognition Work?

The face recognition technology is now available in the PM Kisan mobile app. It allows users to utilize the iris data from their Aadhaar number to complete the e-KYC process.

What is PM Kisan Yojana?

The PM Kisan Yojana is one of the world’s largest Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) schemes, in which farmers receive Rs 6,000 directly into their Aadhaar-linked bank accounts in three installments per year. Over 11 crore farmers, including more than 3 crore women, have received a total transfer of Rs 2.42 lakh crore.

The PM Kisan Yojana has proven to be a valuable support for farmers, even during the COVID-19 lockdown, by providing direct financial assistance and instilling confidence in difficult times. The scheme has effectively resolved difficulties related to Aadhaar verification and updating bank account details on the PM Kisan Portal through the use of digital public goods.

For the first time, more than 8.1 crore farmers successfully received the 13th installment of PM Kisan directly into their Aadhaar-linked bank accounts through Aadhaar Enabled Payment, which is a remarkable achievement. The new app is user-friendly and can be easily downloaded from the Google Play Store. It provides important information related to the scheme and PM Kisan accounts to the farmers. Farmers can also check the status of land seeding, Aadhaar linking with bank accounts, and e-KYC using the No User Status Module.

The department has also collaborated with India Post Payment Bank (IPPB) to open Aadhaar-linked bank accounts for beneficiaries at their doorstep and has urged Common Service Centers (CSCs) to organize village-level e-KYC camps with the assistance of respective States/UTs.