UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — PM-Kisan: Centre disburses ₹4.27 lakh crore in 22 installments since inception
Q1. Which one of the following is described by the Government as the world's largest Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) based income-support scheme for farmers?
- A. Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN)
- B. Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY)
- C. Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyan (PM-AASHA)
- D. Rythu Bandhu
Q2. With reference to the funding and administrative structure of PM-KISAN, consider the following statements:
1. It is a Central Sector Scheme funded 100% by the Union Government.
2. The registration and verification of eligible beneficiary farmers is carried out by the States and Union Territories.
3. The expenditure on the scheme is shared between the Centre and the States in a 60:40 ratio.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- It is a Central Sector Scheme funded 100% by the Union Government.
- The registration and verification of eligible beneficiary farmers is carried out by the States and Union Territories.
- The expenditure on the scheme is shared between the Centre and the States in a 60:40 ratio.
- A. 1 and 2 only
- B. 1 and 3 only
- C. 2 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Q3. With reference to the benefit structure and transfer mechanism of PM-KISAN, consider the following statements:
1. Each eligible farmer family receives ₹6,000 per year.
2. The amount is released in three equal instalments of ₹2,000 each.
3. The instalments are disbursed every four months.
4. The benefit is paid out in cash through the village panchayat.
Which of the statements given above is/are NOT correct?
- Each eligible farmer family receives ₹6,000 per year.
- The amount is released in three equal instalments of ₹2,000 each.
- The instalments are disbursed every four months.
- The benefit is paid out in cash through the village panchayat.
- A. 1 and 2
- B. 2 and 3
- C. 1 and 4
- D. 4 only
Q4. Comparing PM-KISAN's transfer mechanism with earlier modes of agricultural support, consider the following statements:
1. Unlike many earlier input subsidies routed through intermediaries, PM-KISAN credits the benefit directly into beneficiaries' bank accounts via DBT.
2. The beneficiary's bank account must be Aadhaar-seeded to receive the instalments.
3. The PM-KISAN benefit is credited as a price subsidy adjusted against the Minimum Support Price of crops sold by the farmer.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- Unlike many earlier input subsidies routed through intermediaries, PM-KISAN credits the benefit directly into beneficiaries' bank accounts via DBT.
- The beneficiary's bank account must be Aadhaar-seeded to receive the instalments.
- The PM-KISAN benefit is credited as a price subsidy adjusted against the Minimum Support Price of crops sold by the farmer.
- A. 1 and 2 only
- B. 1 and 3 only
- C. 2 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Q5. With reference to the launch of PM-KISAN, consider the following statements:
1. The scheme was formally launched on 24 February 2019.
2. It was launched from Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh.
3. It was made effective retrospectively from 1 December 2018.
4. The scheme was formally launched by the Union Minister of Finance.
Which of the statements given above is/are NOT correct?
- The scheme was formally launched on 24 February 2019.
- It was launched from Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh.
- It was made effective retrospectively from 1 December 2018.
- The scheme was formally launched by the Union Minister of Finance.
- A. 1 and 2
- B. 2 and 3
- C. 3 only
- D. 4 only
Q6. PM-KISAN is implemented at the central level by which one of the following?
- A. Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare
- B. Department of Rural Development
- C. Department of Food and Public Distribution
- D. Department of Fertilizers
Q7. The following categories are commonly listed as ineligible for PM-KISAN benefits:
1. Income-tax payers in the last assessment year.
2. Serving and former holders of constitutional posts.
3. A small farmer family owning one hectare of cultivable land with no other income source.
4. Practising professionals such as doctors and lawyers.
Which of the above is/are NOT correctly listed as ineligible (i.e., is actually eligible)?
- Income-tax payers in the last assessment year.
- Serving and former holders of constitutional posts.
- A small farmer family owning one hectare of cultivable land with no other income source.
- Practising professionals such as doctors and lawyers.
- A. 1 and 3
- B. 2 and 4
- C. 1, 2 and 4
- D. 3 only
Q8. The verification of beneficiary eligibility and the recovery of amounts wrongly transferred to ineligible persons under PM-KISAN is the responsibility of which one of the following?
- A. The State/Union Territory Governments
- B. Solely the Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, with no State involvement
- C. The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD)
- D. The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI)
Q9. As of the cumulative disbursement of about ₹4.27 lakh crore announced in 2026, how many instalments had been released under PM-KISAN since inception?
Q10. With reference to state-level farmer income-support schemes that preceded or ran parallel to PM-KISAN, consider the following:
1. Rythu Bandhu, run by Telangana, provides per-acre investment support to land-owning farmers.
2. KALIA, run by Odisha, extends assistance to sharecroppers and landless agricultural households, unlike PM-KISAN.
3. PM-KISAN, like Rythu Bandhu, links its cash benefit to land ownership.
4. Both Rythu Bandhu and KALIA are funded 100% by the Union Government.
Which of the above is/are correctly identified?
- Rythu Bandhu, run by Telangana, provides per-acre investment support to land-owning farmers.
- KALIA, run by Odisha, extends assistance to sharecroppers and landless agricultural households, unlike PM-KISAN.
- PM-KISAN, like Rythu Bandhu, links its cash benefit to land ownership.
- Both Rythu Bandhu and KALIA are funded 100% by the Union Government.
- A. 1 and 4
- B. 2 and 3 only
- C. 1, 2 and 3
- D. 1, 2, 3 and 4
Q11. Which one of the following is the primary mandatory verification step that every PM-KISAN beneficiary must complete to continue receiving instalments?
- A. Aadhaar-based e-KYC
- B. Filing of an income-tax return
- C. Obtaining a Soil Health Card
- D. Enrolment under Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana
Q12. PM-KISAN is an income-support intervention, distinct from price-support mechanisms. With reference to the price-support umbrella scheme PM-AASHA, consider the following:
1. Price Support Scheme (PSS).
2. Price Deficiency Payment Scheme (PDPS).
3. Market Intervention Scheme (MIS).
4. Direct Benefit Transfer of ₹6,000 per year to land-holding farmers.
Which of the above is/are correctly identified as components of PM-AASHA?
- Price Support Scheme (PSS).
- Price Deficiency Payment Scheme (PDPS).
- Market Intervention Scheme (MIS).
- Direct Benefit Transfer of ₹6,000 per year to land-holding farmers.
- A. 1, 2 and 3
- B. 1 and 4
- C. 2, 3 and 4
- D. 1, 2, 3 and 4