The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has marked seven years of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Maandhan Yojana (PM-KMY), a pension scheme for small and marginal farmers. Launched on 12 September 2019, the scheme has now enrolled nearly 25 lakh farmers across India. The milestone comes as the government continues to expand social security coverage among farming communities.
Key Details of the Scheme
PM-KMY is a voluntary contributory scheme administered by the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare in partnership with the Life Insurance Corporation of India. Eligible small and marginal farmers with cultivable landholdings of up to two hectares can join between ages 18 and 40, provided their names appear in state land records as of 1 August 2019.
The scheme guarantees a minimum assured pension of ₹3,000 per month from age 60. If a subscriber dies after starting pension, the spouse receives a family pension of 50 per cent, which amounts to ₹1,500 monthly. If death occurs before age 60, the spouse may continue the scheme by paying regular contributions or exit with refund of accumulated contributions.
Farmers contribute between ₹55 and ₹200 monthly depending on entry age, with the Central Government contributing an equal amount. Contributions are auto-debited from linked bank accounts. Farmers aged 18 contribute ₹55 monthly while those aged 40 contribute ₹200 monthly.
Enrollment figures show Haryana leading with 5.75 lakh farmers, followed by Bihar with 3.46 lakh. Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh each have over 2.5 lakh enrolled farmers. As of February 2026, the government had spent ₹540.66 crore on implementing and promoting the scheme nationwide.
Farmers cannot join if they are already covered under other statutory pension schemes, work as government employees, are registered professionals such as doctors or engineers, paid income tax in the previous assessment year, or hold constitutional or public representative positions. Multi-tasking staff and Class IV employees are exempt from these exclusions.
Enrollment occurs at Common Service Centres with just Aadhaar card, bank details and mobile number. The process is entirely digital and paperless, with farmers receiving a pension account number and card after registration.
What this means for you
If you are a small or marginal farmer aged 18 to 40, you can secure a guaranteed monthly pension of ₹3,000 starting at age 60 by enrolling at your nearest Common Service Centre. The contribution burden is shared equally between you and the government, and you have flexibility in how frequently you pay. Enrollment is simple and requires no lengthy paperwork.