Context: Recently “The PM-Kisan scheme has become the first scheme of the government to do e-KYC through facial authentication mobile app. This app is very useful for the aged farmers and their mobile number is not linked with their Aadhaar.”
Issues with the existing system
- Until now, e-KYC of the PM-Kisan beneficiaries used to be done through either biometrics at a designated centre or one-time passwords sent to mobile phone numbers linked with Aadhaar.
- However, during the e-KYC exercise, officials found many instances when farmers’ mobile numbers were not linked to Aadhaar due to which the process could not be completed.
- In the case of biometrics, several elderly farmers faced problems going to the nearby centre.
- Many faced the issue of the non-matching of fingerprints.
- Therefore, to ease the e-KYC process, the ministry introduced the face authentication feature in the PM-Kisan mobile app.
- The face authentication feature uses the iris data of a person having an Aadhaar number.
Other Steps
- In another move, the PM-Kisan scheme is also integrating with Bhashini to provide farmers with information in their native language.
- Bhashini is the government’s National Public Digital Platform for languages to develop services and products for citizens by leveraging the power of artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies.
About PM-Kisan scheme
- Launched in 2019, the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi or PM-Kisan scheme gives beneficiaries financial assistance of Rs 6,000 per year in three equal instalments every four months.
- The amount is transferred to the bank accounts of eligible farmers’ families across the country through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mode.
- According to the Agriculture Ministry, more than 11 crore farmers have availed of the scheme, and Rs 2.42 lakh crore has been transferred to their accounts.
