Union Textiles Minister Giriraj Singh participated in a programme at Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University, Pusa, Bihar, on Saturday, 20 June 2026, alongside Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai, marking the release of over ₹18,880 crore in PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi installments by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Context

Singh shared details of the event on X, writing in Hindi: 'आज डॉ. राजेंद्र प्रसाद केंद्रीय कृषि विश्वविद्यालय, पूसा में माननीय केंद्रीय गृह राज्य मंत्री श्री नित्यानंद राय जी के साथ आयोजित कार्यक्रम में सहभागिता की' — 'Today I participated in a programme held at Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University, Pusa, along with Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Shri Nityanand Rai.' The occasion centred on PM Modi transferring more than ₹18,880 crore directly into farmers' bank accounts under the PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme. Singh also highlighted what he described as 'historic achievements over the past 12 years' in farmer welfare, agricultural development, and rural prosperity.

Policy Backdrop

PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi was launched in February 2019 as a central sector direct benefit transfer programme, providing eligible landholding farmer families with ₹6,000 annually in three equal installments. The scheme replaced earlier ad-hoc relief measures and has since become a flagship instrument of the government's farmer income-support architecture. Pusa, located in Samastipur district, Bihar, has been a historic hub for agricultural research since 1905 when the university — named after India's first President, Dr. Rajendra Prasad — was established, making it a symbolically significant venue for such outreach events.

Stakeholders and Impact

The primary beneficiaries of PM-Kisan disbursements are small and marginal farmers across India, who receive the funds directly in their bank accounts through the digital transfer infrastructure built under the broader direct benefit transfer framework. Bihar, with its large agrarian population, stands to receive a significant share of each installment. The presence of two senior central ministers — Giriraj Singh (Lok Sabha MP from Begusarai, Bihar) and Nityanand Rai — at the Pusa event underscores the political and administrative importance the government attaches to farmer outreach in the state. Singh's post invoked the government's 'Viksit Bharat' vision, framing farmer welfare as integral to long-term rural development goals.

What's Next

The government's messaging around this disbursement links routine scheme transfers to the broader #ViksitBharat narrative, suggesting continued emphasis on rural welfare as a political and policy priority. Observers will watch for announcements in the forthcoming Union Budget or the monsoon session of Parliament regarding supplementary provisions under PM-Kisan or allied schemes. Agricultural institutions like Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University are likely to remain key venues for government outreach as the administration intensifies engagement with farming communities ahead of future electoral cycles.