Union Consumer Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi attended the 23rd instalment release event of the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme at the Farmers' Knowledge Development Centre of the University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad, on Saturday, 20 June 2026. The event was held in conjunction with a nationwide disbursement of ₹18,880 crore to more than 9.44 crore farmer beneficiaries across India via Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).

Context

Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off the 23rd instalment from Tarakeshwar in Hooghly district, West Bengal, where the government observed 'PM Kisan Utsav Divas' (PM Kisan Festival Day). Minister Joshi and other dignitaries in Dharwad watched a live telecast of the Prime Minister's address as the funds were simultaneously credited to farmers' accounts across the country through DBT.

Joshi wrote on X in Kannada that the PM-KISAN scheme is 'namma deshadha raitara bennelubaagide' — 'the backbone of our country's farmers' — and that technology and direct cash transfers are being used 'in a manner never seen before in the country's history' to drive comprehensive agricultural progress.

Policy Backdrop

The PM-KISAN scheme was launched in February 2019 as a central sector initiative providing eligible landholding farmer families an annual income support of ₹6,000, disbursed in three equal instalments of ₹2,000 each through DBT. The scheme has been a flagship instrument of the central government's farmer welfare agenda, aimed at reducing dependence on informal credit and improving agricultural liquidity at the household level.

Successive instalments since 2019 have been released through coordinated national events, reinforcing the government's emphasis on transparency and leakage-free delivery. The 23rd instalment marks over six years of continuous disbursement under the programme.

Karnataka and Dharwad Numbers

According to the figures shared by Minister Joshi, 41,54,160 farmer beneficiaries in Karnataka received a combined ₹830.832 crore in this instalment from the central government. Within the state, 99,771 farmers in Dharwad district alone received ₹19.55 crore. Joshi stated that the transfers would help strengthen farmers' livelihoods and agricultural activities in the region.

The event at the University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad — a prominent state agricultural university — served as the local anchor point for the national disbursement, bringing together elected representatives, university officials, and farming communities.

Stakeholders and Dignitaries Present

The Dharwad event was attended by MLA M R Patil, Mayor Jyoti Patil, University Vice-Chancellor Dr P U Krishnaraj, members of the university's governing board, administrative officers, and a large gathering of farmers from the district and surrounding areas.

The presence of the Union Minister at a state agricultural university underscores the Centre's approach of using institutional platforms to amplify the reach and visibility of direct benefit programmes at the grassroots level.

What's Next

With the 23rd instalment now disbursed, attention will turn to the rollout of the 24th instalment and any announcements regarding the scheme's scope or beneficiary base in the forthcoming Union Budget session. The government has consistently framed PM-KISAN as a pillar of its 'Viksit Bharat' (Developed India) vision, which includes the stated goal of doubling farmers' incomes. Parliamentary scrutiny of scheme performance metrics and DBT delivery efficiency is expected to continue in the next legislative session.