NEW DELHI, 24 September 2023: In a significant stride towards leveraging technology for the betterment of farmers, Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Kailash Choudhary, unveiled an Artificial Intelligence (AI) Chatbot for the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) Scheme recently in New Delhi.
This pioneering launch not only marks a major step in enhancing the efficiency and reach of the PM-KISAN scheme but also aims to provide farmers with prompt, clear, and accurate responses to their queries.
The introduction of this AI Chatbot is in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision to drive positive change in the lives of farmers and improve governance through technology. Shri Choudhary emphasized that the AI Chatbot will serve as a vital tool for accessing scheme information and addressing grievances. He also stressed the need to expand the Chatbot's services to encompass other related aspects such as weather information, soil conditions, and bank payments. Shri Choudhary commended the Ministry officials for swiftly adopting this technology, noting that it will ease the workload for agriculture officials at both the central and state levels.
The virtual launch event witnessed the participation of dignitaries from the Government of India and State Governments, marking a momentous milestone in the agricultural sector. The successful implementation of the AI Chatbot for the PM-KISAN scheme underscores the government's commitment to utilizing technological advancements for the welfare of farmers.
Manoj Ahuja, Secretary of the Department of Agriculture & Family Welfare, highlighted that the AI Chatbot will soon be extended to other major schemes of the Ministry in the coming months. Shri Pramod Mehreda, Additional Secretary of the Department of Agriculture & Family Welfare, delivered a comprehensive presentation on the Chatbot's features and its benefits for farmers.
The AI Chatbot serves as a comprehensive guide for beneficiaries, offering timely and accurate responses to their queries related to the PM-KISAN scheme. Notably, this is the first AI Chatbot integrated with a major flagship scheme of the Union government. Its development and improvements have been made possible with the support of EKstep Foundation and Bhashini. The introduction of the AI Chatbot into the PM-KISAN grievance management system aims to empower farmers with a user-friendly and accessible platform.
In its initial phase, the AI Chatbot will assist farmers in seeking information about their application status, payment details, ineligibility status, and other updates related to the scheme. Accessible through the PM-KISAN mobile app, the AI Chatbot is integrated with Bhashini, which provides multilingual support, catering to the linguistic and regional diversity of PM-KISAN beneficiaries. This integration of advanced technology not only enhances transparency but also equips farmers to make informed decisions.
Currently available in English, Hindi, Bengali, Odia, and Tamil, the Chatbot is set to expand to all 22 languages of the country in the near future.
About Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi
The Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) is a central sector scheme initiated in February 2019 to provide financial support to land-holding farmers in India. The scheme offers an annual financial benefit of INR 6,000 in three equal instalments to eligible farmer families through the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mode. Since its inception, over INR 2.61 lakh Crores has been disbursed to more than 11 Crore farmers, making it one of the largest DBT schemes globally. The PM-KISAN scheme has played a pivotal role in providing income support to landholding farmer families across the country, including women beneficiaries, contributing to their socio-economic well-being.
During the challenging times of the Covid Pandemic, more than INR 1.75 lakh Crores were transferred to beneficiaries, offering crucial relief to farmers and their families.
The Government of India has also developed a mobile app with a face authentication-based e-KYC feature, a first of its kind in any government benefit scheme. This user-friendly app allows farmers to complete their e-KYC from the comfort of their homes, even in remote areas, without the need for OTPs or fingerprints—just a simple face scan. Additionally, farmers can assist up to 100 others in their neighborhood to complete e-KYC at their doorstep. Furthermore, the government has extended the facility for state government officials to complete e-KYC for 500 farmers, streamlining the process and making it more accessible.
