Face authentication now in PM-Kisan mobile app, a first for Govt schemes

Face authentication now in PM-Kisan mobile app, a first for Govt schemes

Subject : Schemes

Context:

• In a first for any central welfare scheme, the government rolled out a face authentification feature in the PM-Kisan app, which will enable beneficiary farmers to complete their e-KYC process by just scanning their faces on mobile phones instead of using one-time passwords or fingerprints.

Details:

• 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 much useful for farmers who are aged and also their mobile number is not linked with their Aadhaar.
• 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.
• The face authentication feature uses the iris data of a person having an Aadhaar number.
• 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:

• Central Sector Scheme with 100% funding from central government.
• Became operational on 1 December 2018.
• 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.
• Till now, more than 11 crore farmers have availed the scheme and an amount of Rs 2.42 lakh crore has been transferred to their accounts.

SCHEME EXCLUSION

• The following categories of beneficiaries of higher economic status shall not be elligible for benefits under the scheme.
  • All Institutional Landholders.
  • Farmer families which belong to one or more of the following categories:.
    • Former and present holders of constitutional posts
    • Former and present Ministers/ State Ministers and former/present Members of LokSabha/ RajyaSabha/ State Legislative Assemblies/ State Legislative Councils,former and present Mayors of Municipal Corporations, former and present Chairpersons of District Panchayats.
    • All serving or retired officers and employees of Central/ State Government Ministries /Offices/Departments and its field units Central or State PSEs and Attached offices /Autonomous Institutions under Government as well as regular employees of the Local Bodies
    • (Excluding Multi Tasking Staff /Class IV/Group D employees)
    • All superannuated/retired pensioners whose monthly pension is Rs.10,000/-or more
    • (Excluding Multi Tasking Staff / Class IV/Group D employees) of above category
    • All Persons who paid Income Tax in the last assessment year
    • Professionals like Doctors, Engineers, Lawyers, Chartered Accountants, and Architects registered with Professional bodies and carry out profession by undertaking practices.

How will the beneficiaries be identified?

• The entire responsibility of identifying the eligible farmers’ families for benefit under the scheme is of the State/UT Governments.
• The prevailing land-ownership system/record of land in different States/Union Territories will be used to identify the intended beneficiaries for the transfer of scheme benefits.