Regular Update
ATM News Network: Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shri Kailash Choudhary, has unveiled an AI Chatbot for the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) Scheme, marking a significant advancement in agricultural technology. This AI Chatbot represents the first of its kind, integrated with a major flagship scheme of the Indian government.
The AI Chatbot launch signifies a crucial step in enhancing the PM-KISAN scheme's efficiency and expanding its reach, while also providing farmers with prompt, clear, and accurate responses to their inquiries. Shri Choudhary emphasized that this initiative aligns perfectly with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision to bring positive changes to the lives of farmers and improve governance through the use of technology.
Through this AI Chatbot, beneficiaries can access scheme information and resolve grievances, streamlining the process and offering timely support. The Union Minister further highlighted the need to extend the service to encompass related areas such as weather information, soil conditions, and bank payments.
Dignitaries from the Government of India and the State Government celebrated this milestone during a virtual event, underscoring the government's dedication to leveraging technological advancements for the welfare of farmers.
Shri Manoj Ahuja, Secretary, Department of Agriculture & Family Welfare, announced plans to implement the AI Chatbot for other major schemes of the Ministry in the coming months. Shri Pramod Mehreda, Addl. Secretary, Department of Agriculture & Family Welfare, provided a detailed presentation on the features and benefits of the Chatbot.
The AI Chatbot serves as a comprehensive guide for beneficiaries, supplying them with timely and accurate responses regarding their scheme-related inquiries. This pioneering technology has been developed in collaboration with the EKstep foundation and Bhashini, and it aims to empower farmers with a user-friendly and accessible platform. In its initial phase, the AI Chatbot will assist farmers with information related to their application status, payment details, ineligibility status, and scheme-related updates. It is accessible through the PM KISAN mobile app and offers multilingual support through its integration with Bhashini.
As of now, the Chatbot is available in English, Hindi, Bengali, Odia, and Tamil, with plans to expand to all 22 languages of the country in the near future.
The Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) is a central sector scheme launched in February 2019, providing annual financial assistance of Rs 6,000 to eligible farmers’ families. To date, over Rs. 2.61 Lakhs Crores have been disbursed to more than 11 Crore farmers, making it one of the largest DBT schemes globally. This scheme has played a vital role in providing income support to landholder farmer families across the country.
Moreover, the government has developed a mobile app featuring face authentication-based e-KYC, making it easier for farmers to complete their e-KYC from the comfort of their homes, even in remote areas. This modern technology eliminates the need for OTP or fingerprint verification, further streamlining the process for farmers. Additionally, farmers can assist up to 100 others in their neighborhood with their e-KYC requirements, making the process more accessible and efficient. State Government officials can also perform e-KYC for up to 500 farmers. This is a significant advancement in ensuring farmers have access to necessary documentation to benefit from government schemes.
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