Background
The Indian government is considering increasing the annual cash transfer to female farmers who own land from ₹6,000 to ₹12,000, according to three sources with knowledge of the matter. This proposal is likely to be announced in the budget on February 1, 2024, and could cost the government an additional ₹12,000 crore ($1.44 billion). The plan is expected to boost the support of women voters for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the upcoming general election, which is due by May 2024.
Existing Programme
The plan is an extension of an existing programme called Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN), which was launched by Modi before the last general election in 2019. Under this programme, the government transfers ₹6,000 annually to both male and female farmers who own up to two hectares of land. The programme has so far disbursed more than ₹2.81 lakh crore to more than 110 million farmers in 15 instalments until last November, according to government estimates.
According to the latest data available on the PM-KISAN website, as of January 10, 2024, there were 9.54 crore beneficiaries registered under the scheme, out of which 5.72 crore were women farmers. The state-wise distribution of beneficiaries shows that Uttar Pradesh had the highest number of women beneficiaries (1.69 crore), followed by Maharashtra (0.67 crore) and Madhya Pradesh (0.62 crore).
Women Farmers in India
Women farmers constitute about 60% of the total farming population in India, but only 13% of them own the land they cultivate, according to government data. Women farmers face various challenges such as lack of access to credit, inputs, markets, information and technology. They also face social and cultural barriers that limit their decision-making power and mobility. The proposed cash support scheme aims to empower women farmers and improve their livelihoods.
According to a study by Oxfam India, women farmers contribute about 55-66% of the total farm labour in India, but receive only 10-12% of the total income from agriculture. The study also found that women farmers spend about 3,300 hours per year on farm-related activities, compared with 1,860 hours by men. However, women farmers are often excluded from formal institutions and schemes that provide agricultural services and benefits.
Political Implications
Women have been a key support base for Modi and his BJP, which is widely expected to win the next election, according to opinion polls. The party recently won elections in three out of four major states, delivering better-than-expected results in states like Madhya Pradesh, where women overwhelmingly voted for it. In Madhya Pradesh, where the BJP government ran a cash transfer programme for married women, the party won about 51% of the female vote, compared with 46.2% of the male vote, according to pollster C-Voter.
The plan to double the cash support for women farmers could further enhance Modi’s popularity among women voters, especially in rural areas where agriculture is a major source of income and employment. The plan could also help the BJP counter the criticism from opposition parties and farmer unions over its controversial farm laws, which sparked massive protests across the country last year.