In a sweeping move to modernize rural India’s backbone, the government has accelerated its Digital Agriculture Mission, generating over 70 million unique farmer IDs—each linked to land records—by mid-August 2025. These digital identities, known as Kisan Pehchaan Patra, are transforming the way agricultural services are delivered, with the goal of reaching 110 million farmers nationwide by the close of fiscal year 2026-2027, according to the Financial Express.
The scale of the initiative is staggering. Fourteen states have already rolled out millions of these digital IDs: Uttar Pradesh leads the pack with 14 million, followed by Maharashtra (11 million), Madhya Pradesh (8.7 million), Rajasthan (7.8 million), and Gujarat (5.6 million). Other states making significant strides include Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka (4.5 million each), Tamil Nadu and Telangana (3.1 million each), Chhattisgarh (2.5 million), Kerala (2.3 million), Odisha (0.9 million), Assam (0.7 million), and Bihar (0.5 million). Officials told Financial Express that Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, and Punjab are poised to join the initiative soon.
But what exactly do these digital IDs do? They capture a farmer’s demographic profile, landholdings, and cropping patterns. This wealth of data enables state governments to craft targeted agricultural schemes, ensuring that benefits and subsidies reach the right hands. It’s a far cry from the paper-based, error-prone systems of the past.
At the heart of this mission is AgriStack—a robust digital ecosystem launched in September 2024 with a budget of Rs 2,817 crore. AgriStack is more than just a database; it’s a digital infrastructure that brings together geo-referenced village maps, crop sown registries, and farmer registries. The Ministry of Agriculture reports that 30 states have agreed to build these digital tools, laying the groundwork for a comprehensive soil fertility and profile mapping system as well.
“We have also started using the crop sown data under DCS [Digital Crop Survey] to verify whether the farmer has grown the same crop as claimed while taking loans under the Kisan Credit Cards and while applying for the crop insurance,” a senior official told Financial Express. This verification process helps reduce fraud and ensures that only genuine claims are processed under programs like Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) and direct cash transfers under PM Kisan.
One of the most significant features of the new system is its inclusivity. The registry application allows for the onboarding of tenant and lessee farmers, not just landowners, depending on state policy. This is crucial in a country where, by government estimates, 30-40% of the gross cropped area is cultivated by farmers who do not hold the land themselves. With around 140 million farmers in India, the potential for impact is enormous.
However, the journey is not without its complexities. Data ownership remains with the respective states, and there is a strong push for states and union territories to dynamically link farmer registries with updated land rights records. Devesh Chaturvedi, Secretary of the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, has urged states to keep these registries current to provide personalized agricultural services.
While the Digital Agriculture Mission is reshaping rural governance, another digital identity—the Aadhaar card—continues to play a pivotal role in everyday life for millions of Indians. The 12-digit Aadhaar number is the key to accessing a slew of services, from opening a bank account to applying for a passport or a driving license, as highlighted by Zee News.
Yet, with great utility comes the need for careful management. As of August 17, 2025, Aadhaar users face specific limits on updating their personal details. According to Zee News, a user can update their name up to two times; a third change is possible only in exceptional cases and requires approval from the regional UIDAI office. Name changes may stem from minor spelling corrections, rearranging the order, expanding a short form, or after marriage. Each update costs Rs 50, and users can change two details (such as name and gender) in a single request for the same fee.
When it comes to the date of birth (DoB), Aadhaar policy is even stricter: only one update is allowed. If a genuine need arises for a second change, users must follow an exception process. If a request is rejected, individuals can contact UIDAI via the helpline (1947) or email ([email protected]), providing their latest Update Request Number and contact details for a review.
Photograph updates offer more flexibility—users can change their photo as many times as they wish, but must visit an Aadhaar enrollment center in person. Biometric updates like photographs and fingerprints can’t be done online, ensuring a higher level of security and authenticity.
Address updates, on the other hand, are refreshingly straightforward. There’s no cap on the number of times a user can change their address. Thanks to the Self-Service Update Portal (ssup.uidai.gov.in), people can update their address from the comfort of their home, sidestepping the need for a physical visit to a center.
These update policies are more than just bureaucratic red tape—they’re designed to balance convenience with security. Frequent, unchecked changes could undermine the reliability of Aadhaar as a trusted ID. On the flip side, the exception processes ensure that genuine cases aren’t left in the lurch. It’s a delicate dance between flexibility and safeguarding against misuse.
For India’s farmers, the interplay between Aadhaar and the new digital farmer IDs is particularly significant. Many agricultural subsidies, crop insurance claims, and credit schemes require both forms of identification. The government’s emphasis on digital infrastructure is, in effect, knitting together these systems to create a seamless flow of benefits and services.
There are, of course, challenges ahead. Ensuring that tenant and lessee farmers—who often lack formal land titles—are included in the digital registry is a work in progress. State-level variations in policy and implementation could also create gaps. And as with any large-scale digital initiative, data privacy and accuracy are ongoing concerns that demand vigilance.
Still, the momentum is undeniable. With over 70 million farmer IDs already generated and robust mechanisms in place for updating Aadhaar information, India is inching closer to a future where digital identities empower rural communities rather than exclude them. The coming years will test the resilience and adaptability of these systems, but for now, the seeds of a digital revolution have been firmly planted in India’s soil.
