PM-Kisan eKYC keeps saying 'invalid Aadhaar' or 'authentication failed', how to solve it?

These eKYC errors usually come from one of a few causes, and most are fixable. First, check you are entering the correct twelve digit Aadhaar with no typing mistake and the captcha is right. Second, for OTP eKYC the failure often means your mobile number is not linked to your Aadhaar, so the OTP never reaches you and it times out as authentication failed. The fix is either to update your mobile in Aadhaar at an Aadhaar centre, or switch to biometric eKYC at a CSC or face authentication on the official app, which do not need the OTP. Third, biometric failures happen when fingerprints do not match, common for elderly farmers or worn fingerprints, in which case face authentication usually works better. Fourth, sometimes the portal or the Aadhaar authentication service is temporarily down or busy, especially near installment release, so trying again after some time or a day helps. Fifth, if your Aadhaar itself has an issue like it is not active or has a name or detail problem, that can cause invalid Aadhaar errors, and you would need to sort that at an Aadhaar centre. Practical approach, first try OTP again with the correct details, if OTP never arrives go to a CSC for biometric, if biometric fails use face authentication on the app, and if all fail, get your Aadhaar mobile updated and Aadhaar status checked at an Aadhaar centre. Always do this on the official pmkisan.gov.in portal or official app only, errors on suspicious lookalike websites are common and risky.