Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for several residential hostels across various states and central institutes under PM-AJAY.
Reduce poverty of scheduled caste (SC) communities by creating employment opportunities
Improve socioeconomic developmental indicators of the SC community.
Increase literacy and encourage enrolment of SCs in schools and higher educational
Ministry: Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment
Launch year: 2021-22
Beneficiary: Scheduled Caste Community.
Background: PM- AJAY is a merged scheme of 03 Centrally Sponsored Scheme namely Pradhan Mantri Adarsh Gram Yojana (PMAGY), Special Central Assistance to Scheduled Castes Sub Plan (SCA to SCSP) and Babu Jagjivan Ram Chhatrawas Yojana (BJRCY) for better for convergence of public money and optimal utilization of resources.
Scheme’s Sub- Components:
Development of SC dominated villages into “Adarsh Gram” (erstwhile PMAGY)
Grants-in-aid for District/State-level Projects for Socio-Economic betterment of SCs. (erstwhile SCA to SCSP).
Construction/Repair of Educational Hostels for SC students (Boys and Girls) (erstwhile BJRCY)
About Adarsh Gram: An ‘Adarsh Gram’ would have all the infrastructure facilities and basic services that are necessary for a dignified living.
Eligibility: Villages having >40% SC population and a total population ≥ 500;
once these villages are covered, such villages have less than or equal to 40% of the SC population but overall a high number of persons belonging to SCs, shall also be taken up.
Developmental Indicators: 50 socioeconomic developmental monitorable indicators identified under 10 domains. E.g. education, health, etc.
About grants-in-aid for District/State-level Projects: Socio-economic development of SCs through grants for the creation of assets for beneficiaries/households, skill development, and infrastructure.
Eligibility: No fixed income limits for beneficiaries. However, priority is given to families having annual income not more than Rs. 2.50 lakh per; SHGs having SC majority members will also be eligible.
Special Provisions for SC Women and Disabled
Up to 15 % of the total Grants released to the States/UTs will be utilized exclusively on viable income-generating economic development schemes/ programmes for SC women.
Participation of at least 30% of women candidates may be ensured in the skill development programmes.
At least 10% of the total funds are used for skill development
States/UTs may also promote Scheduled Caste Women Cooperatives engaged in the production and marketing of consumer goods and services.
Special Provisions for North Eastern States: 2% of the total budget allocation for the scheme component.
Projects for special tutoring of the children of target group studying in class 9th to 12th can be taken under the Scheme.
Developmental Indicators of skill development program: The overall placement of the trained persons should be 70% in wage/self-employment.
About Construction/Repair of Educational Hostels for SC students: The construction of hostels would encourage students belonging to SC to attain quality education; The objective is containment and reduction of the dropout rate of SC students, especially girls.
Eligibility: Top-ranked higher educational institutions funded by the Centre/State/UT Governments.
Similarly, schools funded by the Centre/State/UT Governments and recommended by the Ministry of Education shall also be eligible.
Funding pattern: The scheme is 100% funded by the Central Government. However, the States/UTs are free to provide additional funds from their own resources if they so desire.
Implementing Agencies: Districts/ State Governments/Union Territory Administrations as well as Central/State Universities/Institutions would be the Implementing agencies for this component.
Implementing agencies to send proposals online through PMAJAY portal
