PM-AJAY Scheme: 18,093 Villages Declared Adarsh Grams, Rs 1,730 Crore Released for SC Development

Why in News

The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment recently announced that 18,093 villages have been declared as Adarsh Grams (model villages) under the Pradhan Mantri Anusuchit Jaati Abhyuday Yojana (PM-AJAY) as of September 2026, with 46,944 development works completed and 47.79 lakh citizens benefited under the scheme's Adarsh Gram component. In a separate development, Rs 1,730 crore has been released to states under the scheme's Grants-in-Aid component (FY 2021-22 to FY 2025-26) to skill and support over 2.5 lakh individual and group beneficiaries from Scheduled Caste (SC) communities.

Background

PM-AJAY was launched in FY 2021-22 as a 100% Centrally Sponsored Scheme under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (Department of Social Justice and Empowerment — DOSJE). It consolidated and rationalised three pre-existing SC welfare schemes that operated in silos:

1. Pradhan Mantri Adarsh Gram Yojana (PMAGY) — focused on development of SC-dominated villages
2. Special Central Assistance to Scheduled Castes Sub Plan (SCA to SCSP) — financial assistance for SC livelihood and skilling
3. Babu Jagjivan Ram Chhatrawas Yojana (BJRCY) — student hostels for SC students near higher educational institutions

Rationalisation eliminated duplication, aligned fund flows, and created a single administrative architecture for SC upliftment at the village, district, and state levels. The scheme operates in 28 states and UTs with an annual outlay of Rs 2,250 crore in 2025-26, with continuation proposed for 2026-31 with an enhanced outlay.

Timeline

• 2009–10: PMAGY launched (pilot phase for SC village development)
• 2021-22: PM-AJAY launched, merging PMAGY, SCA to SCSP, and BJRCY
• 2023: PM-AJAY portal and mobile app launched (pmajay.dosje.gov.in)
• 2025-26: Rs 2,250 crore annual outlay; 47,200+ villages selected/covered
• Sep 2026: 18,093 villages formally declared Adarsh Grams; 46,944 works completed
• 2026-31: Continuation with enhanced outlay proposed

Current Developments

Adarsh Gram Component — Progress (as of September 2026)

• Villages selected/covered: Over 47,200 (with 47,328 in one official count)
• Village Development Plans (VDPs) prepared: 27,032
• Villages declared Adarsh Grams: 18,093
• Development works completed: 46,944
• Citizens benefited: 47.79 lakh

Grants-in-Aid Component — Progress (FY 2021-22 to FY 2025-26)

• Total released to states: Rs 1,730 crore (for skilling and livelihood projects)
• Beneficiaries: Over 2.5 lakh individual and group beneficiaries

Hostel Component — Progress

• Student hostels completed: 785
• FY 2026-27 allocation: Rs 61.46 crore (for 264 additional student accommodations)

Key Facts

Three Components of PM-AJAY

Component 1: Adarsh Gram

Develops SC-dominated villages (where SC population exceeds 40% of total village population and total population is at least 500) into model villages. Villages are selected in descending order of SC population percentage. The process involves:

1. Preparation of a Village Development Plan (VDP) covering gaps in infrastructure (roads, sanitation, water, electricity, education, health)
2. Convergence with other Central/State schemes to fill identified gaps
3. Formal declaration as an Adarsh Gram once gaps are filled

An Adarsh Gram is officially defined as "a village where people have access to basic services, the minimum needs of all sections of society are met, and disparities are reduced to a minimum."

Component 2: Grants-in-Aid for District/State-level Projects

Financial assistance released to states for skilling, livelihood generation, income-generating schemes, and socio-economic betterment of SC communities at district and state levels. Rs 1,730 crore released under this component over FY 2021-22 to 2025-26.

Component 3: Babu Jagjivan Ram Chhatrawas Yojana (BJRCY) — Hostels

Construction and repair of student hostels for SC students studying near higher educational institutions, removing accommodation as a barrier to higher education for first-generation learners from SC backgrounds.

Constitutional Provisions

Article 15(4) — enables the state to make special provisions for the advancement of socially and educationally backward classes, including SCs and STs.

Article 16(4) — allows reservations in state employment for backward classes.

Article 17 — abolishes untouchability; its practice is an offence punishable under the Protection of Civil Rights Act, 1955.

Article 46 (DPSP) — directs the state to promote educational and economic interests of the weaker sections, particularly SCs and STs, and protect them from social injustice and exploitation.

Article 341 — empowers the President to specify Scheduled Castes for each state/UT; Parliament may include or exclude communities from the list.

Legal Framework

• Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 (PoA Act) — provides enhanced legal protection against discrimination; PM-AJAY's Adarsh Gram component complements this by attacking structural poverty that makes SCs vulnerable
• Protection of Civil Rights Act, 1955 — implements Article 17's prohibition on untouchability
• Scheduled Castes Sub Plan (SCSP) framework — now integrated into PM-AJAY as the Grants-in-Aid component; requires proportionate allocation from state budgets for SC welfare
• PM-AJAY itself operates through executive orders and annual expenditure sanctions under the Ministry's budget; there is no standalone Act, as it is a scheme launched by Cabinet approval

Institutional Framework

• Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MoSJE) / DOSJE — nodal ministry; releases central funds and monitors implementation
• State governments / UTs — implementation agencies; prepare VDPs, execute works, and disburse Grants-in-Aid
• District Collector/DM — coordinates convergence of schemes at the village level
• National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) — constitutional body (Article 338) monitoring safeguards for SCs; reviews PM-AJAY's implementation periodically
• PM-AJAY Portal (pmajay.dosje.gov.in) — real-time monitoring of VDP preparation, works completion, and beneficiary data

Economic Dimensions

The Adarsh Gram component addresses infrastructure poverty — the gap between SC-dominated villages and the national average on basic services — which is both a social justice imperative and an economic drag. Studies by NITI Aayog have consistently shown that SC-dominated villages have significantly lower per-capita income, road connectivity, and access to sanitation compared to the national average. By filling these gaps through convergence, PM-AJAY improves labour productivity (through better health and education access) and enables SC households to participate in formal markets.

The Grants-in-Aid skilling component directly supports wage employment and self-employment for SC beneficiaries, aligning with the government's broader Skill India Mission and the PM Vishwakarma Yojana for artisans. Over 2.5 lakh beneficiaries trained in FY 2021-26 represents a meaningful addition to the skilled SC workforce.

Banking & Financial Angle: SC beneficiaries trained under the Grants-in-Aid component are linked to MUDRA loans (under Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana — PMMY) and Stand-Up India credit guarantees for SC/ST entrepreneurs, creating a pipeline from skilling to formal credit access. The scheme also supports financial inclusion goals by ensuring SC-dominated villages are covered by BC (Business Correspondent) networks under the PM Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) framework.

Social Dimensions

SCs constitute approximately 16.6% of India's population (Census 2011; 2026 estimates higher). Despite decades of reservations and affirmative action, significant socio-economic gaps persist. The Socio-Economic and Caste Census (SECC) 2011 found that SC households have disproportionately higher rates of landlessness, manual scavenging, bonded labour, and infant mortality. PM-AJAY's Adarsh Gram component targets the structural roots of this deprivation — infrastructure gaps in roads, water, sanitation, and schools — rather than only individual transfers.

The hostel component is particularly significant for first-generation SC learners in higher education: AISHE data consistently shows SC students have lower gross enrolment ratios, and accommodation near colleges is a key barrier. 785 hostels completed under BJRCY represents direct support for higher education access.

Challenges

• Convergence fatigue: Achieving genuine inter-scheme convergence at the village level requires coordination across multiple ministries (Rural Development, Agriculture, Drinking Water, Education) — a persistent governance challenge
• Data quality: Village Development Plans depend on accurate identification of gaps; local elite capture can distort what is recorded as a gap versus what actually exists
• Definition of "Adarsh Gram": The 18,093 declared villages were assessed against the VDP benchmarks, which may not fully capture qualitative social outcomes (reduction in atrocities, change in social norms)
• Geographic reach: Ladakh, Andaman & Nicobar, and remote north-eastern UTs/states present logistical challenges for infrastructure development
• Continuation funding: The proposed 2026-31 phase requires enhanced allocations from Parliament; any budget compression affects the scheme's reach

Government Initiatives (Related)

• PM Vishwakarma Yojana — credit, training, and marketing support for traditional artisan communities (includes SCs)
• Stand-Up India — Rs 10 lakh – Rs 1 crore bank loans for SC/ST entrepreneurs; at least one beneficiary per bank branch
• PM Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) — universal financial inclusion; SC households were priority targets
• Dr. Ambedkar Foundation — research, awards, and public outreach on SC rights and history
• NCSK (National Commission for Safai Karamcharis) — monitors welfare of sanitation workers, a predominantly SC occupational group

Way Forward

The NITI Aayog's Strategy for New India @ 75 and the 2nd Administrative Reforms Commission (2nd ARC) have both emphasised that village-level development for marginalised communities requires outcome-based monitoring rather than input tracking. For PM-AJAY:

• Shift from counting "works completed" to measuring outcome indicators: reduction in SC poverty headcount, improvement in ASER/NAS scores in Adarsh Gram schools, maternal mortality in target villages
• Integrate PM-AJAY's Adarsh Gram database with the Gram Panchayat Development Plan (GPDP) under PESA and the 73rd Amendment framework for convergent planning
• Expand the hostel component to tier-2 and tier-3 cities where SC students are migrating for education, not just near legacy higher-education institutions
• Establish a Social Audit mechanism (as mandated for MGNREGS) for PM-AJAY at the gram sabha level to prevent elite capture

Previous UPSC Questions

• UPSC Prelims 2022: On PMAGY (Pradhan Mantri Adarsh Gram Yojana) — one of the schemes later merged into PM-AJAY
• UPSC Mains GS-II 2019: "Constitutional provisions for welfare of SCs — how effective has their implementation been?"

Possible Mains Questions

1. "Scheme rationalisation alone does not guarantee better outcomes for marginalised communities — the devil lies in convergence at the grassroots." Critically evaluate PM-AJAY's design and implementation. (GS-II, 250 words)
2. Examine the constitutional and statutory framework for protection and upliftment of Scheduled Castes in India. How does PM-AJAY fit into this architecture? (GS-II, 250 words)

Possible Prelims MCQs

1. Q: PM-AJAY was formed by merging which three schemes?
   Ans: PMAGY + SCA to SCSP + BJRCY (Babu Jagjivan Ram Chhatrawas Yojana)
2. Q: Which ministry administers PM-AJAY?
   Ans: Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment
3. Q: Under PM-AJAY, a village is eligible for the Adarsh Gram component if its SC population exceeds what percentage?
   Ans: 40% of total village population (with a minimum total population of 500)
4. Q: Which Constitutional Article directs the state to promote educational and economic interests of SCs and STs?
   Ans: Article 46 (Directive Principles of State Policy)
5. Q: As of September 2026, how many villages have been declared Adarsh Grams under PM-AJAY?
   Ans: 18,093

Essay Dimensions

1. From untouchability to Adarsh Gram: the long arc of constitutional promise and ground reality for India's Scheduled Castes
2. Scheme rationalisation and welfare delivery: can consolidation replace genuine governance reform?
3. Infrastructure as social justice: the case for village-first development for marginalised communities
4. Ambedkar's vision and India's welfare state: measuring progress 75 years after the Constitution
5. First-generation learners and higher education: bridging the SC representation gap

Interview Questions

1. PM-AJAY merged three schemes into one — does rationalisation always improve outcomes, or can it dilute scheme-specific focus? Give examples.
2. The Adarsh Gram concept looks similar to Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana (SAGY). How are they different in design, target beneficiaries, and administrative responsibility?
3. How would you design a social audit for PM-AJAY's Adarsh Gram component to prevent elite capture at the village level?
4. Article 46 is a DPSP — it is not enforceable in court. Does that make it less important as a constitutional directive? Justify.
5. What, in your view, is the most critical barrier to SC socio-economic mobility in rural India today — and does PM-AJAY address it?

FAQ

Q: What is the difference between PM-AJAY and Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana (SAGY)?

SAGY (launched 2014) asks Members of Parliament to adopt villages and facilitate their holistic development through convergence of schemes — it has no SC-specific eligibility criterion and no dedicated budget. PM-AJAY specifically targets villages where SCs form over 40% of the population, has a dedicated central budget (Rs 2,250 crore/year), and operates through state governments as implementing agencies. SAGY is MP-led; PM-AJAY is ministry-administered.

Q: What is SCA to SCSP and how does it differ from PM-AJAY's Grants-in-Aid?

Special Central Assistance to Scheduled Castes Sub Plan (SCA to SCSP) was a separate scheme providing additionality over states' own SC sub-plan expenditure. It has been subsumed into PM-AJAY's Grants-in-Aid component, which provides central funds for state/district-level skilling and livelihood projects for SC beneficiaries — simplifying fund flows.

Q: Who defines which communities are Scheduled Castes?

Article 341 of the Constitution empowers the President to notify Scheduled Castes for each state and UT by a Presidential Order. Parliament can subsequently amend the list by law. Currently, the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950 and its subsequent amendments govern the SC list.

Further Reading

• PM-AJAY official portal: pmajay.dosje.gov.in
• Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment: socialjustice.gov.in
• PIB press release on PM-AJAY (PRID=2315840)
• National Commission for Scheduled Castes: ncsc.nic.in
• India Code — Protection of Civil Rights Act, 1955: indiacode.nic.in