PRADHAN MANTRI ANUSUCHIT JAATI ABHUYDAY YOJANA (Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment)
- Pradhan Mantri Anusuchit Jaati Abhuyday Yojana (PM- AJAY) is a merged scheme of 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).
- It has been implemented since 2021-22 with an aim to reduce poverty of the SC communities by generation of additional employment opportunities through Skill development, income generating schemes and other initiatives and to improve socio-economic developmental indicators by ensuring adequate infrastructure and requisite services in the SC dominated villages.
The Scheme has three components:
- Development of SC dominated villages into an “Adarsh Gram”.
- ‘Grants-in-aid’ for District/State-level Projects for socio-economic betterment of SCs that may include creation of infrastructure in SC dominated villages including those selected under Adarsh Gram component, construction of Hostels/Residential schools, Comprehensive Livelihood Projects which may include components such as Skill development, related infrastructure development, financial assistance towards loans taken by beneficiaries for acquisition/creation of assets required for livelihood generation etc.
- Construction of Hostels in higher educational institutions which are top-ranked as per the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) of Government of India and are funded by the Centre/State/UT Governments either fully or partially. Similarly, construction of hostels in schools which are either fully or partially funded by the Centre/State/UT Governments and recommended by the Ministry of Education The scheme aims at socio-economic development of SCs through grants for following types of projects
- Comprehensive Livelihood Projects: Such projects which create an entire eco-system for producing sustainable income, or social advancement to the Scheduled Castes only shall be taken up. The projects should preferably be a combination of two or more of following
- Skill Development: Skilling courses as per norms of MSDE. Related facilities and infrastructure for conducting Skill Development Activities conducted by the Government. Skill Development Institutions can also be funded.
- Grants for creation/acquisition of assets for beneficiaries/households: There shall be no standalone individual asset distribution under the scheme. However, if project has provision for acquisition/creation of assets for beneficiaries/households needed for livelihood generation, financial assistance towards loans taken by the beneficiary for such acquisition/creation of assets, would be upto Rs.50,000 or 50% of the asset cost, whichever is less, per beneficiary/household.
- Infrastructure development: Development of infrastructure related to the project and also Hostels and residential schools.
Other infrastructure- Various other infrastructure development projects in SC majority villages.