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The Pradhan Mantri Anusuchit Jaati Abhyuday Yojna (PM-AJAY)

Kumari Sonali

The Pradhan Mantri Anusuchit Jaati Abhyuday Yojna (PM-AJAY):

The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment launched the centralized PM-AJAY Portal and the AJAY Mobile Application.

  • The Pradhan Mantri Anusuchit Jaati Abhyuday Yojna (PM-AJAY) is a comprehensive, 100% Centrally Sponsored flagship umbrella welfare initiative.
  • It was formed by consolidating three erstwhile independent Centrally Sponsored Schemes to eliminate administrative fragmentation and maximize resource utilization:
    • Pradhan Mantri Adarsh Gram Yojana (PMAGY)
    • Special Central Assistance to Scheduled Castes Sub Plan (SCA to SCSP)
    • Babu Jagjivan Ram Chhatrawas Yojana (BJRCY)
  • Launched In: Financial Year 2021-22.
  • Nodal Agency: Department of Social Justice and Empowerment
  • The scheme aims to reduce poverty among Scheduled Caste (SC) communities by generating sustainable livelihood opportunities through skill development and income-generating assets.

Key Features:

  • The PM-AJAY framework functions through three primary operational pillars:
    • Development of SC-Dominated Villages into an “Adarsh Gram“:
      • Target villages with a Scheduled Caste population of more than 40% (and a total population of 500 or more) are selected to be developed into model villages.
      • It provides a dedicated gap-filling infrastructure grant of ₹2 lakh per village along with ₹1,00,000 for local administrative costs.
      • Progress is monitored against 50 socio-economic indicators across 10 developmental domains, including drinking water, sanitation, literacy, clean fuel, and financial inclusion.
    • Grants-in-Aid for District/State-Level Socio-Economic Projects:
      • Provides financial assistance directly for comprehensive livelihood initiatives, skill development classes, and income-generating assets for SC households living below the poverty line (BPL).
      • The new PM-AJAY Portal functions as a centralized Management Information System (MIS) to track state-wide financial allocations and match implementation schedules with real-time fund flows.
    • Construction of Hostels in Educational Institutions:
      • Funds the construction of secure hostels in high-quality schools and top-ranked higher educational institutions as listed under the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF).
      • The newly launched AJAY Mobile App allows field inspectors to upload mandatory, geo-tagged, and time-stamped photographs directly from project sites to visually validate construction milestones before releasing subsequent funding installments.