The Pradhan Mantri Anusuchit Jaati Abhuyday Yojana (PM-AJAY), launched in 2021-22, is a merged scheme integrating three earlier centrally sponsored schemes: Pradhan Mantri Adarsh Gram Yojana (PMAGY), Special Central Assistance to Scheduled Castes Sub Plan (SCA to SCSP), and Babu Jagjivan Ram Chhatrawas Yojana (BJRCY). The objective of PM-AJAY is to reduce poverty among Scheduled Castes (SC) through the generation of employment opportunities, skill development, livelihood schemes, and infrastructure development in SC-dominated areas. The scheme has three major components. The Adarsh Gram component focuses on developing SC-majority villages with adequate infrastructure and improving monitorable socio-economic indicators (50 indicators under 10 domains such as health, education, sanitation, digitization, and skill development) to the national average level. The Grants-in-aid component funds livelihood projects, skill training, and infrastructure such as hostels and residential schools, with special provisions like up to 15% of grants for SC women, 30% for infrastructure, and 10% for skill development. The Hostel component aims to encourage SC students’ education by providing hostel infrastructure with central financial assistance, including Rs. 3.00–3.50 lakh per inmate depending on the region and a one-time grant of Rs. 5000 per student for essential items. Hostels are to be completed within 27 months, and from 2021-22, 100% central funding is available for boys’ hostels as well. All proposals are to be submitted online via the PMAJAY portal. In the 2023-24 financial year, 1834 villages were declared Adarsh Grams, 15 new hostels were sanctioned, and perspective plans for 17 states were approved under the grants component.
