SYLLABUS

GS-2: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation; Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States.

Context: The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MoSJE) will launch the PM-AJAY portal and AJAY mobile application to digitise the implementation, monitoring and service delivery of the Pradhan Mantri Anusuchit Jaati Abhyuday Yojana (PM-AJAY) across India.

About the PM-AJAY Portal

• The PM-AJAY Portal will be launched as a centralised digital platform for implementation, monitoring and milestone-linked fund management under the PM-AJAY scheme.
• It will track progress across more than 47,000 SC-majority villages and over 4 million beneficiaries through national, state and district-level dashboards.
• Under the Adarsh Gram component, the portal will replace paper-based planning with digital Village Development Plans (VDPs) monitored through 50 socio-economic indicators across 10 developmental domains.
• The portal will also function as a centralised MIS for monitoring livelihood initiatives, funding allocations and financial progress under the Grants-in-Aid (GIA) and Hostel components, while enabling milestone-linked tracking and fund flows.

About the AJAY Mobile App

• The AJAY Mobile App will extend PM-AJAY digital services to mobile users with integrated monitoring, reporting, inspection, and beneficiary tracking features.
• In the Adarsh Gram and GIA components, the app will enable offline surveys, digital beneficiary registration and real-time tracking of livelihood and skill development programmes.
• Under the Hostel component, the app will facilitate electronic proposal submission along with geo-tagged and time-stamped monitoring of infrastructure projects. Key features will include unified login, role-based access control, geo-tagging, dashboard reporting and mobile inspections.
• The platforms aim to improve transparency, real-time monitoring, coordination and citizen-centric digital governance under the vision of Viksit Bharat.

About Pradhan Mantri Anusuchit Jaati Abhyuday Yojana (PM-AJAY)

• PM-AJAY is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme being implemented since 2021-22 for the socio-economic development of Scheduled Caste (SC) communities.
• The scheme merged three earlier schemes:
  • Pradhan Mantri Adarsh Gram Yojana (PMAGY)
  • Special Central Assistance to SC Sub Plan
  • Babu Jagjivan Ram Chhatrawas Yojana
• Objectives of the Scheme:
  • To reduce poverty among SC communities through skill development, livelihood generation and income support initiatives.
  • To improve socio-economic indicators in SC-dominated villages by providing better infrastructure and essential services.
  • To increase literacy and educational participation of SC students through hostel and residential facilities in schools and higher educational institutions.
• Fund Allocation Pattern:
  • Up to 50% of funds are allocated for Adarsh Gram activities.
  • Up to 5% is allocated for administration, monitoring, and evaluation activities including MIS, Technical Support Groups and Project Implementation Units.
  • Up to 2% is allocated for hostel construction and repair.
  • Remaining funds are allocated for Grants-in-Aid projects based on SC population and SCSP criteria.
• Eligibility Criteria:
  • Income Generating Schemes and Skill Development Programmes: Persons from Scheduled Castes (SC) living below the poverty line are eligible for benefits.
  • Infrastructure Development: Villages with 50% or more SC population are eligible for grants under the scheme.
  • Poverty Line Definition and Beneficiary Selection: The guidelines from the former Planning Commission and the Ministry of Rural Development's procedure for selecting SC families below the poverty line, through Panchayati Raj institutions, should be followed.

Components of PM-AJAY

• Adarsh Gram Component:
  • Focuses on transforming SC-dominated villages into “Adarsh Gram”.
  • Development is monitored through 50 socio-economic indicators across 10 developmental domains.
  • Funds are provided for gap-filling infrastructure and basic services in selected villages.
  • In FY 2024-25, around 4,928 villages were declared Adarsh Gram benefiting over 4.25 lakh beneficiaries.
• Grants-in-Aid (GIA) Component:
  • Supports district and state-level livelihood and socio-economic development projects for SC communities.
  • Includes skill development, infrastructure support and financial assistance for income-generating activities.
  • Since 2021-22, around 9,549 projects have been approved with Central Assistance of ₹1,219.80 crore benefiting more than 2 lakh SC beneficiaries.
• Hostel Component:
  • Supports construction and repair of hostels in schools and higher educational institutions funded by Centre/State/UT Governments.
  • The component aims to improve access to quality education and residential facilities for SC students.
  • So far, 866 hostels covering 69,212 beneficiaries have been sanctioned with ₹936.27 crore released.

Sources:
DD News
PIB
Hindustan Times