NEW DELHI: A total of 18,093 villages have been declared ‘Adarsh Grams’ under the Pradhan Mantri Anusuchit Jaati Abhyuday Yojana (PM-AJAY) scheme, according to official sources. They said 785 student hostels had also been constructed under the initiative.
More than 47,200 villages, with a combined population of 47.79 lakh, are benefitting from the Adarsh Gram component across the country. The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment said that while 46,944 development works had been completed, 27,032 Village Development Plans (VDPs) had been prepared.
Outlining its objectives, the ministry sources said the scheme seeks to transform villages with a significant SC population into model villages by addressing critical gaps in infrastructure and essential services. An Adarsh Gram is envisaged as a village where residents have access to basic services, the minimum needs of all sections of society are met, and socio-economic disparities are minimised.
The PM-AJAY scheme aims to promote the socio-economic and educational empowerment of SC communities through infrastructure development, livelihood promotion, improved educational opportunities and access to essential services.
According to the sources, the scheme has three components: the development of SC-dominated villages into Adarsh Grams, grants-in-aid for socio-economic projects at the state and district levels, and the construction and repair of student hostels.
“Under the grants-in-aid component, financial assistance is provided for state-and district-level projects aimed at the socio-economic advancement of SC. The component focuses on increasing the income of the target population through comprehensive livelihood projects, skill development and related infrastructure,” a source from the ministry said.
Regarding funding under the scheme, official sources said that nearly `1,730 crore had been released directly to states under this component between 2021-22 and 2025-26. The assistance supported skill development and livelihood opportunities for more than 2.5 lakh individual and group beneficiaries,” the source added.
The component also seeks to improve socio-economic development indicators by creating adequate infrastructure in SC-dominated villages. It further aims to promote literacy and school enrolment among SC students by supporting residential schools.
“Under the hostel component, the ministry aims to enable and encourage SC students to pursue quality education. The hostels are particularly beneficial for students from rural and remote areas, providing accommodation and improving their access to educational opportunities,” the source said.
The ministry has also launched the PM-AJAY mobile application and portal to strengthen implementation and monitoring. The digital initiative facilitates a shift from paper-based procedures to end-to-end, real-time digital processing. The technology-enabled framework is intended to improve access to information, strengthen monitoring and support data-driven decision-making.