- Why in news
- On 2 September 2026 the Social Justice Ministry gave figures on PM-AJAY in Andhra Pradesh: 892 of 1,159 selected villages are declared Adarsh Grams, and 1.19 lakh people were covered under Grants-in-Aid from 2023-24 to 2025-26.
- What it is
- PM-AJAY is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment for the socio-economic development of Scheduled Castes. It merges three earlier schemes: the Pradhan Mantri Adarsh Gram Yojana, the Special Central Assistance to Scheduled Castes Sub Plan, and the Babu Jagjivan Ram Chhatrawas Yojana. It works through three components: Adarsh Gram, Grants-in-Aid, and hostels.
- Components
- The scheme has three main components: developing eligible villages into Adarsh Grams, Grants-in-Aid for district and State-level projects, and building and repairing hostels in higher educational institutions.
- Adarsh Gram score
- A village must reach a score of 70 out of 100 on socio-economic development indicators to be declared an Adarsh Gram.
- Village Development Plans
- Need-based plans identify gaps in infrastructure and services and promote convergence with Central and State schemes. Gap-filling aid covers needs that existing programmes cannot fully meet.
- Fund release condition
- No fresh Adarsh Gram funds went to Andhra Pradesh in 2023-24 to 2025-26 because of unspent balance and pending Utilisation Certificates. Releases depend on using earlier funds.
- Merged schemes
- PM-AJAY merged the PM Adarsh Gram Yojana, SCA to SCSP and Babu Jagjivan Ram Chhatrawas Yojana, from 2021-22.
- Launch year
- PM-AJAY was launched in 2021-22 and runs through three components.
- Funds released
- Rs 4,276.62 crore was released up to 2025-26 across 30 states and UTs. States and UTs reported utilisation of Rs 3,185.072 crore.
- Adarsh Gram
- 3,112 villages have been identified since 2018-19 under the Adarsh Gram component.
- Evaluation
- The Development Monitoring and Evaluation Office (DMEO) of NITI Aayog independently evaluated the scheme and found positive impact.
- Proposed continuation
- The Department proposes to continue the scheme from 2026-27 to 2030-31 with a higher outlay.
- Components covered
- The portal and app cover all three components: Adarsh Gram, Grants-in-Aid and Hostels.
- Adarsh Gram indicators
- Model villages are monitored on 50 socio-economic indicators across 10 developmental domains.
- Coverage
- The dashboard records progress in over 47,000 SC-majority villages and over 4 million beneficiaries.
- Fund flow
- The portal is a central database linked to milestone-linked fund flows. Tracking begins once a Village Development Plan is digitally approved.
- Hostel component on the app
- Field inspectors upload geo-tagged, time-stamped photos at building stages to validate progress.
- Scheme type and ministry
- PM-AJAY is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme run by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.
Don’t confuse with PM-AJAY vs PM-JANMAN: PM-AJAY is for Scheduled Castes under the Social Justice Ministry. PM-JANMAN targets Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups and is run by the Tribal Affairs Ministry.
Don’t confuse with PM-AJAY vs PM-YASASVI: PM-AJAY is area and project based, including village development. PM-YASASVI is an education scheme for OBC, EBC and DNT students.
Don’t confuse with PM-AJAY vs PMAGY: PMAGY (Pradhan Mantri Adarsh Gram Yojana) was one of the three schemes merged into PM-AJAY. It is now the Adarsh Gram component.
Schemes: 52 Prelims questions since 2013, 10 in Prelims 2026 alone. They test features, the period and who funds it. In Mains, 33 news-triggered questions, mostly GS3.
Why it matters
- Integrates infrastructure, livelihood and skills in SC-dominated villages, reducing disparities in one framework.
- Village Development Plans promote convergence with other Central and State schemes.
- Targets SC-dominated villages with infrastructure, education and livelihood support in one convergent scheme.
- Hostels and grants-in-aid widen educational access for SC students.
- Digital planning and milestone-linked fund flow can improve transparency and speed of delivery to SC beneficiaries.
- Geo-tagged, real-time monitoring strengthens accountability in village and hostel works.
Problems
- Unspent balances and pending Utilisation Certificates block further fund releases, as seen in Andhra Pradesh.
- Many selected villages (267 in Andhra Pradesh) are yet to reach the 70-point score; gap-filling is slow.
- Utilisation lags release: Rs 3,185 crore reported against Rs 4,276 crore released.
- The release gives the Adarsh Gram count as 3,112 identified, with 3,111 declared in Tamil Nadu, which needs clarification and shows uneven reporting.
- Poor connectivity and low digital literacy among field functionaries can limit use of the app.
- Data entered through the portal may be incomplete or inaccurate, and digital tracking does not itself ensure outcomes.
Way forward
- Speed up Utilisation Certificate submission and tie releases to measurable outcomes.
- Strengthen convergence and monitoring so villages reach the Adarsh Gram score on time.
- Speed up fund use through timely state plans and monitoring of outcomes.
- Use independent evaluations such as DMEO's to fix gaps before the 2026-31 phase.
- Train State and district staff and keep offline modes working in low-connectivity areas.
- Verify portal data through social audits and independent evaluation of outcomes.
Put in your answer
DMEO evaluation: NITI Aayog's DMEO found improved access to infrastructure, electricity, banking, healthcare, education and livelihoods in beneficiary villages.
2025-26 release: Rs 1,100.09 crore was released under PM-AJAY in 2025-26 alone.
Digital monitoring example: The PM-AJAY portal shows how milestone-linked fund flow and geo-tagged inspections can be used in welfare delivery.
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UPSC’s own questions that come close to this issue, from our Prelims and Mains banks.
No practice question for this one; the card may still help an answer. Why: Lasting scheme with Adarsh Gram, grants-in-aid and hostel components; release gives state-level data only, so a card without a question.
Worth revising until Prelims 2028: most news questions come within two years of the event.