- Why in news
- On 20 July 2026 the Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs told the Rajya Sabha that 127.68 lakh houses have been sanctioned under PMAY-U and PMAY-U 2.0, and 99.07 lakh delivered as of 13 July 2026.
- What it is
- PMAY-U is the Centre's urban housing scheme, run by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs since 2015 to give pucca houses to eligible urban beneficiaries. PMAY-U 2.0 is its revamped version, called the 'Housing for All' Mission, launched in 2024. It is demand driven, and States and UTs plan and select beneficiaries.
- PMAY-U 2.0 launch and target
- PMAY-U 2.0 took effect from 1 September 2024, to support 1 crore additional eligible beneficiaries over five years.
- Four verticals
- PMAY-U 2.0 has four verticals: Beneficiary Led Construction, Affordable Housing in Partnership, Affordable Rental Housing and Interest Subsidy Scheme.
- Who implements
- States and UTs assess demand, prepare projects and select beneficiaries; the Centre sanctions and monitors.
Don’t confuse with PMAY-U vs PMAY-G: PMAY-U covers urban areas under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. PMAY-G covers rural areas and is run by the Ministry of Rural Development.
Don’t confuse with PMAY-U vs PMAY-U 2.0: PMAY-U ran from 2015 and is being extended only to finish sanctioned houses. PMAY-U 2.0 is the new mission from September 2024 for 1 crore more beneficiaries.
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
- Addresses the urban housing shortage and gives pucca housing with basic civic amenities to eligible urban beneficiaries.
- Demand-driven design lets States propose projects to match local needs.
Problems
- Delays from lack of encumbrance-free land, statutory clearances and beneficiaries arranging their own funds.
- About 22 lakh sanctioned houses are not yet delivered, and completion takes 12-36 months.
Way forward
- Speed up land availability and approvals, and keep States on timelines through regular reviews.
- Ensure quality checks and convergence with water, sanitation, electricity and road schemes.
Put in your answer
Causes of delay: Completion depends on land free of encumbrances, statutory compliances and beneficiaries' funds.
- 2016Mains GS1 · Q11Background on urban life quality and objectives and strategy of Smart City Programme
- 2025Mains GS1 · Q8How smart cities in India address urban poverty and distributive justice
- 2017Prelims Q41Statements on the first APMCHUD on housing and urban development, and host partnerships
- 2023Prelims Q30Which infrastructure sectors include affordable housing, mass transit, health care, renewable energy
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: Major scheme with four verticals; schemes are 52 of 327 Prelims questions. Card only because this update is mostly status data.
Worth revising until Prelims 2028: most news questions come within two years of the event.