18,093 Villages Declared Adarsh Grams Under PM-AJAY
The scheme has completed 785 student hostels and supported infrastructure, education and livelihood projects benefiting Scheduled Caste communities across India.
- 18,093 villages declared Adarsh Grams nationwide
- 785 student hostels completed under PM-AJAY
- Rs 1,730 crore released to states over five years
- Over 2.5 lakh beneficiaries received livelihood support
GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 17th Oct: A total of 18,093 villages have been declared Adarsh Grams under the Pradhan Mantri Anusuchit Jaati Abhyuday Yojana (PM-AJAY), while 785 student hostels have been completed under the scheme, according to the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.
Under the Adarsh Gram component, more than 47,200 villages have been covered, benefiting over 47.79 lakh people across the country. The scheme has also seen the completion of 46,944 development works, with 27,032 Village Development Plans (VDPs) prepared to address local infrastructure and service gaps.
PM-AJAY aims to improve the socio-economic and educational conditions of Scheduled Caste (SC) communities through infrastructure development, livelihood opportunities, skill training and better access to essential services. Its Adarsh Gram component seeks to transform SC-dominated villages into model settlements where basic facilities are available, minimum needs are met and social disparities are reduced.
The scheme operates through three components: developing SC-dominated villages as Adarsh Grams, providing grants-in-aid for socio-economic projects at state and district levels, and constructing or repairing student hostels. The grants-in-aid component supports livelihood projects, skill development and infrastructure intended to improve income and development indicators.
Between 2021-22 and 2025-26, around Rs 1,730 crore was released directly to states under the grants-in-aid component. The support provided skilling and livelihood opportunities to more than 2.5 lakh individual and group beneficiaries, according to the ministry.
The hostel component is designed to help SC students, particularly those from rural and remote areas, access quality education and accommodation. For 2026-27, the government has allocated Rs 61.46 crore in central assistance for two hostel projects—one for girls and one for boys—with a combined capacity of 264 students.
To strengthen implementation, the ministry has also introduced a PM-AJAY mobile application and portal. The digital system is intended to enable real-time processing, improve monitoring and data access, and promote transparency, accountability and coordination in welfare delivery.
PM-AJAY is fully funded by the Centre, while states and Union territories may provide additional resources where needed. Funding provisions cover infrastructure gap-filling in selected villages, technical support and project implementation units, hostel construction and repairs, and socio-economic projects. After infrastructure projects are completed, their maintenance is the responsibility of the concerned state governments or implementing agencies, with central assistance also available for hostel maintenance.
