Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana - National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) is the flagship poverty removal scheme of the Ministry of Rural Development. It helps poor rural households, especially women, by building Self Help Groups (SHGs) and linking them to loans, skills and income opportunities. As per the latest official update, the scheme has already mobilized 10.05 crore rural households into more than 90.9 lakh SHGs across 28 states and 6 union territories, and it continues to accept new members through the official Aajeevika portal.
DAY-NRLM works on a demand driven approach, which means states get the freedom to prepare their own poverty reduction plans based on local needs. The scheme was launched in 2011 as a restructured version of the Swarnajayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY) and was renamed Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana on March 29, 2016. The central and state governments fund this centrally sponsored scheme together, making it one of the largest rural livelihood programs in the world.
Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana - National Rural Livelihoods Mission - Introduction
The mission builds strong institutions of the rural poor and helps them reach financial services, credit and sustainable livelihoods. It organizes poor women into self managed SHGs and keeps supporting them through the year with training, market links and hand holding until their income rises and they come out of poverty. Most of the work on the ground is done by the SHG women themselves, who are trained as community resource persons such as Krishi Sakhis, Pashu Sakhis, Bank Sakhis and Bima Sakhis.
According to the latest official figures released by the Press Information Bureau, women SHGs have received more than ₹11 lakh crore in loans from formal banks since 2013-14, with a repayment rate of over 98 percent. Around 4.62 crore women farmers, called Mahila Kisans, have been covered under farm based livelihood work, and more than 3.74 lakh small enterprises have been supported through the Start-up Village Entrepreneurship Programme (SVEP). The mission has also deployed 47,952 Bank Sakhis in bank branches to make credit easier for SHG members.
The scheme focuses on four main areas: social mobilization and building self managed community institutions of poor rural women, financial inclusion, sustainable livelihoods, and social development along with access to government entitlements. It also runs awareness programs on issues like domestic violence, women's education, nutrition, sanitation and health. The core values of the mission are coverage of the poorest families, clarity in working, community self reliance and ownership by the people at every stage.
Key Information
| Scheme Name | Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana - National Rural Livelihoods Mission |
|---|---|
| Level | Central |
| Beneficiary States | All (28 states and 6 union territories) |
| Target Beneficiaries | Self Help Groups (SHGs), rural poor women, rural youth |
| Nodal Ministry | Ministry of Rural Development |
| Nodal Department | Department of Rural Development |
| Scheme Launch | June 1, 2011 (renamed DAY-NRLM on March 29, 2016) |
| Official Website | aajeevika.gov.in |
Benefits
DAY-NRLM gives a complete support system to the rural poor, and the latest figures show how wide its reach has become:
- Organizing at least one woman from every poor rural household into an SHG network with bank linkage support. So far 10.05 crore households have been mobilized into over 90.9 lakh SHGs.
- Providing Revolving Funds and Community Investment Support Funds to strengthen the financial management of SHGs and support their socio-economic activities.
- Giving interest subsidy to bridge the gap between bank lending rates and 7 percent, along with collateral free loans to SHG members.
- Improving livelihoods through farm and non-farm work, including support to 4.62 crore Mahila Kisans and over 3.74 lakh micro enterprises under SVEP.
- Training rural youth for jobs and placements through DDU-GKY and RSETIs. So far 17.5 lakh youth have been trained under DDU-GKY and 11.48 lakh have been placed.
- Helping with insurance, healthcare and other financial products, and ensuring joint work with other departments for better delivery of public services.
Eligibility
Eligibility for support is decided on the basis of the rules given below:
- SHGs must have been active for at least 6 months based on their internal financial records.
- Groups must follow the 'Panchasutras', which means holding regular meetings, keeping regular savings, doing internal lending, repaying loans on time and maintaining updated account books.
- SHGs must qualify on the grading norms set by NABARD.
- Defunct SHGs can become eligible if they are revived successfully and remain active for at least 3 months.
Application Process
Interested women and SHGs can register through the official Aajeevika portal. The registration is done online and is open throughout the year. Follow these steps:
STEP 1 - Go to the official website at aajeevika.gov.in and open the member registration page from the menu.
STEP 2 - Fill in all the required fields, including your name, email ID and contact number.
STEP 3 - Choose a unique username and create a secure password for your account.
STEP 4 - Submit the form to create your account and follow the instructions shown on the dashboard to complete your profile.
Documents
Applicants usually need the following documents for verification:
- Aadhaar Card
- Proof of Identity
- Proof of Residence
- Voter ID Card
- Passport Size Photograph
References
FAQ's
What is the primary goal of DAY-NRLM?
The scheme aims to remove rural poverty by mobilizing women into self managed Self Help Groups and giving them the financial, skill and income support they need to become self reliant.
How does DAY-NRLM differ from the old SGSY scheme?
Unlike the allocation based approach of SGSY, DAY-NRLM uses a demand driven approach. This gives states more freedom to design their own annual action plans based on local needs.
Who qualifies as a target beneficiary?
Target households are identified through a Participatory Identification of Poor (PIP) process carried out by community based organizations, instead of relying only on old BPL lists.
What is the role of the Panchasutra in SHGs?
The Panchasutra includes five main rules: regular meetings, regular savings, consistent internal lending, timely repayment of loans and updated bookkeeping, which keep the group healthy and long lasting.
Is there support for skill development?
Yes. Through DDU-GKY and RSETIs, rural youth get training in various trades and help with job placement. So far 17.5 lakh youth have been trained under DDU-GKY and 11.48 lakh have been placed.