AI SummaryCentral Government launched Swarnajayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY) on 1 April 1999 to provide sustainable income to rural and urban poor. PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee had launched this scheme to create self employment opportunities through the establishment of Self Help Groups (SHGs). The scheme led to the formation of 22.5 lakh SHGs benefiting 66.97 lakh people. SGSY has now been restructured as National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM), later renamed as Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana - National Rural Livelihood Mission (DAY-NRLM), and is now known as Aajeevika Mission.
SGSY subsumed six earlier schemes - Integrated Rural Development Programme (IRDP), Training of Rural Youth for Self Employment (TRYSEM), Development of Women & Children in Rural Areas (DWCRA), Supply of Improved Toolkits to Rural Artisans (SITRA), Ganga Kalyan Yojana (GKY) and Million Wells Scheme (MWS). The old official website sgsy.gov.in is now closed. All the latest details are available on the Aajeevika Mission portal at aajeevika.gov.in.
Swarnajayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana - SGSY Objectives
The main aim of SGSY was to bring poor families above the poverty line by setting up micro enterprises in rural areas. The objectives of the scheme were as follows:-
- To reduce poverty by setting up a large number of micro enterprises in rural areas across the country.
- To support group lending through Self Help Groups.
- To run an overall micro enterprise programme covering every part of self employment, including organisation of rural poor into Self Help Groups.
- To bring together several agencies like District Rural Development Agencies, Banks, Line Departments, Panchayati Raj Institutions and NGOs.
- To provide income generating assets through a mix of bank credit and government subsidy.
Download SGSY Online Application Form
Since SGSY has been restructured as DAY-NRLM, the old application form is no longer used. The old SGSY application form link at forms.gov.in is not functional now. The SGSY guidelines PDF is still available for reference at the Meghalaya CNRD portal. The new applications for rural livelihood support are processed through the Aajeevika Mission and the state rural livelihood missions.
- SGSY Guidelines PDF - http://megcnrd.gov.in/forms/SGSY.pdf
- The old SGSY scheme application form appeared as follows:-
People could fill this Swarnajayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana application form and submit it to the concerned authorities to apply for the scheme. Since the scheme has been restructured, interested people should now contact their state rural livelihood mission or the nearest block office for the current application process.
SGSY Scheme Benefits
All the people can check the benefits of Swarnajayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana in the SGSY Scheme PDF. The basic information on scheme components and their benefits is given below:-
- Skill Upgradation
- Activity Clusters, Self Help Groups (SHGs)
- Revolving Fund
- Lending Norms
- Assistance to IRDP borrowers
- Insurance Cover
- Security norms
- Subsidy & Post Credit follow up
- Risk Fund for consumption credit
- At least 5 years duration of repayment of loan
- Prompt Recovery of Loans
- Refinance of SGSY loans
- Deputation of Bank Officials to the DRDAs
- Service Area Approach
- Submission of data & Annual Credit Plan
- LBR Returns
For complete details of all these components, please click the link - SGSY Scheme PDF
Swarnajayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY) Features - Quick Facts
The important features and highlights of this scheme are as follows:-
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Scheme Name | Swarnajayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY) |
| Who Launches SGSY | PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee |
| Launch Date | 1 April 1999 |
| Objective | To provide training, credit, technology, infrastructure, marketing and help poor people by organising them as Self Help Groups (SHGs). This is done through capacity building and income generation provisions for Below Poverty Line (BPL) people. |
| Beneficiaries | All the families whose name appears in the All India Final Below Poverty Line (BPL) List identified through SECC Data and approved by Gram Sabha were the eligible beneficiaries. |
| Funds / Insurance | Maximum limit of Rs. 1.25 lakhs or Rs. 10,000 per person. |
| Target | To bring at least 30% poor families above the poverty line. SGSY focused on the at risk section of the rural poor. SC/ST accounted for at least 50%, Women 40% and the disabled 3% of those assisted. |
| Premium Dividend | 75% share of Central Govt. and 25% share of State Level Govt. |
| Loan Payment Term | First is 5 years, Second is 7 years and Tertiary is 9 Years. |
| Banks | Commercial Banks, Co-operative Banks & Regional Rural Banks |
| Official Website | aajeevika.gov.in (new portal for DAY-NRLM) |
The main motive was to bring poor people above the poverty line through income generation programmes. The scheme provided bank loans and government subsidy and aimed to ensure at least Rs. 2000 per month to poor people. For the latest details, visit the official website - aajeevika.gov.in
History
The initial scheme Swarnajayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY) was launched in 1999. It was restructured as National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM) in 2011. In 2016, the programme was renamed as Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana - National Rural Livelihood Mission (DAY-NRLM). Today it is known as Aajeevika Mission.
SGSY was intended to provide self employment to millions of villagers. The programme aimed at bringing the assisted poor families above the poverty line by organising them into self help groups (SHGs) through a mix of bank credit and government subsidy. The main aim of these SHGs was to bring these poor families above the poverty line and focus on income generation through combined effort. The Swarnajayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY) has been restructured as National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM), making the scheme more universal, focused and time bound for poverty reduction.
Purpose
DAY-NRLM, known as Aajeevika Mission, is a flagship poverty reduction programme of the Ministry of Rural Development. It aims to reduce rural poverty by organising poor women into Self Help Groups (SHGs) and giving them access to bank credit, livelihood support and social mobilisation. As of 2026, the mission has mobilised over 10 crore rural women households into more than 90 lakh SHGs across 28 states and 6 union territories.
Women SHGs have accessed over Rs. 11 lakh crore in loans through formal financial institutions since 2013-14. SHGs get a revolving fund of Rs. 15,000, Community Investment Fund up to Rs. 2.5 lakh and bank loans up to Rs. 3 lakh at subsidised rates. The mission also runs skill training programmes like DDU-GKY for rural youth and supports micro enterprises through the Start-up Village Entrepreneurship Programme (SVEP).
For the complete list of DAY-NRLM / Aajeevika Mission schemes - Click Here