National Affairs
Brief on Poverty alleviation schemes in India
WHAT?
Various Poverty alleviation schemes have been launched in India since Independence. Poverty alleviation requires an attempt to provide people with food, shelter, job and many other facilities to bring them out of deprivation. A summary is below.
Employment Generation Schemes
| Scheme | Year | Key Features |
|---|---|---|
| MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) | 2005 | Guarantees 100 days of wage employment in rural areas; legal entitlement. |
| Swarna Jayanti Shahari Rozgar Yojana (SJSRY) | 1997 | Urban employment and skill training (merged into DAY-NULM in 2013). |
| Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY) | 2014 | Skill training for rural youth (15–35 years) from poor families. |
| Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP) | 2008 | Credit-linked subsidy for micro-enterprises and self-employment. |
Food Security & Nutrition Schemes
| Scheme | Year | Key Features |
|---|---|---|
| Public Distribution System (PDS) | 1960s–Now | Subsidized foodgrains through ration cards. |
| Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) | 2000 | Special PDS scheme for the poorest of the poor. |
| National Food Security Act (NFSA) | 2013 | Legal entitlement for food to 75% rural & 50% urban population. |
| POSHAN Abhiyaan | 2018 | Mission to reduce stunting, anaemia, and undernutrition among children and women. |
Housing & Basic Amenities
| Scheme | Year | Key Features |
|---|---|---|
| Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) | 2015 | Affordable housing for urban (PMAY-U) and rural (PMAY-G) poor. |
| Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) | 2014 | Eliminate open defecation through toilet construction. |
| Ujjwala Yojana | 2016 | Free LPG connections for below poverty line (BPL) households. |
| Saubhagya Scheme | 2017 | Universal household electrification for poor families. |
Direct Cash Transfers & Financial Inclusion
| Scheme | Year | Key Features |
|---|---|---|
| Jan Dhan Yojana | 2014 | Universal bank accounts for poor households. |
| Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) | 2013 onwards | Transfers subsidies (LPG, scholarships, pensions) directly to bank accounts. |
| PM-KISAN | 2019 | ₹6,000 annual income support to small and marginal farmers. |
Livelihood & Rural Development
| Scheme | Year | Key Features |
|---|---|---|
| National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM) / DAY-NRLM | 2011 | Organises poor women into Self-Help Groups (SHGs) for credit and livelihood. |
| Rural Skill Development Schemes | – | Linked to DDU-GKY and Skill India for empowering youth. |
Urban Poverty Schemes
| Scheme | Year | Key Features |
|---|---|---|
| DAY-NULM (National Urban Livelihoods Mission) | 2013 | SHGs, urban employment, housing and skill development. |
| Smart Cities Mission & AMRUT | 2015 | Urban renewal and improved infrastructure benefiting slum dwellers. |
About author
Zinkpot — We Inform, You Perform.
Ask Anything, Know Better
अपना प्रश्न पूछें
-
Lucknow Becomes UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy!
November 10 Context Lucknow, the capital city of Uttar Pradesh in India, has just been named a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy. This happened on October 31, 2025, which is World Cities Day. It's a big honor for the city known for its tasty food. Lucknow is now the second Indian city to get this title, after Hyderabad in 2019. The news has made people excited, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who congratulated the city. What is UNESCO's Creative Cities Network? UNESCO is a part of the United Nations that works on...
-
India’s Education Triumph: IITs and IISc Make It to Asia’s Top University List
November 05 Backgrond India is celebrating a big win in education! In the latest QS Asia University Rankings 2026, five Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), and Delhi University (DU) have made it into the top 100 universities in Asia. This shows how India's higher education is getting stronger and more recognized worldwide. In this article, we'll explain what these rankings are, India's performance, the top Indian schools, why this matters, and more! What Are the QS Asia University...
-
What is NITI Aayog Vision 2047?
October 14 Context NITI Aayog is India's top policy think tank that helps the government plan for growth and change. Its Vision 2047, also called Viksit Bharat @2047, is a big plan to turn India into a developed country by 2047, when India turns 100 years old as an independent nation. This vision focuses on making India strong in economy, society, environment, and governance. It aims for a huge economy worth $30-40 trillion, creating jobs, using new tech like AI, and including everyone in the progress. The plan was started a few...
-
What is a Census House?
September 15 CONTEXT As India prepares for its next decennial census, a seemingly simple term—“census house”—is taking center stage. This critical concept underpins how the government collects and analyzes data on housing and population, offering a window into how millions live across the nation. But what exactly is a census house, and why does it matter? Let’s dive into this cornerstone of population enumeration and explore its role in shaping India’s future. What is a Census...
-
What is India’s ULLAS Programme and FLNAT TEST?
September 15 ULLAS Programme The ULLAS (Understanding of Lifelong Learning for All in Society) programme, also known as the New India Literacy Programme (Nav Bharat Saaksharta Karyakram or NILP), is a centrally sponsored initiative by the Government of India under the Ministry of Education. Launched in April 2022, it aligns with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and aims to promote lifelong learning, bridge literacy gaps, and empower non-literate adults aged 15 and above with foundational literacy, numeracy, and critical life...
-
How Luxury Goods are Harmful for a Nation?
August 25 WHAT Luxury goods like expensive cars, branded clothes, diamonds, and imported wines are seen as a status symbol in today’s world. They may give happiness and prestige to individuals, but at the national level, they create economic pressure, social inequality, and cultural harm. Key Points and Analysis Issue Analysis Result 1. Dependence on Imports Most luxury goods are imported, sending foreign exchange abroad. Money drains out instead of building...
-
Online Gaming Ban : Concepts and Concerns
August 22 CONTEXT For the past three and a half years, a major debate has been going on in the country – is online gaming, gambling or a skill-based game? Some states like Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana banned these games, while courts argued that fantasy sports or rummy are skill-based and therefore cannot be considered pure gambling. Meanwhile, companies were making billions while millions of people were losing their life savings. Families saw their savings vanish, many fell into debt and several youngsters even took...
-
Why is AADHAR not a proof Citizenship?
August 14 WHAT? Aadhaar is India's unique 12-digit identification number issued by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI). It serves as a verifiable proof of identity and address for residents, but it is explicitly not a proof of citizenship. But why? WHY? There are many reasons for the same. One. Aadhaar is Issued to Residents, Not Exclusively to Citizens. Under the Aadhaar Act, 2016, eligibility is based on residency rather than nationality. Any individual who has resided in India for at least...
-
Main points of UN report (2025) on Population of India
July 13 WHAT? The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has released the State of World Population Report 2025 titled “The Real Fertility Crisis” and the India Ageing Report 2023. It contains insights about size of India's population, it's birth rates, India’s demographic trends, fertility, ageing, reproductive health and many other aspects. Below is a concise summary of key insights from these reports. KEY HIGHLIGHTS India Population Size: India’s population...
-
About Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana (PMGKY)
July 10 WHAT? Aspect Details Launched March 26, 2020 Objective To provide immediate relief to the poor and vulnerable during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown Ministry Ministry of Finance, with coordination from multiple ministries Initial Outlay ₹1.70 lakh crore (later extended and expanded in phases) Key Components of PMGKY A. PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) Free foodgrain (5 kg rice/wheat + 1 kg pulses) per...
Comments
Write Comment