PM-AJAY: 18,093 Villages Declared Adarsh Grams with Rs 1,730 Crore Grants-in-Aid and 785 Hostels Completed

Key facts

• Under the Adarsh Gram component of Pradhan Mantri Anusuchit Jaati Abhyuday Yojana (PM-AJAY), implemented by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, over 47,200 villages benefiting more than 47.79 lakh citizens have been covered, with 18,093 villages declared Adarsh Grams as on September 8, 2026.
• Under PM-AJAY, 46,944 development works have been completed and 27,032 Village Development Plans (VDPs) prepared.
• PM-AJAY has three components: development of Scheduled Caste-dominated villages into Adarsh Grams, Grants-in-Aid for socio-economic projects at State and District levels, and construction and repair of hostels.
• Approximately Rs 1,730 crore was released directly to States under the Grants-in-Aid component during FY 2021-22 to FY 2025-26, extending skilling and livelihood opportunities to more than 2.5 lakh individual and group beneficiaries.
• As of September 2026, 785 student hostels had been completed under PM-AJAY, and for FY 2026-27 the Government allocated Rs 61.46 crore in central assistance for two hostel projects—one for girls and one for boys—accommodating 264 students.
• PM-AJAY is a 100 per cent Centrally Funded Scheme; under its funding framework, up to 50 per cent of funds may be used for gap-filling in Adarsh Gram villages, up to 5 per cent for Technical Support Groups and Project Implementation Units, and up to 2 per cent for construction and repair of hostels.
• The PM-AJAY Mobile App and PM-AJAY Portal have been launched to enable end-to-end digital, real-time processing, improving coordination, transparency, accountability and efficiency.