According to the World Bank, India has made tremendous progress in poverty alleviation by lifting 90 million out of poverty between 2011 and 2015. To achieve this progress the government had enacted many schemes for poverty alleviation which were able to address the needs of the poor and generate employment and provide food and shelter. The government schemes, in general, is a very important topic for UPSC IAS Exam. The Schemes related to poverty alleviation has always been asked repeatedly in prelims and mains.

What is Poverty?

• Poverty is defined as a state or condition in which an individual or a group lacks the financial means and necessities for a basic level of living.
• Poverty is defined as a situation in which one's earnings from work are insufficient to meet fundamental human requirements.
• Poverty, according to the World Bank, is a severe lack of well-being that has various dimensions. Low earnings and the inability to obtain the essential commodities and services required for a dignified existence are examples of poverty.
• The World Bank defined poverty as individuals living on less than $1.90 per day which is called the International poverty line.
• In India, the National poverty threshold is given by the Tendulkar Committee.
• Poverty also includes poor health and education, a lack of access to safe drinking water and sanitation, a lack of physical security, a lack of voice, and a lack of capacity and chance to improve one's life.
• In 2011, 21.9% of India's population was living below the national poverty threshold.

What is Poverty Alleviation?

• Poverty alleviation refers to a collection of economic and humanitarian measures taken to eradicate poverty in a country.
• According to the World Bank, if a person lives on $1.90 per day or less, he or she is living in severe poverty, which currently affects 767 million people worldwide.
• According to the most recent government figures, 268 million Indians lived on less than $1.90 per day in 2011.
• The Government of India has developed a number of programmes and schemes aimed at eradicating poverty and providing basic necessities to disadvantaged households.

Schemes for Poverty Alleviation

Integrated Rural Development Programme (IRDP)

• The Community Area Development Programme (CADP), Drought Prone Area Programme (DPAP), Small Farmer Development Agency (SFDA), and Marginal Farmers and Agricultural Labourers Agency (MFALA) were merged into the Integrated Rural Development Programme (IRDP) by the Janta government in 1978-79.
• The central government's National Common Minimum Programme (NCMP) reaffirms the key importance of villages to the country's overall development and commits to striving to develop rural communities.
• IRDP's major goal is to eliminate poverty, hunger, and unemployment in rural India.
• The integrated rural development initiative was initially limited to 2000 blocks out of the country's total of 5004 development blocks.

*For detailed notes of this topic, check this link Integrated Rural Development Programme (IRDP).

Jawahar Gram Samridhi Yojana (JGSY)

• The programme has been reorganised, streamlined, and expanded upon the previous Jawahar Rozgar Yojana.
• It was established on April 1, 1999, with the goal of improving the lives of the rural poor by providing them with additional useful employment.
• This includes the establishment of the framework, the creation of local resources, and, in this vein, the commercial era.
• JGSY public awareness campaign in towns, particularly those with a large BPL population. This entails rethinking the arrangement at a higher (public) level in order to assess its natural value.
• The government's Jawahar Gram Samridhi Yojana is being implemented entirely at the gram panchayat level.
• Subsidies will be sent directly to Gram Panchayats, including State Mail Accounts to District Rural Development Agencies (DRDAs)/ Zila Parishads (ZPs).
• The importance of the country's framework in the development of the town's economy cannot be overstated.
• The Central and State Governments have started a number of initiatives to build the country's structure. The public works programme has also made a significant contribution to this direction.

*For detailed notes of this topic, check this link Jawahar Gram Samridhi Yojana (JGSY).

Rural Housing – Indira Awaas Yojana

• To meet the goal of "Housing for All" by 2022, the erstwhile rural housing scheme Indira Awaas Yojana (IAY) was redesigned as PMAY-G on 1 April 2016.
• Ministry Involved: Ministry of Rural Development
• By the end of March 2022, provide a pucca house with basic facilities to all rural families who are homeless or living in kutcha or dilapidated structures.
• To assist rural residents living below the poverty line (BPL) in constructing housing units and upgrading existing unserviceable kutcha homes through the provision of a full grant.
• Beneficiaries: Members of the SC/ST communities, freed bonded labourers, and non-SC/ST categories, widows or next-of-kin of deceased defence personnel, ex-servicemen and retired paramilitary personnel, disabled persons, and minorities.
• Beneficiaries are chosen through a three-stage validation process involving the Socio-Economic Caste Census 2011, Gram Sabha and geotagging.
• Cost Sharing: The cost of unit assistance are split in the ratio of 60:40 between the central and state governments in plain areas and 90:10 in North Eastern and hilly states.

*For detailed notes of this topic, check this link Rural Housing – Indira Awaas Yojana.

Food for Work Programme

• The National Food for Work Program was inaugurated with the cooperation of the Ministry of Rural Development and state governments.
• The National Food for Work Initiative is a pay employment programme aimed at alleviating rural poverty.
• The programme is being launched in 150 of the country's most impoverished areas with the goal of increasing the generation of supplementary wage jobs.
• The programme is open to all rural poor people who need to work for a living and want to conduct manual, unskilled labour. Food is offered to the states at no cost.
• In February 2006, this programme was absorbed into the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA).

*For detailed notes of this topic, check this link Food for Work Programme.

National Old Age Pension Scheme (NOAPS)

• "The State shall, within the limits of its economic capacity and development, make effective provision for securing the right to work, to education, and to public assistance in cases of unemployment, old age, sickness and disablement, and in other cases of undeserved want," according to Article 41 of the Indian constitution.
• IGNOAPS (Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme): IGNOAPS is open to anybody above the age of 60. Individuals between the ages of 60 and 79 receive a pension of Rs.200 per month, while those aged 80 and up receive a pension of Rs.500 per month.
• It was first introduced in 2007 as part of the National Social Assistance Program (NSAP).
• The NSAP initially had the following three components:-

1. National Old Age Pension Schemes (NOAPS) - Providing social security to senior citizens below BPL.
2. National Family Benefit Scheme (NFBS) - This assistance is provided in case of the death of any bread earner of the family. A lump sum amount of Rs 20000/- is given to the bereaved household.
3. National Maternity Benefit Scheme (NMBS)

*For detailed notes of this topic, check this link National Old Age Pension Scheme (NOAPS).

Sampoorna Gramin Rozgar Yojana (SGRY)

• A scheme developed by the Indian government with the goal of providing productive employment to the destitute people of rural India.
• The Panchayati Raj institutions (PRIs) were in charge of implementing the initiative.
• On September 25, 2001, the Sampoorna Grameen Rozgar Yojana was established, combining the provisions of the Employment Assurance Scheme (EAS) and the Jawahar Gram Samridhi Yojana (JGSY).
• The initiative is self-targeting in nature, with the goal of providing jobs and food to those living in rural areas who are poor.

*For detailed notes of this topic, check this link Sampoorna Grameen Rozgar Yojana.

NRLM - National Rural Livelihood Mission (Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana)

• DAY-NRLM has been launched under the Ministry of Rural Development with an aim to reduce rural poverty by providing them with employment opportunities.
• It also involves building strong community institutions and mobilizing them to build strong self-help groups.
• Features:
  • Universal Social Mobilisation: Minimum of one woman from each identified rural poor family will be brought under the Self Help Group (SHG) network within a giver time framework.
  • Participatory Identification of Poor (PIP): PIP is a community-driven process where CBOs identify poor people in the village themselves. This list is confirmed by Gram Sabha.
  • Revolving Fund (RF) and Community Investment Fund (CIF): These are granted to the poor and their institutions for strengthening them.
  • Financial Literacy: It also promotes financial literacy among the poor.
  • Livelihoods: It promotes the existing livelihood of the poor in farm and non-farm sectors, and also builds skills for the job market outside.

*For detailed notes of this topic, check this link DAY-NRLM.

Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) 2005

• The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, which is previously known as the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act was introduced on 7th September 2005. The act is for generating employees and social security in India. The act aims to cover all districts of India except the district which have a 100% urban population.
• Objectives:
  • It provides 100 days of guaranteed wage employment to rural unskilled labour
  • The main aim of the NREGA scheme is to provide a source of livelihood for the economically weaker section of the society.
  • It helps to grow economic security
  • It takes initiative to decrease the number of migration of labour from rural to urban areas
  • MGNREGA scheme helps proactively the weaker section of society.
  • The scheme will strengthen the Panchayati Raj across India.

*For detailed notes of this topic, check this link MGNREGA.

National Urban Livelihood Mission

• DAY-NULM was launched in the year 2013 by restructuring the Swarna Jayanti Shahari Rozgar Yojana with an aim to benefit the urban poor including the urban homeless. It is implemented under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
• Features:
  • It was launched in 2013 by restructuring the Swarna Jayanti Shahari Rozgar Yojana.
  • It will cover all district's headquarter towns and all the other towns with a population of 1 lakh or more as per the Census 2011.
  • Primarily, NULM will target the urban poor, which will also include the urban homeless.
  • Funding for NULM will be shared between the Centre and the States in the ratio of 75:25.
  • For North Eastern and the Special Category States, the ratio for fund sharing will be 90:10.

*For detailed notes of this topic, check this link DAY-NULM.

Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY)

• It is a flagship scheme with the aim of providing an industrial skillset to the unemployed or dropout youth.
• This scheme targets 10 million youth (2016-2020) who will get the desired skill set so that they can earn their livelihood.
• National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) is the implementing agency of Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) which is further under the guidance of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.
• Any youth (between the age group of 15-29 years) with Indian nationality is eligible to apply for the scheme. However, the main focus is given to either college/school dropouts or unemployed individuals.

*For detailed notes of this topic, check this link PMKVY.

Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY)

• PMJDY means Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana is a prime minister's wealth scheme for the Indian People. Some people also know it as a financial inclusion of Country.
• Key Pillars:
  • Branch and banking correspondent (BC) banking services are available to everyone.
  • Every qualified adult would receive a basic savings bank account with Rs. 10,000 overdraft limits
  • Program on Financial Literacy: To encourage people to save, utilise ATMs, become ready for credit, acquire insurance and pensions, and use basic mobile phones for banking.
  • Credit Guarantee Fund was established to provide banks with some protection against defaults.
  • On accounts created between August 15 2014, and January 31 2015, there is accident insurance of up to Rs. 1,00,000 and a life cover of Rs. 30,000 (For the unorganised sector, there is a pension system).
  • RuPay Card Coverage: For PMJDY accounts created after August 28, 2018, the free accidental insurance cover on RuPay cards has been enhanced from Rs. 1 lakh to Rs. 2 lakhs.
  • Overdraft (OD) facilities have been improved: the OD limit has been quadrupled from Rs 5,000 to Rs 10,000, and the OD limit has been increased to Rs 2,000.
  • The upper age restriction for OD has been raised from 60 to 65 years.

*For detailed notes of this topic, check this link PMJDY.

Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – Gramin (PMAY-G)

• The scheme was launched for social welfare to provide necessary housing facilities for the low households in India. PMAY-G was established in line with the government’s commitment to delivering by 2022 “Housing in all rural areas.”
• Ministry Involved: Ministry of Rural Development
• By the end of March 2022, provide a pucca house with basic facilities to all rural families who are homeless or living in kutcha or dilapidated structures.
• To assist rural residents living below the poverty line (BPL) in constructing housing units and upgrading existing unserviceable kutcha homes through the provision of a full grant.
• Beneficiaries: Members of the SC/ST communities, freed bonded labourers, and non-SC/ST categories, widows or next-of-kin of deceased defence personnel, ex-servicemen and retired paramilitary personnel, disabled persons, and minorities.
• Beneficiaries are chosen through a three-stage validation process involving the Socio-Economic Caste Census 2011, Gram Sabha and geotagging.
• Cost Sharing: The cost of unit assistance are split in the ratio of 60:40 between the central and state governments in plain areas and 90:10 in North Eastern and hilly states.

*For detailed notes of this topic, check this link PMAY-Gramin.

Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – Urban (Housing For All)

• The PMAY program intends to provide housing to all by 2022. It offers central assistance to all the implementing agencies, Central Nodal agencies, and the Urban Local Bodies for the following.
• In-situ rehabilitation: Redeveloping the existing slum areas to build pucca houses with basic amenities.
• Affordable housing in partnership: Government offers financial assistance for housing in collaboration with the public and private sectors.
• Credit Linked Subsidy: Beneficiaries are to receive a loan worth Rs. 6 Lakh at an interest of 6.5% for 20 years.
• Subsidy for the beneficiary-led individual house: Government provides central assistance of Rs. 1.5 Lakh to the beneficiaries belonging to the EWS category.

*For detailed notes of this topic, check this link PMAY-Urban.

National Food Security Act (NFSA)

• Public Distribution System (PDS) is now governed by provisions of the National Food Security Act, 2013 (NFSA)
• This act encompasses the Midday Meal Program, the Integrated Child Development Services Program, and the Public Distribution System. Furthermore, the NFSA 2013 recognises maternity benefits.
• The Act provides coverage for nearly 2/3rd of the country’s total population, based on Census 2011 population estimates.
• 75% of rural and 50% of urban population is entitled to receive highly subsidized food grains under two categories i.e Antyodaya Anna Yojana(AAY) households and Priority Households (PHH).
• Stata/UT wise coverage is determined by the erstwhile Planning Commission which is now NITI Aayog on the basis of the 2011-12 Household Consumption Expenditure Survey of NSSO. Many states use the Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC) data for the identification of beneficiaries.
• The Act entitles 35 kg of food grains as per Antyodaya Anna Yojana Households per month, whereas 5kg of food grains per Priority Households per person.
• The eldest woman of the beneficiary household (18 years or above) is considered ‘Head of Family’ for the purpose of issuing ration cards.

*For detailed notes of this topic, check this link NFSA.

Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (GSA)

• "Sabka Sath, Sabka Gaon, Sabka Vikas" is the focus of the campaign.
• Its main goal is to promote social harmony, raise awareness about government pro-poor initiatives, reach out to poor households to enrol them, and solicit feedback on various welfare programmes.
• The Gram Swaraj Abhiyan assists over 2.55 lakh Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) in developing governance capabilities through inclusive local governance and maximising the use of available resources.
• The scheme's implementation and monitoring activities are broadly aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with a focus on Panchayats identified under Mission Antyodaya and Aspirational districts identified by NITI Aayog.
• This scheme will apply to all States and UTs in the country, as well as rural local government institutions in non-Part IX areas where Panchayats do not exist.
• It will create an institutional structure for PRI capacity building at the national, state, and district levels, complete with adequate human resources and infrastructure.
• Priority will be given to national issues that have the greatest impact on excluded groups, such as poverty, primary health care, nutrition, immunisation, and so on.
• Schemes include central components- National Plan of Technical Assistance, Mission Mode Project on e-Panchayat and incentivisation of Panchayats and State Components.

*For detailed notes of this topic, check this link Gram Swaraj Abhiyan.

Pradhan Mantri Adarsh Gram Yojana (PMAGY)

• The Pradhan Mantri Adarsh Gram Yojana (PMAGY) aims to integrate the development of selected villages with more than 50% Scheduled Caste (SC) population by implementing existing schemes of the Central and State Governments in a convergent manner and utilising gap-filling funds provided as Central Assistance.
• The scheme was launched on a pilot basis in 2009-10 for the integrated development of 1000 villages in five states: Himachal Pradesh (Northern Region), Bihar (Eastern Region), Rajasthan (Western Region), Tamil Nadu (Southern Region), and Assam (North-Eastern Region).
• It was expanded in 2015 to include another 1500 villages in Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Punjab, Odisha, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh.
• Construction of village roads, community halls/meeting places, community toilets, drainage works, installation of hand pumps, solar-powered street lights, drinking water scheme, programmes are undertaken under PMAGY in the identified States.
• Advisory Committees would be established at the Central and State levels to provide overall guidance and monitoring of the Scheme. The Union Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment would chair the Central Advisory Committee.

*For detailed notes of this topic, check this link Pradhan Mantri Adarsh Gram Yojana (PMAGY).

Pradhan Mantri Khanij Kshetra Kalyan Yojana (PMKKKY)

• Pradhan Mantri Khaij Kshetra Kalyan Yojana is an All India scheme for all the tribals who have been affected by the mining operations which take place in the mining area. It was launched on 17th September 2015.
• Most of the Scheduled Tribe people are inhabited in the mining areas. And they are located in the regions according to the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution. And this help to the tribals will be done through the Funds which are generated by the District Mineral Foundation (DMF’s).
• Objectives:
  • To improve and protect the health, natural environment, and economic condition of the tribal people.
  • Provide the affected Tribal people with a lot of opportunities that benefit them from the vast minerals which are extracted from their inhabited areas.
  • To start welfare programs in the mining areas which are being affected. Also, these programs will go hand in hand with the existing schemes of the Central and State Governments.
  • To lower the impact of before and after mining work on the people. Also, to safeguard the environment in which the tribals are living.
  • To ensure the livelihood of the affected tribals in the mining area is long term and sustainable.

*For detailed notes of this topic, check this link Pradhan Mantri Khaij Kshetra Kalyan Yojana.

SVAMITVA scheme

• SVAMITVA (Survey of Villages and Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Areas) is a joint initiative of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, State Panchayati Raj Departments, State Revenue Departments, and the Survey of India.
• Its goal is to grant rural residents the right to document their residential properties so that they can use them for economic purposes.
• The plan is to use drone technology to survey land parcels in rural inhabited areas.
• The survey will be conducted in stages across the country between 2020 and 2025.
• The scheme would be a stepping stone towards achieving Gram Swaraj in its true sense and making rural India Atmanirbhar by facilitating the monetisation of properties and enabling bank loans, reducing property-related disputes, and comprehensive village level planning.

*For detailed notes of this topic, check this link SVAMITVA Scheme.

Transformation of Aspirational Districts

• The ‘Transformation of Aspirational Districts’ program intends to effectively transform the districts.
• Transformation of Aspirational Districts Program intends to rapidly and adequately change a portion of India's most underdeveloped regions.
• It will distinguish zones of quick improvement, measure progress, and rank areas.
• Objectives:
  • It aims to effectively and quickly transform and evolve some of India’s most underdeveloped districts.
  • It will identify areas of immediate improvement, rank districts, and measure progress.

*For detailed notes of this topic, check this link Transformation of Aspirational Districts Program.

National Rurban Mission (NRuM)

• On 22 February 2016, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the National Rurban Mission (NRuM) in Rajnandgaon district of Chhattisgarh.
• The mission, also titled “Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Rurban Mission” (SPMRM), aims to spur economic, social, and infrastructure growth in rural areas by developing a cluster of 300 Smart Villages in the coming three years across our country in the first phase.
• Depending upon the betterment of the scheme, many more clusters will be identified. The project was announced in the Union Budget of 2014-15.
• NRuM is implemented by the Union Ministry of Rural Development.

*For detailed notes of this topic, check this link National Rurban Mission (NRuM).

Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY)

• Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana is a scheme implemented by the Ministry of Rural Development. The scheme was launched in the year 2000.
• The main objective of the scheme is to construct all-weather roads connecting all the unconnected habitations.
• The scheme is sponsored fully by the central government. There is also an up-gradation component in the program that will further ensure full connectivity from market to farms. Since the inception of the scheme, the World Bank has been in its support.
• The third phase of the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana proposed to consolidate road length of 1,25,000 Km.
• In Jammu and Kashmir, under PMGSY, more than 1800 roads of length, greater than, 11,000 kilometres and 84 bridges have been constructed.
• The road to Kainthgali from supply more provides an all-weather road to a well-known pilgrimage centre. The place is visited by lacs of tourists every year.
• The roads will connect major routes, GrAMs, hospitals and schools.

*For detailed notes of this topic, check this link Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY).

Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana (SAGY)

• Saansad Aadarsh Gram Yojana (SAGY) is a village development venture under which every Member of Parliament (MP) is responsible to build up the physical and socio-economic infrastructure in three villages each by 2019.
• The plan expects to create a total of eight 'Adarsh Villages' or 'Model Villages' by 2024.
• Objectives:
  • To work and chart the progress that leads to the comprehensive development of the recognized Gram Panchayats.
  • Improving the way of life and personal growth of all areas of the populace by improving the fundamental infrastructure, upgrading the human standard of living, making higher efficiency, giving better jobs, lessening differences and advancing social capital.
  • Producing models of development at the local level
  • To create good governance in Villages.
  • To motivate nearby Village Panchayats to focus on their development.

*For detailed notes of this topic, check this link Saansad Aadarsh Gram Yojana (SAGY).

National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP)

• The National Social Assistance Program is a health program that is controlled by the Ministry of Rural Development. This program is being executed in the rural ranges as well as urban zones.
• The National Social Help Program makes a difference for those in need by paying them each month in the form of social pensions.
• NSAP stands for National Social Assistance Program. NSAP was propelled on 15th August 1995.
• The National Social Assistance Program puts forward a significant step towards the attainment of the Directive Principles in Articles 41 and 42 of the Structure recognizing the parallel duty of the Central and the State Governments within the matter.
• In specific, Article 41 of the Structure of India directs the State to supply open help to its citizens in case of unemployment, old age, ailment, and disablement and in other cases of undeserved need inside the constraints of its financial capacity and development.

*For detailed notes of this topic, check this link National Social Assistance Program (NSAP).

NITI Aayog task force on Poverty Elimination

• According to the decision made at the first meeting of the Governing Council of NITI Aayog on February 8, 2015, held under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, NITI Aayog established a task force on poverty eradication in India on March 16, 2015, under the chairmanship of Arvind Panagariya.
• The current poverty estimates are based on the methodology recommended in 2009 by an expert group chaired by Suresh D Tendulkar.
• Those whose daily consumption of goods and services exceeds Rs 33.33 in cities and Rs 27.20 in villages are not poor, according to the Tendulkar committee methodology.
• According to statistics, only 22% of the people in the country are classified as poor.
• Members include one NITI member, a CEA, experts, and secretaries from relevant ministries. Parallel Task Forces were to be established in each State/Union territory.

*For detailed notes of this topic, check this link NITI Aayog task force on Poverty Elimination.

Conclusion

Though the government has enacted multiple schemes and have brought millions of people out of poverty in the last decade, nearly 22% of the population still lives in poverty according to the World Bank estimates. Therefore, the current schemes for poverty alleviation can be scaled up to meet the unserved and the underserved and help eradicate poverty and meet the sustainable development goal of zero poverty by 2030.