National Schemes and Missions: Objectives and Agencies

Introduction

National schemes and missions in India are targeted socioeconomic programmes launched by the Union Government to address key development gaps. They cover areas such as rural welfare, urban renewal, financial inclusion, healthcare, clean water, housing, employment and infrastructure.

These initiatives are implemented either as Centrally Sponsored Schemes, with shared Centre-State funding, or as Central Sector Schemes, which are fully funded and implemented by Union Government agencies and nodal ministries.

Key Welfare and Financial Inclusion Schemes

• Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY): Launched on 28 August 2014 by the Ministry of Finance to ensure universal banking access for unbanked households.
• PMJDY features: Zero-balance basic savings bank deposit accounts, an inbuilt RuPay debit card, accidental insurance cover of 2 lakh rupees, and overdraft facility of up to 10,000 rupees for eligible account holders.
• PMJDY significance: It forms the financial base of the JAM Trinity — Jan Dhan, Aadhaar and Mobile.
• Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN): Operational from 1 December 2018 under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare as a Central Sector Scheme.
• PM-KISAN support: Transfers 6,000 rupees annually in three equal instalments of 2,000 rupees each directly into the bank accounts of landholding farmer families.
• PM-KISAN mechanism: Uses direct benefit transfer linked with Aadhaar authentication and land records databases.
• Ayushman Bharat — Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY): Launched on 23 September 2018 at Ranchi, Jharkhand, under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
• AB-PMJAY coverage: Provides health insurance cover of 5 lakh rupees per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization.
• AB-PMJAY targeting and implementation: Covers vulnerable families identified through SECC 2011 data and is implemented at the apex level by the National Health Authority (NHA).

Water, Housing and Sanitation Missions

• Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM): Announced on 15 August 2019 under the Ministry of Jal Shakti to provide functional household tap connections to every rural household.
• JJM target: Aims to supply 55 litres of potable water per capita per day through individual Functional Household Tap Connections (FHTC).
• JJM funding pattern: Implemented with a 50:50 Centre-State sharing pattern, and 90:10 for Himalayan and North-Eastern States.
• Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY): PMAY-Urban was launched on 25 June 2015 by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs to address urban housing shortages.
• PMAY-Gramin: Launched on 20 November 2016 by the Ministry of Rural Development, replacing the erstwhile Indira Awaas Yojana.
• PMAY assistance: Provides financial assistance of 1.20 lakh rupees in plain areas and 1.30 lakh rupees in hilly, difficult and Integrated Action Plan (IAP) districts.
• PMAY gender norm: House ownership is mandated in the name of the female head of the household or in joint ownership.
• Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM): Launched on 2 October 2014 to achieve an Open Defecation Free (ODF) India by the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi in 2019.
• SBM administration: SBM-Gramin is administered by the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation under the Ministry of Jal Shakti, while SBM-Urban is executed by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
• SBM Phase II: Focuses on ODF Plus sustainability and solid and liquid waste management (SLWM).

Infrastructure and Urban Renewal Missions

• PM-SVANidhi: Launched in June 2020 under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs to provide working capital micro-credit up to 50,000 rupees for urban street vendors.
• PM-KUSUM: Launched in March 2019 under the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy to promote de-dieseling of the farm sector through solar irrigation pumps and grid-connected solar plants.
• Smart Cities Mission: Launched in June 2015 by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs for urban renewal and retrofitting of 100 designated cities using smart solutions.
• AMRUT 2.0: Launched in October 2021 under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs for universal water supply coverage in all statutory towns and sewage management in 500 cities.
• PM GatiShakti: Launched in October 2021 under Commerce and Industry (DPIIT) as a national master plan for multi-modal connectivity and integrated infrastructure execution.
• Mission POSHAN 2.0: Launched in February 2021 under the Ministry of Women and Child Development as an integrated nutrition support programme to address malnutrition among children and women.
• PM eBus Sewa: Launched in August 2023 under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs for deployment of 10,000 electric buses on a PPP model in 169 cities.
• PM Vishwakarma: Launched in September 2023 under the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises to provide end-to-end support, skill training and collateral-free credit up to 3 lakh rupees for 18 traditional trades.

Employment, Skilling and Industrial Programmes

• MGNREGS: Notified under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005, by the Ministry of Rural Development.
• MGNREGS guarantee: Provides at least 100 days of wage employment in a financial year to every rural household whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work.
• MGNREGS social provision: At least one-third of total beneficiaries must be women.
• MGNREGS unemployment allowance: Payable if work is not provided within 15 days of application.
• Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Schemes: Introduced in 2020 by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and sectoral ministries across 14 key manufacturing sectors.
• PLI objective: Offers direct financial incentives on incremental domestic sales over a base year to promote large-scale industrial manufacturing.
• PLI sectors: Includes mobile phones, pharmaceuticals, automobiles, specialty steel, advanced chemistry cells and solar PV modules.
• Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY): Launched in 2015 by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.
• PMKVY implementation: Implemented by the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) to provide industry-relevant vocational training and certification.
• PMKVY feature: Incorporates Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) to assess and certify existing informal skills.

Scheme Architecture and Nodal Agencies

Key Prelims Takeaways

• PMJDY is linked to financial inclusion and the JAM Trinity.
• PM-KISAN is a Central Sector Scheme with direct annual support of 6,000 rupees.
• AB-PMJAY provides 5 lakh rupees health cover per family per year through the NHA.
• Jal Jeevan Mission aims at 55 litres per capita per day through rural tap connections.
• PMAY has both urban and rural components, with female ownership as an important provision.
• SBM Phase II focuses on ODF Plus and waste management, not just toilet construction.
• MGNREGS guarantees 100 days of wage employment and includes an unemployment allowance clause.
• PLI schemes are designed to incentivise incremental domestic sales in manufacturing sectors.
• PMKVY is the key scheme for skill training and certification, including RPL.
• PM GatiShakti is a master plan for integrated infrastructure planning and connectivity.

Important Scheme Types

• Centrally Sponsored Schemes: Funded jointly by the Union Government and States, but implemented by State Governments.
• Central Sector Schemes: 100 percent funded and directly implemented by Union Government agencies.
• Ministry of Jal Shakti: Formed in May 2019 by merging the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation with the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation.