Some Government of India Development Programs & Schemes

2. Swarnajayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY)
After a review and restructuring of the erstwhile Integrated Rural Development Program and allied schemes, SGSY was launched in April, 1999 and is the only self employment Programme currently being implemented. The objective of the SGSY is to bring the assisted Swarozgaris above the poverty line by providing them incomegenerating assets through bank credit and Government subsidy. The Scheme is being implemented on a 75:25 cost sharing of between the Centre and the States. Since its inception, and up to April 2004, a total allocation of Rs. 6,734 crore was made available by the Centre and States. Rs. 4,980 crore, have been utilized up to April 2004, benefiting 45.67 lakh Swarozgaris.

4. Rural Housing Schemes
Rural housing schemes such as Indira Awaas Yojana (IAY) aim at providing dwelling units, free of cost, to the poor families of the Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), freed bonded laborers and also the non- SC/ST persons Below Poverty Line (BPL) in the rural areas. The Scheme is funded on a cost-sharing basis of 75:25 between the Center and States. Till the end of 2003-04, the ceiling on construction assistance under IAY was Rs. 20,000/- in plain areas and Rs. 22,000/- in hilly areas, which has been increased to Rs. 25,000/- per unit for plain areas and Rs. 27,500/- for hilly areas from April 1, 2004. Twenty per cent of the allocation is allowed for upgradation of unserviceable Kutcha houses for which ceiling of Rs. 12,500 per unit applies since April 2004. Credit-cum-Subsidy Scheme for rural housing targeting rural families having annual income up to Rs.32, 000 was launched on April 4, 1999. An amount of Rs. 10 crore as equity support was provided to Housing and Urban Development Corporation (HUDCO) during 2003-04 by Ministry of Rural Development. In addition, the innovative scheme of Rural Housing and Habitat Development and Rural Building Centres (RBCs) was introduced to encourage innovative, cost effective and environment friendly solutions in building/housing sectors in rural areas. A National Mission for Rural Housing and Habitat has also been set up to address the critical issues of housing gap and induction of science and technology inputs into the housing/construction sector in rural areas. Since inception (up to June 1, 2004) 113.96 lakh houses have been constructed/upgraded by incurring an expenditure of Rs. 19,869 crore. During 2003-04, against the target of 14.84 lakh, 12.54 lakh (provisional) houses have been constructed/upgraded.

5. Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY)
The PMGSY, was launched in December, 2000, to provide road connectivity to 1.6 lakh unconnected habitations with population of 500 persons or more (250 in case of hilly, desert and tribal areas) in the rural areas by the end of the Tenth Plan period. It is being executed in all the States and six UTs. Although the initial estimates indicated a requirement of Rs. 60,000 crore for the program, the present indications are that about Rs.1,30,000 crore will be needed for achieving the intended connectivity. As per the Budget announcements of 2003-04, the diesel cess which is the source for funding the programme, was increased from Re. 1 per litre to Rs. 1.50 per litre, in order to provide additional funds for the programme. Since the inception of the program, project proposals for Rs. 14,417 crore have been cleared and 88,685 Kms. of rural roads have been taken up under this program. 20,740 road works had been completed till March 2004, and an expenditure of over Rs. 6,547 crore has been incurred by the States/UTs. The National Rural Roads Development Agency (NRRDA), registered under the Societies Registration Act, provides Operations and Management support for the program. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has agreed to support the development of rural roads in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, which have been identified as recipient States for the first tranche. The ADB Board has approved a loan of $400 million (in a project size of $571 million). The States of Assam, Orissa and West Bengal have been identified for the second tranche of ADB assistance, of the order of US $500million. A first tranche of $400 million for funding projects in Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh is likely to be available from the World Bank by the end of 2004-05

6. Drought Prone Areas Program (DPAP)
Desert Development Program (DDP) and Integrated Wastelands Development Program (IWDP) are being implemented for the development of wastelands / degraded lands. DPAP was launched in 1973-74 to tackle the special problems faced by those areas constantly affected by drought conditions. DDP was launched in 1977-78 to mitigate the adverse effects of desertification. IWDP has been under implementation since 1989-90. These programs were implemented on a sectoral basis till 1994-95. Since April 1995, these programs are being implemented on watershed basis. For the project DPAP, total number of the projects sanctioned were 2,535, with funds released by the Centre at Rs 295 crore. Under DDP, 1,562 projects have been sanctioned with funds of amount Rs.215 crore; and under IWDP, 190 projects with funding of Rs. 306 crore, were sanctioned. The cost norms for all the three schemes have been revised to Rs.6,000 per hectare. Under DPAP and DDP, the cost is shared between the Centre and the States in the ratio of 75:25, while in the case of IWDP, Rs.5,500 is borne by the Central Government and Rs.500 is shared by the States.

7. Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY)
AAY was launched in December 2000. Under the scheme 1 crore of the poorest among the BPL families covered under the targeted public distribution system are identified. Twenty five kilograms (kg) of food grains were made available to each eligible family at a highly subsidized rate of Rs. 2 per kg for wheat and Rs.3 per kg for rice. This quantity has been enhanced from 25 to 35 kgs with effect from April, 2002. The scheme has been further expanded in June 2003 by adding another 50 lakh BPL families. Under the scheme, during 2002-03, against an allocation of 41.27 lakh tonnes of foodgrain, 35.39 lakh tonnes have been lifted by State Governments, and during 2003-04, 38.24 lakh tonnes of food-grain have been lifted against an allocation of 45.56 lakh tonnes.

8. Swarna Jayanti Shahari Rozgar Yojana (SJSRY)
The Urban Self-Employment Program and the Urban Wage Employment Program are two special schemes of the SJSRY initiated in December 1997, which replaced various programs operated earlier for urban poverty alleviation. Between the Centre and the States, SJSRY is funded on a 75:25 basis. During 2002-03, the full allocation of Rs.105 crore provided for various components of this program was released. For 2003-04, an allocation of Rs.94.50 crore plus Rs. 10.5 crore for North East and Sikkim was provided for various components of this program. The expenditure during 2003-04 was Rs. 105 crore.

9. Valmiki Ambedkar Awas Yojana (VAMBAY)
The VAMBAY was launched in December 2001 to ameliorate the conditions of the urban slum dwellers living below the poverty line without adequate shelter. The scheme has the primary objective of facilitating the construction and up-gradation of dwelling units for slum dwellers and providing a healthy and enabling urban environment through community toilets under Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan, a component of the scheme. The Central Government provides a subsidy of 50 per cent, the balance 50 per cent being arranged by the State Government. There are prescribed ceilings on costs both for dwelling units and community toilets. During 2003-04, Central subsidy to the extent of Rs. 239 crore has been released. Since inception up to May 2004, Rs. 522 crore have been released as Government of India subsidy for the construction/upgradation of 2,46,035 dwelling units and 29,263 toilet seats under the scheme.

10.Food For Work Programme: FFWP
The Food for Work Programme was started in January, 2000-01 as part of the Employment Assurance Scheme (EAS) in eight drought affected States viz. Chattisgarh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Orissa, Rajasthan, Uttaranchal. The Food for Work Programmes (FFWP) was later expanded to form a part of any wage employment scheme of the Central or State Governments being implemented in the notified districts during periods
of natural calamities, such as drought, flood, cyclone or earthquake. Now the programme is in operation in the States of Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chattisgarh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh,Maharashtra, Orissa and Rajasthan. For the States/Areas which are formally notified natural calamities affected, the programme will continue up to 31st of March 2002.
In this programme the cash component of the wage and material is met from the Scheme under which it is being implemented. The cost of transportation of foodgrains from FCI godowns to the worksites/PDS and its distribution is the responsibility of the State Government.Government of India makes available appropriate quantity of foodgrains to each of the affected States. Foodgrains are supplied to the States as an additionality and free of cost. The cost is borne by the Government of India with a view of enabling the State Governments to provide adequate wage employment opportunities to the needy rural poor.

11. National Social Assistance Programme:
The National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP) which came into effect from 15th August, 1995, is a 100 % Centrally Sponsored Programme. It has three components namely, National Old Age Pension Scheme (NOAPS), National Family Benefit Scheme (NFBS) and National Maternity Benefit Scheme (NMBS). The NMBS has since been transferred to the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare w.e.f. 1-4-2001. The NSAP aims at providing social security in case of old age, death of primary breadwinner andmaternity. The main objectives and features of the two schemes, NOAPS and NFBS are given below:The Programme aims at ensuring a minimum national standard of social assistance in addition to the benefit that States are already providing. The Central assistance is not to
displace expenditure by States on social protection schemes. However, the States/UTs are free to expand their own coverage of social assistance whenever they wish to do so.

12. Annapaurna:
The Annapurna Scheme has been launched with effect from 1st April, 2000. It aims at providing food security to meet the requirement of those senior citizens who, though eligible, have remained uncovered under the National Old Age Pension Scheme(NOAPS). The Scheme is targeted to cover, 20% (13.762 Lakh) of persons eligible to receive pension under NOAPS.The Central assistance under the Annapurna Scheme is, thus, provided to the beneficiaries on fulfilling the following criteria :
1. The age of the applicant ( male or female) should be 65 years or above.
2. The applicant must be a destitute in the sense of having little or no regular means of substance from his/her own source of income or through financial support from family members or other sources. In order to determine destitution , the criteria, if any, in force in the States/UTs may also be followed.
3. The applicant should not be in receipt of pension under the NOAPSor State Pension Scheme.
4. The beneficiaries are given 10 Kg. of foodgrains per month free of cost.
Funds are currently released to the State Departments of Food & Civil Supplies (F&CS;) in one instalment . This Department then ties up with the Food Corporation of India (FCI), to release foodgrains districtwise on payment of the cost of Foodgrains at CIP rates directly to the FCI offices. Initially the foodgrains were supplied at economic cost ( Rs.9.80 per Kg.). However, w.e.f. 1.11.2000, foodgrains are supplied at the CIP rates for BPL families( Rs.4.90 per Kg.) The beneficiaries under the scheme are selected in the Gram Sabhas and the Gram Panchayat distribute the entitlement cards to the beneficiaries.

13. District Rural Development Agency Administration (DRDA)
Over the years the District Rural Development Agencies have emerged as the principal organs at the district level to oversing the implementation of different poverty alleviation programmes. Since inception, the administrative costs of the DRDAs were met by setting apart a certain percentage of the allocation for each Programme. Of late, while the number of programmes increased, not all Programmes provided for the administrative cost of the DRDAs.
Keeping in view the need for an effective agency at the district level to co-ordinate the poverty alleviation efforts, a new Centrally Sponsored Scheme for strengthening the DRDAs was introduced w.e.f. 1st April, 1999.
The primary objective of the DRDA Administration Scheme is to professionalise the DRDAs so that they are able to effectively manage the poverty alleviation programmes of the Ministry of Rural Development and interact purposively with other agencies. The DRDAs are expected to (effectively) coordinate with the Panchayati Raj Institutions. DRDAs are to maintain their separate identity under the guidelines even though the Chairman of the Zilla Parishad is also the
Chairman of the governing body of DRDA.

14. The Council for Advancement of People’s Action and Rural Technology (CAPART)
The Council for Advancement of People’s Action and Rural Technology (CAPART) was set up as a pioneer organisation in September, 1986, as a supporting and funding agency for the Voluntary Organisations (VOs) by merging two organisations, namely, People’s Action for Development (India) and Council for Advancement of Rural Technology (CART) with the mandate to promote voluntary action and propagate appropriate rural technologies for the benefit of the rural masses. Since then, CAPART has been contributing towards the rural development and poverty alleviation through the work of VOs at the grassroots level and by supplementing Government’s efforts.
The Minister for Rural Development, Government of India, is the President of the Council and also the Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Council.
The General Body comprises, not exceeding, 100 members representing voluntary agencies, Central and States Government, institutions engaged in activities connected with rural development, rural technology and individuals possessing experience/expertise relevant to the furtherance of the aforesaid objectives of CAPART. They are nominated by the President of the Council.The Executive Committee of CAPART comprises a maximum of 25 members nominated by the President of CAPART from amongst the members of the General Body. There is also a Standing Committee on Finance and Appointments which is chaired by the Director.

15. Bharat Nirman:
Bharat Nirman is a a time-bound plan for rural infrastructure by the Government of India in partnership with State Governments and Panchayat Raj Institutions.
Tasks Under Bharat Nirman:
1. Every village to be provided electricity: remaining 1,25,000 villages to be covered by 2009 as well as connect 2.3 crore households
2. Every habitation over 1000 population and above (500 in hilly and tribal areas) to be provided an all-weather road: remaining 66,802 habitations to be covered by 2009
3. Every habitation to have a safe source of drinking water: 55,067 uncovered habitations to be covered by 2009. In addition all habitations which have slipped back from full coverage to partial coverage due to failure of source and habitations which have water quality problems to
be addressed

16. National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme:
The National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA, also known as National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, NREGS) is Indian legislation enacted on August 25, 2005. The NREGA provides a legal guarantee for one hundred days of employment in every financial year to adult members of any rural household willing to do public work-related unskilled manual work at the statutory minimum wage. This act was introduced with an aim of improving the purchasing power of the rural people, primarily semi or un-skilled work to people living below poverty line in rural India. It attempts to bridge the gap between the rich and poor in the country. Roughly one-third of the stipulated work force must be women.The act was brought about by the UPA coalition government headed by Dr. Manmohan Singh. The promise of this project was one of the major factors that gained UPA victory in the Indian general election, 2004. Dr. Jean Drèze, a Belgian born economist, at the Delhi School of Economics, has been a major influence on this project.
Central Government shall meet the cost towards the payment of wage, 3/4 of material cost and certain percentage of administrative cost. State Government shall meet the cost towards unemployed allowance, 1/4 of material cost and administrative cost of State council.
Adult members of rural households submit their name, age and address with photo to the Gram Panchayat. The Gram panchayat registers households after making enquiry and issues a job card. The job card contains the details of adult member enrolled and his /her photo. Registered person can submit an application for work in writing (for at least fourteen days of continuous work) either to panchayat or to Programme Officer.
The panchayat/programme officer will accept the valid application and issue dated receipt of application, letter providing work will be sent to the applicant and also displayed at panchayat office. The employment will be provided within a radius of 5 km: if it is above 5 km extra wage will be paid.
If employment under the scheme is not provided within fifteen days of receipt of the application daily unemployment allowance will be paid to the applicant.

17. Accredited Social Health Activist ASHA:
ASHA is a new band of community under National Rural Health Mission, which serves as first port of call for any health related demands of deprived sections of the population, especially women and children, who find it difficult to access health services. The main objective is to provide every village in the country with a trained female community health activist – ‘ASHA’ or Accredited Social Health Activist. Selected from the village itself and accountable to it, the ASHA will be trained to work as an interface between the community and the public health system.

Key Components:

19. Mid-Day Meal Scheme:
The Mid-day Meal Scheme involves provision of lunch free of cost to school-children on all working days. The key objectives of the programme are: protecting children from classroom hunger, increasing school enrolment and attendance, improved socialisation among children belonging to all castes, addressing malnutrition, and social empowerment through provision of employment to women. The scheme has a long history especially in Tamil Nadu and Gujarat, and has been expanded to all parts of India after a landmark direction by the Supreme Court of India on November 28, 2001. The success of this scheme is illustrated by the tremendous increase in the school participation and completion rates in the state of Tamilnadu. Allocation for this programme has been enhanced from Rs 3010 crore to Rs 4813 crore (Rs 48 billion, $1.2 billion) in 2006-2007. This program is being run by Akshaya Patra Foundation and is the world’s largest school meal programme being implemented across seven states in India and covering about ten lakh students in over 4,800 schools. The allocation was of Rs 8000 crore for the Mid-Day meal schemes in the interim budget 2009.

About Akshaya Patra Foundation
Akshaya Patra Foundation is a non-profit, Bangalore-based secular trust, evolved the free meal programme in schools in the year 2000. It is one of the most successful public-private partnership which has successfully proved that the government in association with the private sector can achieve much if they get together. The mid-day meal provided by Akshaya Patra is funded equally by Government mid-day meal grants and by the generosity of the private sector.
The Akshaya Patra Foundation, a non-profit, Bangalore-based secular trust, evolved the free meal programme in schools in the year 2000. What started as a pilot project in five schools in Bangalore, feeding 1,500 children, has now grown into a mammoth endeavour covering over 9,83,000 children in over 4,500 government, government aided schools and anganwadis (day care centers) in 17 locations spread across seven states in India, day after day. This is amongst the largest school meal NGO run programme in the world. The foundation expects to reach a magical figure of five million children by 2020.
Six days a week, without a stop, the foundation provides unlimited, nutritious, hygienically cooked noon meals in government schools and government-run day-care centres (anganwadis), Ushering in a technology-intensive operating model that ensures high-quality, hygienic food on the one hand and increases internal efficiencies on the other, the programme has brought about policy changes at the state government levels and created a new image for mid-day meals in India. Akshaya Patra is an eloquent demonstration of public private partnership as it is run with part subsidies from the government, besides financial support from corporates and individual philanthropists.
The programme is independently governed by a Board of Trustees, an Advisory Panel consisting of professionals from the corporate world and bureaucracy, dedicated employees and a team of volunteers. The programme is advised in rigorous accounting standards and services by KPMG to ensure transparency and accountability to all its donors.
A study in the year 2006 by AC Nielsen Org Marg, has vouchsafed for the efficacy of the program in increasing attendance in schools, improving nutritional status of these children, enhancing their learning abilities and reducing drop out rates. The foundation’s work has been praised by all quarters and a recent feather in its cap has been the study conducted by Harvard Business School.

20. Integrated Child Development Services Scheme ICDS
The Integrated Child Development Sevices Programme aims at providing services to pre-school children in an integrated manner so as to ensure proper growth and development of children in rural, tribal and slum areas. ICDS is a centrally sponsored scheme.
Launched on 2nd October 1975 in 33 Community Development Blocks, ICDS today represents one of the world’s largest programmes for early childhood development. ICDS is the foremost symbol of India’s commitment to her children – India’s response to the challenge of providing pre-school education on one hand and breaking the vicious cycle of malnutrition, morbidity, reduced learning capacity and mortality, on the other.
It is an inter-sectoral programme which seeks to directly reach out to children, below six years, especially from vulnerable and remote areas and give them a head-start by providing an integrated programme of early childhood education, health and nutrition. No programme on Early Childhood Care and Education can succeed unless mothers are also brought within it ambit as it is in the lap of the mother that human beings learn the first lessons in life.
Objectives:
-To improve the nutritional and health status of children in the age group of 0 to 6 years.
-To lay the foundations for proper psychological, physical and social development of the child.
-To reduce the incidence of mortality, morbidity, malnutrition and school drop-out.
-To achieve effective coordination of policy and implementation amongst the various departments to promote child development.
-To enhance the capability of the mother to look after the normal health and nutritional needs of the child through proper nutrition and health education.

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