Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya Garibi Mukt Gram Yojana is an ambitious rural development initiative of Rajasthan aimed at making villages poverty-free through integrated socio-economic development.
Objectives
- To bring 22 lakh BPL families (as per 2002 Census) above the poverty line.
- To promote livelihood generation and self-employment.
- To ensure women empowerment, financial inclusion, and social security.
Key Features
- Financial assistance up to ₹1 lakh for selected BPL families to start self-employment ventures.
- Women SHG members receive up to ₹15,000 as working capital.
- Families crossing the poverty line through their own efforts receive a ₹21,000 incentive.
- Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) into verified bank accounts.
- Issuance of “Atmanirbhar Parivar Card” to self-reliant families.
- District-level performance ranking every three months with incentives:
- 1st Rank – ₹50 lakh
- 2nd Rank – ₹35 lakh
- 3rd Rank – ₹25 lakh
Implementation
- Implemented in phases:
- Phase I – 5,000 villages
- Phase II – 5,000 villages
- Phase III – 10,000 villages
- Around ₹300 crore allocated in the first phase covering 30,631 poor families.
- Surveys are conducted by Patwaris and Gram Sevaks and a “Poverty-Free Village Action Plan” is prepared.
Significance
The scheme promotes sustainable rural development through convergence with welfare schemes like Old Age Pension, Lakhpati Didi, Bank Sakhi, PMKSY, and Food Security schemes, thereby strengthening the vision of inclusive and self-reliant villages.
Rajasthan Rural Non-Farm Development Agency (RUDA), established in November 1995, is an autonomous agency of the Rajasthan Government that promotes the Rural Non-Farm Sector (RNFS). It focuses on creating sustainable livelihoods for rural artisan families through a cluster-based and integrated approach.
Contributions of RUDA
1. Promotion of Rural Self-Employment
- RUDA provides sustainable self-employment opportunities to artisans, weavers, potters, leather workers, and stone sculptors.
- It reduces dependence on agriculture and diversifies rural income sources.
2. Skill Development and Capacity Building
- Organizes training camps and workshops for artisan communities.
- Enhances traditional skills through modern techniques and innovation.
3. Technological Development
- Promotes technological upgradation and dissemination for improving productivity and product quality.
- Helps artisans adopt modern tools while preserving traditional craftsmanship.
4. Design and Product Development
- Encourages market-oriented product diversification.
- Joint workshops in Jaipur support innovation in leather, wool-textile, and minor mineral sectors.
5. Cluster-Based Development
- RUDA develops specialized clusters:
- Leather: Shahpur (Alwar), Chavandiya (Jaipur)
- Wool & Textile: Dhanau (Barmer)
- Terracotta/Minor Mineral: Mazawdi (Udaipur)
- Cluster approach improves economies of scale, market access, and collaboration.
6. Marketing and Promotion
- Organizes fairs and exhibitions such as:
- Teej Festival 2025, New Delhi
- Sawan Teej Festival, Jaipur
- Travel Mart, Jaipur
- These platforms connect artisans with national and international buyers.
7. Preservation of Traditional Crafts
- Supports Rajasthan’s heritage crafts like Kota Doria, Barmer wool, Jodhpur leather, and Udaipur terracotta.
- Promotes cultural identity along with economic development.
8. GI Tag Registration
- RUDA facilitated GI registration for several local crafts and products.
- Rajasthan has received 23 GI Tags (till January 2026).
- First GI Tag: Kota Doria
- Latest GI Tag: Nagauri Ashwagandha
- GI tags enhance branding, authenticity, and export potential.
The Vision Statement for Viksit Rajasthan @2047 envisions decentralised governance institutions driving rural transformation “focusing on empowerment of rural communities, building inclusive and accessible infrastructure, livelihood security and income enhancement, water safety and security, environmental hygiene and sanitation” — realising the overarching vision of “Gram Swaraj.”
A. Employment Security
- MGNREGS: ₹9,441.01 crore spent, 3,155.57 lakh man-days generated for 58.86 lakh households (2024-25); 2025-26 (up to December): 1,554.85 lakh man-days for 42.03 lakh households.
- CMREGS: Adds 25 additional days after MGNREGS (50 days for 47 ST blocks).
- Mission Amrit Sarovar: Target of 2,475 water bodies (75/district); 3,138 works completed in Phase I; 601 identified in Phase II.
B. Livelihoods (Rajeevika/NRLM)
- 16,952 new SHGs formed (2025-26), taking cumulative SHGs to 4,29,525, covering 51.01 lakh households.
- 23,754 SHGs availed Community Investment Fund (₹75,000/SHG); 593 Village Organisations promoted.
- Pashu Sakhi (37,369) and Krishi Sakhi (36,787): SHG members trained as community-level extension workers for livestock and agriculture.
- 288 producer groups (8,540 families) formed for non-farm activities.
C. Housing & Sanitation
- PMAY-G: 1,08,073 houses built (₹1,045.61 crore) in 2025-26 (up to December).
- SBM-G Phase II: 1.05 lakh toilets, 2,205 Community Sanitary Complexes, 414 ODF Plus Model villages.
D. Governance & Land Records
- SVAMITVA Yojana: 4.13 lakh property cards distributed via drone-based rural land surveys.
- Panchayat Development Plans: Prepared through the Jan Yojana Abhiyan (2 October 2025 – 31 March 2026) for participatory local planning.
- Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya Garibi Mukt Gram Yojana: Targets 22 lakh BPL families across three phases (5,000 + 5,000 + 10,000 villages).
Examination of Role in Achieving “Gram Swaraj”
- Strong alignment: Employment guarantees, SHG-based livelihoods, housing, and sanitation directly operationalise the Vision’s goals of livelihood security, infrastructure access, and environmental hygiene.
- Institutional depth: SVAMITVA’s digital land records and Panchayat Development Plans build the “decentralised governance capacity” central to the Gram Swaraj vision — moving beyond service delivery to institutional empowerment.
- Gap against ambition: Rajeevika’s SHG formation achieved only 16,952 against a 40,000 target (42%), and household coverage reached only 2,07,135 against 4,00,000 (52%) — showing livelihood-mission expansion still trails targets.
Conclusion: Rajasthan’s rural development initiatives substantively advance the Gram Swaraj vision through integrated employment, livelihood, housing, and governance reforms. However, shortfalls in SHG expansion targets indicate that sustaining the pace of institutional and livelihood deepening — not just scheme design — will determine how fully “Gram Swaraj” is realised by 2047.
