Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana - National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM): Benefits, Eligibility and How to Apply

• The scheme targets rural poor households identified through the Participatory Identification of Poor (PIP), a community-driven process in which community-based organisations identify the poor in the village; the list is vetted by the Gram Sabha.
• For SHG credit, the SHG should have been in active existence for at least the last 6 months as per its books of account (not counted from the date of opening of the savings bank account).
• The SHG should be practising the 'Panchasutras': regular meetings, regular savings, regular inter-loaning, timely repayment and up-to-date books of accounts.
• The SHG should qualify as per the grading norms fixed by NABARD; once SHG federations come into existence, the grading may be done by the federations to support the banks.
• Existing defunct SHGs are also eligible for credit if they are revived and remain active for a minimum period of 3 months.

• Visit the Aajeevika registration page: https://aajeevika.gov.in/en/member/register
• Fill in the mandatory fields: name, email ID and contact number.
• Choose a username.
• Create a password and confirm it.
• Click on "Create New Account".

About the Scheme

DAY-NRLM is the Ministry of Rural Development's flagship programme for poverty reduction. It works by building strong institutions of the poor, particularly women, and linking them to financial services and livelihoods. NRLM was launched in June 2011 as a restructured version of the Swarnajayanti Gram Swarojgar Yojana (SGSY) and was renamed Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana - National Rural Livelihoods Mission with effect from 29 March 2016. Unlike SGSY's allocation-based approach, it is demand-driven: States prepare their own poverty reduction plans, including State Perspective Implementation Plans for seven years and Annual Action Plans, and funds are released against the approved plan. The mission aims to work across 600 districts, 6000 blocks, 2.5 lakh Gram Panchayats and 6 lakh villages through SHGs and their federations over 8-10 years.

Key Benefits Explained

The mission has four components: social mobilisation, community institutions and capacity building; financial inclusion; livelihood promotion; and convergence. SHGs receive a Revolving Fund to strengthen their management and build a credit history. In intensive blocks, a Community Investment Support Fund is routed through federations, but an SHG receives CIF only after it develops its micro plan. Interest subvention covers the gap between the bank lending rate and 7%. The Mission also supports skill development and placement of rural youth, while RSETIs set up by public sector banks provide self-employment training and link trainees to bank loans, with NRLM bearing the training cost. Women farmers are supported through the Mahila Kisan Sashaktikaran Pariyojana (MKSP), which has two streams: Agriculture (and Livestock) and Non-timber Forest Produce.

Who Should Apply

Households are identified through the Participatory Identification of Poor rather than the BPL list, and special focus goes to the poorest of the poor, single women, woman-headed households, the disabled, the landless and migrant labour. For bank credit, an SHG must meet the conditions on age of the group, Panchasutra practice and NABARD grading. Existing SHGs formed by government or NGOs are strengthened in partnership mode, and all NRLM-compliant institutions are eligible for the revolving fund, community investment fund and interest subvention.

Applying: Practical Points

• Create an account on the Aajeevika registration page using your name, email ID and contact number.
• Keep your Aadhaar number, proof of identity, proof of residence, Voter ID card and a passport size photo ready.
• An SHG's bookkeeper, a literate member or a literate person known to the group, maintains 4-7 books such as the member passbook, minutes book, cash book and loan ledger; keeping these up to date is part of the Panchasutras that credit eligibility depends on.