Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY NRLM)

Why in News?

Recently, the DAY-NRLM scheme has been reviewed for the 2026-27 to 2030-31 cycle, with a focus on scaling rural women entrepreneurship and strengthening institutions.

• It is a flagship centrally sponsored scheme for poverty alleviation and rural livelihoods program based on the Self-Help Group (SHG) model.
• Launched in – 2016.
• It was formerly known as the National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM).
• Nodal Ministry – The Ministry of Rural Development.
• Implementation – State Rural Livelihoods Missions through SHGs, Village Organisations (VOs) and Cluster-Level Federations (CLFs).
  • Exception – DAY-NRLM is implemented across all states and union territories in India (except Delhi and Chandigarh).
• Coverage – About 10 crore rural poor households across India, mobilised into 91 lakh SHGs.
• Objectives – Livelihoods – Promote sustainable livelihoods and rural women entrepreneurship.
• Financial Inclusion – Enable access to formal credit and financial services.
• Diversification – Strengthen and diversify livelihoods with access to entitlements and public services.
• Empowerment – Enhance social and political empowerment of women.
• Beneficiaries –
  • Rural poor women.
  • SHG members.
  • Rural youth (under skill development components).
• Identification – The NRLM Target Households (NTH) are identified through the Participatory Identification of Poor (PIP) instead of the BPL.
• Key Sub-schemes – It includes Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY) for skill training and Rural Self Employment Training Institutes (RSETIs).
• Components –

• Funding Mechanism – The Central and State governments jointly fund the program.
• Significance – Low NPAs of around 1.7% despite massive credit mobilisation.
• Boosted women’s economic, social and political power.
• Created a strong base for next-phase entrepreneurship, market access and innovative financing.

References

1. TH | Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY NRLM)
2. PIB | DAY NRLM