The Ministry of Rural Development has described Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana–National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) as a major rural livelihoods programme that combines institution-building, digital monitoring, training and market linkage support. The scheme is relevant for UPSC because it sits at the intersection of women’s empowerment, rural livelihoods, financial inclusion and good governance.

In a written reply in Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Rural Development Dr. Chandra Shekhar Pemmasani said the Ministry is providing information on budget allocation, funds sanctioned and expenditure under DAY-NRLM for FY 2026-27, along with state-wise coverage for Tamil Nadu, in the annexure to the reply.

What the Ministry said about DAY-NRLM

The Ministry said DAY-NRLM has organised 10.05 crore rural households into 92 lakh SHGs. It said the scheme follows a multipronged strategy for social, economic and institutional empowerment of rural women.

The Ministry also cited independent impact evaluations to support the scheme’s outcomes. A 3ie Impact Evaluation Study (2025), using data from 2019 and 2024 across 9 States and about 23,000 households, found higher household incomes in NRLM blocks, better income gains in mature community institution clusters, and improvements in women’s empowerment, livelihood diversification and household welfare. The reply also cited the NITI Aayog Evaluation of Centrally Sponsored Schemes in the Rural Development Sector (2025), which assessed DAY-NRLM as highly relevant and impactful.

Institutional design and monitoring

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