Government Schemes for Rural Employment 

This content was recently updated by Sudhir Singh on May 6, 2025 to improve accuracy.

India’s rural economy serves as the essential foundation of the nation, supporting nearly 65% of the population. Fostering sustainable livelihoods in villages is a key step toward effectively reducing poverty, curbing migration, and promoting inclusive growth.

To address these challenges, the government has implemented several constructive rural job schemes that empower rural communities, create valuable employment opportunities, and improve infrastructure.

These government schemes not only ensure a reliable income but also prioritize skill development, self-employment, and social security, contributing to meaningful transformations in the lives of millions throughout the country.

30 Second Summary

India’s rural job schemes empower millions by guaranteeing work, building skills, and supporting self-employment. These programs boost rural incomes, infrastructure, and social security.

• Guaranteed 100 days of paid work (MGNREGA)
• Free skill training and job placement (DDU-GKY, RSETIs)
• Support for women and vulnerable groups (NRLM, MGNREGA Women Initiatives)
• Affordable housing for the rural poor (PMAY-G)
• All-weather rural roads (PMGSY)
• Financial help for the elderly, widows, and the disabled (NSAP)
• Promotion of rural entrepreneurship (SVEP)
• Community asset creation and water conservation
• Social inclusion through SHGs and local participation

Quick Reference Table

This table provides a quick reference for all major rural employment and welfare schemes, their objectives, main features, and required documents.

1. Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA)

Objectives:

• Provide at least 100 days of guaranteed wage employment in a financial year to every rural household whose adult members volunteer for unskilled manual work.
• Enhance livelihood security and create durable assets in rural areas.
• Empower women, SC/ST, and other vulnerable groups through rights-based employment.

Features:

• Legal guarantee of wage employment.
• Focus on water conservation, land development, and rural infrastructure.
• Social inclusion through the participation of marginalized groups.
• Wages paid directly to bank/post office accounts.
• Decentralized planning and implementation by Gram Panchayats.

Documents Needed:

• Job card (issued by the Gram Panchayat)
• Aadhaar card
• Bank account details
• Proof of residence

2. Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY)

Objectives:

• Skill rural youth from poor families and provide them with regular wage employment.
• Target youth aged 15-35 (up to 45 for special groups).
• Support the ‘Make in India’ campaign by building a skilled rural workforce.

Features:

• Free skill training in diverse sectors.
• Placement-linked programs with post-placement support.
• Focus on women, SC/ST, minorities, and other vulnerable groups.
• Partnerships with the private sector, NGOs, and training institutes.

Documents Needed:

• Birth certificate
• BPL card or equivalent (AAY, RSBY, NRLM SHG ID, MGNREGA worker card)
• Aadhaar card
• Caste/disability certificate (if applicable)
• Bank account details
• Passport-size photographs

3. National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM/Aajeevika)

Objectives:

• Organize rural poor, especially women, into self-help groups (SHGs) for sustainable livelihood promotion.
• Increase access to financial services and capacity building.
• Reduce poverty by empowering rural families.

Features:

• Formation and strengthening of SHGs and federations.
• Revolving funds, community investment support, and interest subvention on loans.
• Skill development, entrepreneurship, and market linkages.
• Convergence with other poverty alleviation programs.

Documents Needed:

• SHG membership proof
• Aadhaar card
• Bank account details
• Proof of residence

4. Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY)

Objectives:

• Provide all-weather road connectivity to unconnected rural habitations.
• Enhance access to markets, education, and healthcare, thus boosting rural employment and development.

Features:

• Construction and upgradation of rural roads.
• Focus on villages with populations above 500 (250 in hilly/tribal areas).
• Central government funding (60%-90%, depending on the state).
• Maintenance by Panchayati Raj institutions.

Documents Needed (for contractors/workers):

• PAN card
• Bank account details
• Proof of residence
• Bid documents (for contractors)

5. Rural Self-Employment Training Institutes (RSETIs)

Objectives:

• Provide free, intensive short-term residential training for rural youth to promote self-employment and entrepreneurship.

Features:

• Run by banks in partnership with state governments.
• Training in agriculture, business, and service sectors.
• Handholding support for setting up micro-enterprises.
• Post-training follow-up and credit linkage.

Documents Needed:

• Aadhaar card
• Proof of residence
• Educational qualification certificates
• Passport-size photographs

6. Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana – Gramin (PMAY-G)

Objectives:

• Provide pucca (permanent) houses with basic amenities to all rural families living in kutcha or dilapidated houses.
• Promote dignity and security for rural poor through safe housing.

Features:

• Financial assistance up to ₹1.2 lakh (plain areas) and ₹1.3 lakh (hilly/difficult areas) per beneficiary.
• Priority to SC/ST, minorities, and other vulnerable sections.
• Convergence with Swachh Bharat Mission (toilets) and Ujjwala Yojana (LPG connection).
• Direct benefit transfer to the beneficiary’s bank account.

Documents Needed:

• Aadhaar card
• Bank account details
• Proof of residence
• MGNREGA job card (if available)
• Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC) data eligibility

7. Sampoorna Grameen Rozgar Yojana (SGRY)

Objectives:

• Provide additional wage employment in rural areas.
• Create durable community, social, and economic assets.

Features:

• Food grains as part of wage payment.
• Focus on infrastructure development like roads, schools, and water bodies.
• Special attention to women, SC/ST, and below poverty line families.
• Implemented by Panchayati Raj Institutions.

Documents Needed:

• Aadhaar card
• Proof of residence
• Bank account details
• BPL certificate (if applicable)

8. Swarnjayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY) / National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM)

Objectives:

• Organize the rural poor into self-help groups (SHGs) and provide them with self-employment opportunities.
• Enable sustainable income generation through micro-enterprises.

Features:

• Formation and nurturing of SHGs.
• Training, capacity building, and credit linkage.
• Subsidy and revolving funds for micro-enterprises.
• Focus on vulnerable groups, including women, SC/ST, and minorities.

Documents Needed:

• SHG membership proof
• Aadhaar card
• Bank account details
• Proof of residence

9. Deen Dayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM) (Rural Component)

Objectives:

• Reduce poverty and vulnerability of urban and rural poor households by enabling them to access gainful self-employment and skilled wage employment opportunities.

Features:

• Skill training for self and wage employment.
• Formation of SHGs and their federations.
• Financial inclusion and easy access to credit.
• Urban and rural components, with special focus on women and disadvantaged groups.

Documents Needed:

• Aadhaar card
• Bank account details
• Proof of residence
• SHG membership (if applicable)
• Income certificate

10. MGNREGA Women Empowerment Initiatives

Objectives:

• Enhance the participation of women in the rural workforce.
• Ensure equal wages and opportunities for women under MGNREGA.

Features:

• At least one-third of beneficiaries are women.
• Crèche facilities at worksites for children of working mothers.
• Equal wage payment for men and women.
• Encouragement of women’s self-help groups to take up MGNREGA works.

Documents Needed:

• MGNREGA job card
• Aadhaar card
• Bank account details
• Proof of residence

11. Shyama Prasad Mukherji Rurban Mission (SPMRM)

Objectives:

• Stimulate local economic development and create well-planned “Rurban” clusters that combine the spirit of villages with urban-like facilities.
• Bridge the rural-urban divide by enhancing basic services, infrastructure, and economic opportunities.

Features:

• Development of clusters of geographically contiguous villages (Rurban clusters) with populations of 25,000–50,000 (plain areas) or 5,000–15,000 (hilly/tribal areas).
• Convergence of various government schemes for integrated development (infrastructure, skill development, sanitation, digital literacy, etc.).
• Focus on reducing poverty and unemployment, and attracting investment in rural areas.

Documents Needed:

• Aadhaar card
• Proof of residence
• Depending on the specific scheme convergence: income, caste, or BPL certificates

12. Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana (SAGY)

Objectives:

• Holistic development of selected villages into model “Adarsh Grams” by leveraging the leadership of Members of Parliament.
• Improve the quality of life, infrastructure, human development, and social capital in rural areas.

Features:

• Each MP adopts three villages by 2019 and five by 2024 for development.
• Focus on participatory local development, convergence of government and private schemes, and community mobilization.
• Emphasis on outcomes, sustainability, and replication as model villages for others.

Documents Needed:

• Aadhaar card
• Proof of residence
• BPL certificate (if applicable)
• Any scheme-specific documents for benefits

13. Watershed Development Component 2.0 of PMKSY

Objectives:

• Enhance the productivity of rainfed and degraded land through integrated watershed management4.
• Improve water access, expand irrigated areas, and promote sustainable water conservation.

Features:

• Coverage of 49.5 lakh hectares of degraded land (2021–2026).
• Focus on water conservation, crop diversification, and integrated farming (horticulture, fisheries, apiculture, animal husbandry).
• Strengthening community institutions and promoting biological over mechanical interventions.

Documents Needed:

• Aadhaar card
• Land ownership documents
• Proof of residence
• Caste certificate (for priority groups)

14. Start-up Village Entrepreneurship Programme (SVEP)

Objectives:

• Enable rural poor, including women, to set up and support enterprises for economic growth and poverty reduction.
• Promote entrepreneurship in manufacturing, trading, and services.

Features:

• Financial support, incubation, and skill development for new rural businesses.
• Community Resource Persons for Enterprise Promotion (CRP-EP) provide business support.
• Focus on marginalized sections, women, SC/ST, and convergence with other rural schemes.

Documents Needed:

• Aadhaar card
• Proof of residence
• Bank account details
• Caste certificate (if applicable)
• Business proposal/project report

15. National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP)

Objectives:

• Provide social assistance to poor households, especially the elderly, widows, and persons with disabilities, in rural and urban areas.

Features:

• Includes sub-schemes: Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme (IGNOAPS), Widow Pension Scheme (IGNWPS), Disability Pension Scheme (IGNDPS), and National Family Benefit Scheme (NFBS).
• Direct benefit transfer to beneficiaries’ bank accounts.
• Universal coverage of eligible persons through proactive identification.

Documents Needed:

• Aadhaar card
• Proof of residence
• BPL certificate
• Age/disability/widowhood proof
• Bank account details

Conclusion

Government-backed rural job schemes have played a transformative role in uplifting rural India. By guaranteeing employment, building infrastructure, and fostering entrepreneurship, these rural employment programs have strengthened the economic and social fabric of villages. The success of these schemes is evident in reduced migration, increased incomes, and improved quality of life for rural households. Continued focus on effective implementation and awareness will ensure that the benefits of these initiatives reach every deserving family, paving the way for a more prosperous and self-reliant rural India.