Current Affairs - National - Discussion

A total of 18,093 villages were declared Adarsh Grams under the Pradhan Mantri Anusuchit Jaati Abhyuday Yojana (PM-AJAY) as of September 8, 2026. The scheme is implemented by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment to improve socio-economic conditions in villages with a Scheduled Caste population of 50% or more. It supports infrastructure development, education, and access to essential services. The scheme covers more than 47,200 villages and 47.79 lakh citizens, with 46,944 development works completed and 27,032 Village Development Plans prepared. PM-AJAY is a 100% centrally funded scheme that also supports student hostels and digital monitoring of development activities.