Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram

The Central government restructured and renamed the Multi-sectoral Development Programme (MsDP) as Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram in 2018. (PMJVK). The Ministry of Minority Affairs, which launched MsDP in 2008-09, is responsible for the scheme’s governance. It is a centrally sponsored initiative aiming at improving socioeconomic and basic infrastructure for minority communities. The scheme’s provisions mainly focused on the fields of health, education, and skill development.  

Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram:

• The Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram (PMJVK) is a Ministry of Minority Affairs-sponsored scheme.
• PMJVK is implemented by the state and union territory governments.
• Projects under PMJVK are proposed by states/territories when land is already available with the states/territories.
• Under this scheme, the Central Government does not acquire land for construction. This program does not cover the cost of land or land acquisition. 
• The State Government/UT administration reports to the Ministry of Minority Affairs on a quarterly basis for both physical and financial progress in the performance of the Quarterly Progress Report (QPR) prescribed for this purpose.
• The PMJVK guidelines also provide for quarterly meetings of the District Level Committee to review the progress of PMJVK project implementation and the submission of reports to the State Level Committee (SLC).
• The Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram (PMJVK) initiative is being implemented in 1300 identified Minority Concentration Areas (MCAs) across the country with the objective of developing socioeconomic infrastructural assets and basic amenities.
• The initiative is now being implemented in all of the country’s districts, including all of the Aspirational Districts. 

Objectives of the Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram:

• PMJVK was launched to address the development deficit in Minority Concentration Areas (MACs) and to minimize the imbalance.
• The initiative was launched with the aim of decreasing the growing gap between minority communities and the national average in terms of backwardness and economic parameters.
• To increase the scheme’s coverage, the areas covered have been increased from the previously recognized 90 districts to 308 districts across India. 

Features of the Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram:

• The initiative will help and support states and union territories in developing necessary infrastructure, resulting in better living for people from minority communities.
• The PMJKV scheme helps in the development of socioeconomic and basic infrastructure and facilities for minority populations, such as a girl’s hostel, a skill development center, schools, colleges, polytechnics, and ITIs.
• This initiative will serve as a catalyst for national development by reducing the gap between minorities and the rest of the nation.
• Project proposals from Central Government Organizations/Departments and other stakeholders will also be accepted to make the most of the initiative and ensure that the intended people benefit from it. 

Beneficiaries of the Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram:

• In terms of the PMJVK, the communities recognized as minority communities under Section 2(c) of the National Commission for Minorities Act, 1992 will be considered Minority Communities.
• Presently, 6 (six) communities have been recognized as Minority Communities: 

1. Muslims
2. Sikhs
3. Christians
4. Buddhists
5. Zoroastrians (Parsis)
6. Jains.

Focus Area of the Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram:

• The areas focused by the PMJVK initiative are the Minority Concentration Areas (MACs), which are identified using socio-economic and basic amenities data collected in Census 2011.
• The areas are identified based on factors such as literacy rate, female work participation rate, percentage of households with safe drinking water, percentage of households with electricity, and so on.
• The scheme’s coverage for the population of minority communities will be increased with the inclusion of Minority Concentration Blocks and Clusters of Villages, Minority Concentration District Headquarters, and Minority Concentration Towns with a population of more than 25,000 according to Census 2011 data.  

Significance of the Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram:

• Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram (PMJVK) aims to provide minority communities with socio-economic infrastructure, particularly in the field of health, education, and skill development.
• Reducing the gap in backwardness parameters between the national average and minority communities 

Multi-Sectoral Development Program:

The Ministry of Minority Affairs launched the Multi-sectoral Development Program (MsDP) in 2008-09 in 90 identified Minority Concentration Districts (MCDs) with at least 25% minority population and below the national average in one or both of the backwardness parameters, with the goal of developing assets for socioeconomic and basic amenities. For effective implementation, the Multi-sectoral Development Program (MsDP) was restructured and renamed Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram in 2018. 

Identification Parameters of the Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram:

The following are the backwardness parameters for minority concentration areas:

• District-level socioeconomic indicators based on religion
• The literacy rate
• Rate of female literacy
• Rate of Work Participation
• Rate of female work participation 

Indicators of Basic Amenities at the District Level:

• The percentage of households with pucca walls.
• The percentage of households having safe drinking water.
• The percentage of households with electricity.
• The Percentage of households with a latrine on the premises. 

Districts/States Covered:

• The PMJVK is being implemented in 308 districts across 32 states/UTs in Minority Concentration District Headquarters (MCD Hrs), Minority Concentration Blocks (MCBs), and Minority Concentration Towns (MCTs). The scheme is being implemented in 1300 selected Minority Concentration Areas (MCAs)
• The implementation unit area will include 109 MCD Hqrs, 870 MCBs, and 321 MCTs.
• Further, the initiative will be implemented in Backward Clusters of Minority Concentration Villages (CoMCV). These CoMCV will be identified based on State/UT proposal and PMJVK criteria.
• Himachal Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Nagaland, Goa, and Pondicherry will now be covered by the PMJVK.
• PMJVK has covered Minority Concentration Areas in 61 districts out of 115 Aspirational districts.

Distribution of The Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram:

• Eighty percent of the resources provided under Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram would be used for programs in the fields of health, education, and skill development.
• At least 33-40 percent of these resources will be reserved for the creation of facilities/assets for women/girls. 

Monitoring of the Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram:

• The initiative will be monitored by the Project Monitoring Unit (PMU), which will be set up at the Centre level.
• IT cells formed at the state level with Ministry funds will form a consolidated part of the scheme’s monitoring mechanism.
• To further monitor and control the finances, all of the agencies that implement the system are brought under the umbrella of PFMS (Public Finance Management System).
• An online module, and also a geo-tagging facility, have been included to facilitate fund tracking.  

Related Frequently Asked Questions and Answers: 

Q1. When was the Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram (PMJVK) launched? 

Answer: The Central government restructured and renamed the Multi-sectoral Development Programme (MsDP) as Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram in 2018. (PMJVK). The Ministry of Minority Affairs, which launched MsDP in 2008-09, is responsible for the scheme’s governance. It is a centrally sponsored initiative aiming at improving socioeconomic and basic infrastructure for minority communities. The scheme’s provisions mainly focused on the fields of health, education, and skill development.  

Q2. List the 6 minority communities under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram (PMJVK)? 

Answer: 6 (six) communities have been recognized as Minority Communities:

1. Muslims
2. Sikhs
3. Christians
4. Buddhists
5. Zoroastrians (Parsis)
6. Jains.

Q3. What is Multi-Sectoral Development Program? 

Answer: The Ministry of Minority Affairs launched the Multi-sectoral Development Program (MsDP) in 2008-09 in 90 identified Minority Concentration Districts (MCDs) with at least 25% minority population and below the national average in one or both of the backwardness parameters, with the goal of developing assets for socioeconomic and basic amenities. For effective implementation, the Multi-sectoral Development Program (MsDP) was restructured and renamed Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram in 2018. 

Q4.  Which states/districts are covered under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram (PMJVK)? 

Answer: 

• The PMJVK is being implemented in 308 districts across 32 states/UTs in Minority Concentration District Headquarters (MCD Hrs), Minority Concentration Blocks (MCBs), and Minority Concentration Towns (MCTs). The scheme is being implemented in 1300 selected Minority Concentration Areas (MCAs)
• The implementation unit area will include 109 MCD Hqrs, 870 MCBs, and 321 MCTs.
• Further, the initiative will be implemented in Backward Clusters of Minority Concentration Villages (CoMCV). These CoMCV will be identified based on State/UT proposal and PMJVK criteria.
• Himachal Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Nagaland, Goa, and Pondicherry will now be covered by the PMJVK.
• PMJVK has covered Minority Concentration Areas in 61 districts out of 115 Aspirational districts.

Q5. What are the objectives of the Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram (PMJVK)? 

Answer:

• PMJVK was launched to address the development deficit in Minority Concentration Areas (MACs) and to minimize the imbalance.
• The initiative was launched with the aim of decreasing the growing gap between minority communities and the national average in terms of backwardness and economic parameters.
• To increase the scheme’s coverage, the areas covered have been increased from the previously recognized 90 districts to 308 districts across India.