From exclusion to empowerment: How Antyodaya is reaching the last mile
The Centre highlighted the impact of its Antyodaya-driven welfare initiatives, particularly PM JANMAN and PM-AJAY, in improving housing, education, infrastructure, electrification, and livelihoods among tribal and Scheduled Caste communities, aiming to bring historically marginalised groups into mainstream development
New Delhi: The government’s Antyodaya mantra has succeeded in bringing India’s most backward and deprived communities into the ambit of inclusive development with the objective of ensuring that those who were left behind are placed at the forefront of opportunity and progress, according to an official factsheet issued on Friday.
It highlights that these efforts were spearheaded with the Rs 24,104 crore Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM JANMAN) programme targeted towards the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs). They are among India’s most isolated communities. Many lived without pucca housing, clean drinking water, electricity, or road access.
The government launched PM JANMAN in November 2023 to fill these gaps through coordinated effort of all concerned ministries. The programme targets 75 PVTG communities across 18 states and 1 UT, working through 11 interventions implemented by 9 ministries.
The 11 interventions cover housing, road connectivity, piped water supply, mobile medical units, Anganwadi Centres, hostels, electrification, mobile towers, multipurpose centres, Van Dhan Vikas Kendras, and vocational skilling.
As many as 7.8 lakh pucca houses have been completed in tribal villages, and over 28,303 villages have been given access to clean drinking water while 589,812 tribal households have been provided with electricity connections to uplift there living standards, the factsheet shows.
Tribal habitations saw greater infrastructure expansion. Students from deprived communities gained wider educational access. Sanitation workers received stronger institutional recognition and safety support. Backward and nomadic communities entered the focus of targeted welfare planning.
In the past 12 years, the expansion of Eklavya Model Residential Schools has transformed tribal education infrastructure across remote districts. The network grew rapidly after 2018, bringing modern residential schooling and quality education closer to Scheduled Tribe communities that remained underserved for generations. As of 2026, over 1.56 lakh students are enrolled in 499 schools and another 323 schools are under construction.
The change has also been visible geographically. Tribal regions, aspirational districts, and remote habitations became central to development planning and monitoring. Convergence across ministries strengthened last-mile delivery in areas once considered difficult to reach.
Similarly, the PM-AJAY, launched in 2021, focuses on integrated development of Scheduled Caste-majority villages. The scheme supports infrastructure creation, skill development, and livelihood opportunities in underserved SC communities.
Under PM-AJAY, the Adarsh Gram component takes an area-based approach to develop SC-majority villages through convergence of schemes, village development plans, and gap-filling support for critical local needs. It covers 47,334 villages across 597 districts in 26 states. The programme reaches more than 4 crore Scheduled Caste citizens and over 83 lakh households.
The programme has also strengthened village-level planning and infrastructure monitoring. More than 25,000 villages have completed infrastructure assessment exercises. This has helped in identifying gaps in roads, water supply, education, sanitation, and connectivity more systematically.
A stronger emphasis has also been placed on youth participation and livelihood generation. Skill development, SHG participation, and village infrastructure creation has increasingly become part of a broader push towards long-term economic participation, the statement added.
