Lok Sabha Question No. 2553 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-08-05
Subject: Promotion of Rural Entrepreneurship
Ministry: RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Shri Rajmohan Unnithan

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT

## DEPARTMENT OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2553 ANSWERED ON 05/08/2025

## PROMOTION OF RURAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP

## 2553. Shri RajmohanUnnithan:

Will the Minister of RURAL DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) the initiatives implemented to promote rural entrepreneurship and create jobs through Self Help Groups and skill development programmes;
- (b) whether  any  new  model  village  development  projects  being planned  to  ensure  integrated  and  inclusive  progress  in  rural areas; and
- (c) the  manner  in  which  the  Ministry  supporting  climate-resilient infrastructure, such as roads, irrigation systems and housing, in vulnerable rural regions?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT (DR. CHANDRA SEKHAR PEMMASANI)

(a): DeendayalAntyodayaYojana -National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM), inter-alia aims to promote rural entrepreneurship  through  its  sub-scheme,  namely Start-up  Village Entrepreneurship  Programme  (SVEP).  The  SVEP supports  the  SelfHelp Group  (SHG)  and  their family members  to  set-up  small enterprises in the non-farm sector.   The SVEP is implemented in 31 States  and  Union  Territories,  and  so  far, 3.74  lakh  enterprises supported.

Under DeendayalAntyodayaYojana - National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM), this Ministry implements DeenDayalUpadhyayaGrameenKaushalyaYojana (DDU-GKY) and Rural  Self  Employment  Training  Institutes  (RSETI)  programmes  for skill development of rural poor youth through their employment.

Objective  of  DDU-GKY  is  to  provide  placement-linked  skilling for  rural  youth,  who  are  poor,  and  provide  them  with  jobs  having regular monthly wages at or above the minimum wages. DDU-GKY is a  placement-linked  skill  development  programme  for  rural  poor

youth in the age group of 15-35 years. It empowers the rural poor youth  with  employable  skills  and  facilitates  their  participation  in social regular labour markets. DDUGKY guideline provides inclusion of SC/ST (50%), Women (33%), and PwDs (5%).

RSETI  is  a  Ministry  of  Rural  Development  funded  training institutions  established  by  the  sponsoring  Banks  in  their  Districts, to provide training for skill and entrepreneurship development. This Ministry  extends  financial  support  for  the  construction  of  RSETI poor' candidates.  There  is  also  a  provision  for  training  at  RSETI  to  any unemployed youth in the age group of 18-50 year having an aptitude building and also bears the cost of training the 'rural to take up self-employment or wage employment.

In the country, under DDU-GKY a total of 17,50,784 candidates have  been  trained  and  a  total  of  11,48,247  candidates  have  been placed, and under RSETI, a total of 56,69,265 candidates have been trained and a total of 40,99,578 candidates have been settled since inception till June 2025.

- (b) & (c): The Ministry  of  Rural  Development  implements  Pradhan MantriAwaasYojana-  Gramin  (PMAY-G)  with  effect  from  1st  April 2016  to  provide  assistance  to  eligible  rural  households  with  an overall  target  to  construct  4.95  crorepucca  houses  with  basic amenities by 2029.   As on 31.07.2025, out of the cumulative target of  4.95  crore  houses,  4.12  crore  houses  have  been allotted  to  the States/UTs,  out  of  which  3.84  crore  houses have  been  sanctioned and more than 2.81 crore houses have been completed. Under the Scheme,  the  beneficiaries  are  facilitated  with  90/95  man  days  of unskilled labour wages through mandatory convergence with Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme.

The PMAY-G adopts a holistic approach in sustainable development through green housing technologies in rural areas. As per Framework for implementation of PMAY-G, the State Governments have  been  requested  to  encourage  willing  beneficiaries  to  adopt green technologies by using appropriate materials and technologies to reduce CO2 emission and depletion of non-renewable resources by  accessing  different  rural  housing  typologies  as  per  PAHAL (PrakritiHunarLokvidya)  for  achieving  greenness  in  housing.  This Ministry has signed anMoU with CSIR-CBRI to digitalize the PAHAL compendium, featuring 3D views and state-specific techniques/technologies for rural housing, focusing mainly on people's acceptability about the technologies in the area, besides local resources, climate, terrain, and environmental conditions.

Pradhan Mantri Gram SadakYojana (PMGSY), launched in year 2000, has been a transformative intervention to reduce rural poverty unconnected habitations, thereby catalysing economic activity, improving access by providing all-weather road connectivity to to services, and enabling rural entrepreneurship.

PMGSY-IV, launched in September 2024 is designed to support inclusive rural development, particularly in tribal, aspirational, and remote geographies, and directly contributes to rural and economic integration.

Cumulative Achievements under PMGSY till July 2025 are as under:

- (a) Road length sanctioned: 8,38,611 km
- (b) Road length completed: 7,83,525 km

PMGSY promotes Climate-Resilient and Green Infrastructure in rural areas. The 2013 guideline mandates that at least 15% of road length in each state be constructed using new and green technologies. The  initiatives  taken  under  PMGSY  not  only  reduce the carbon footprint but also generate local employment opportunities, promote resource efficiency, and enhance the disaster resilience of rural infrastructure. Green Technology Progress till July 2025 is  as under:

- (a) Road length sanctioned: 1,55,614 km
- (b) Road length constructed: 1,24,688 km

The PMGSY serves as a foundational enabler by: (a) facilitating market access for SHG products and farmers, (b) enhancing reach of health, education, and skilling services, (c) enabling movement of goods and services across rural value chains. In synergy with other rural  development  initiatives,  PMGSY  acts  as  a  key  driver  for inclusive entrepreneurial growth, rural employment, and development.

In  addition to above, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate  Change implements  the  National  Action  Plan  on  Climate Change  (NAPCC),  which  is  the  overarching  policy  framework  and comprises  of  National  Missions  in  specific  areas  of  solar  energy, enhanced  energy  efficiency,  water,  agriculture,  Himalayan  ecosystem, sustainable habitat, green India and strategic knowledge on climate change.  The Missions inter-alia address the need to adapt to future climate change by improving the resilience of infrastructure,  agriculture  and  water  sectors  through  communitybased actions.

*****