Rajiv Awas Yojana 2026
Rajiv Awas Yojana is a central government housing program initiated to address urban slum development systematically and sustainably. The focus of this scheme is to achieve four things: to redevelop slums, provide affordable housing, increase infrastructure development, and to encourage community participation to improve urban poor living conditions.
What is Rajiv Awas Yojana?
The Rajiv Awas Yojana (RAY) is a program launched by India’s Government to promote the elimination of slums from Indian cities. Under this program, all States and Union Territories of India are encouraged to include slums in the formal framework of urban planning and governance. This will allow slum residents to access essential civic services, including water, sanitation, housing, transportation, and social services. As a result of these actions, slum residents' quality of life will be improved.
Features of Rajiv Awas Yojana
The major features of Rajiv Awas Yojana are as follows:
- Rajiv Awas Yojana encourages cities to take serious steps towards getting rid of their slums through planned redevelopment and upgradation.
- Rajiv Awas Yojana focuses on providing cities with the necessary infrastructure, such as roads, sanitation, housing and social support (for example: childcare, healthcare), that is needed for every resident of a city to participate fully in society.
- The Rajiv Awas Yojana supports building houses for the urban poor that are either affordable or low cost.
- Rajiv Awas Yojana promotes the participation of slum communities through the establishment of Slum Dwellers’ Associations and Federations.
- Rajiv Awas Yojana advocates for the adoption of policies and legal reforms, such as the Housing and land-related legal reforms, to reduce or eliminate the future establishment of slums.
Objectives of Rajiv Awas Yojana
Rajiv Awas Yojana helps lower-income urban families access formal credit. In addition to these important features, the objectives of Rajiv Awas Yojana include:
- To help eliminate the underlying causes of slum creation and growth.
- To improve the physical conditions of the housing and civic/social infrastructure in existing slum areas.
- To help slum communities empower themselves by being involved in all levels of decision making regarding their community and its resources.
- To strengthen the institutional and human resource capacity of cities, states, and municipalities.
- To create an extensive network of resources necessary to develop sustainable urban areas.
- To create a supportive environment for providing formal credit and funding opportunities to people living in slums.
Eligibility for Rajiv Awas Yojana
Eligibility under Rajiv Awas Yojana includes:
- All the defined beneficiaries of identified urban poor beneficiaries are eligible
- The Rajiv Awas Yojana cover both rental housing and ownership housing projects; and
- Affordable Housing in Partnership (AHP) projects must have a minimum of 250 Dwelling Units (DU) to be eligible for assistance under the Affordable Housing in Partnership (AHP) component.
Guidelines and Operational Framework of Rajiv Awas Yojana
The scheme has a clearly defined framework for its objectives, and a detailed outline for how it will operate. These guidelines include:
- A detailed description of how to prepare a project or plan.
- All legal and policy reforms to support the scheme.
- How to encourage the active involvement of communities in their development.
- How to carry out social audits of the projects under this scheme.
- How to manage and evaluate projects under this scheme.
- Guidelines for the Slum Free City Plan of Action (SFCPoA).
- The Assurance Manual for this scheme
- The procedures for building the capacity of all levels of the administrative structure involved in implementing the scheme.
Rajiv Awas Yojana - Strategies
The Rajiv Awas Yojana has two main strategies for implementing this scheme:
- The First is to prepare a Slum Free City Plan of Action and prepare and implement the redevelopment and upgrading of selected slums, while providing States, Union Territories, Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) and other Government of India agencies financial assistance.
- The Second is to support the development of affordable housing through public-private partnerships (PPP) under the Affordable Housing in Partnership component and provide central financial assistance for the construction of housing, to encourage private sector involvement in the affordable housing industry.
Note: For the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) or Low-Income Group (LIG) of our economy, a financial subsidy of up to Rs.75,000 will be provided for each dwelling unit, for all eligible dwelling unit sizes ranging from 21 sq. m. to 40 sq. M.
Types of Schemes under Rajiv Awas Yojana
Rajiv Awas Yojana does not have different types of schemes, but they are segmented by the source of funding into three categories, depending on the city designated as urban agglomeration based on 2011 Census. The three categories of cities are:
Category | Cities / Urban Agglomerations Covered | Maximum Funding Assistance |
Category A | Covers major cities and large Urban Agglomerations with a population of 5 lakh or more, where slum redevelopment and large-scale housing interventions are required | Up to Rs.5 lakh |
Category B | Includes small and medium-sized cities and Urban Agglomerations with a population of less than 5 lakh, focusing on planned growth and affordable housing development | Up to Rs.4 lakh |
Category C | Applies to Urban Agglomerations located in the Northeastern Region and special category States such as Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand, considering regional and geographical challenges | Up to Rs.5 lakh |
FAQs on Rajiv Awas Yojana
- Which cities are given priority under Rajiv Awas Yojana?
Cities that rank highest on concentration of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, minorities, and other disadvantaged groups receive an additional advantage in Rajiv Awas Yojana.
- Do housing scheme beneficiaries benefit from health insurance?
Housing scheme beneficiaries use Health Insurance to help cover unexpected medical expenses not covered by the housing scheme, as well as to relieve financial concerns that accompany emergency medical expenses.
- Does Rajiv Awas Yojana focus only on large cities?
The Rajiv Awas Yojana is not limited to large urban centres; it also includes many small and medium towns of various population sizes based on data from the Census of 2011.
- Are low-income housing beneficiaries entitled to healthcare benefits as well?
Yes, participants of low-income housing programs such as Rajiv Awas Yojana will be eligible for health care benefits through various government initiatives including PM-JAY, assuming they satisfy all eligibility requirements.
- What types of healthcare coverage are available for PM-JAY eligible Beneficiaries?
Eligible families can access the free treatment and hospitalisation of up to 5 lakhs through PM-JAY, providing eligible individuals access to hospitals in India and the equivalent care.
- Why do I still need insurance if I receive housing assistance through government programs?
While having housing assistance helps provide a roof over one's head, it does not address the need for assurance against medical emergencies and future uncertainty. Insurance provides additional protection for both your health and your family’s future financial security.
- What is Affordable Housing in Partnership under Rajiv Awas Yojana?
Affordable Housing in Partnership refers to a program within the Rajiv Awas Yojana designed to provide affordable housing stock through cooperative efforts of both private and public entities.
- Is life insurance necessary if I own a home under Rajiv Awas Yojana?
Even if you have a home, you do not have an income guarantee if something happens to you. Life insurance ensures your family has access to funds to help pay bills, repay any debts, and help keep them stable.
- How many projects have been approved under the Affordable Housing in Partnership (AHP) component?
The Affordable Housing in Partnership has received approval for 21 projects through three Indian states: Rajasthan, Karnataka, and Gujarat.
- Are there synergies between Rajiv Awas Yojana and insurance policies?
Yes, both Rajiv Awas Yojana and insurance policies provide complementary benefits since they make owning a home and financial security more possible for beneficiaries.
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