Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana: An initiative to give a new direction to rural India

India is a country where villages are the backbone of our culture and economy. Most of the country’s population still lives in villages, and the development of these villages is essential for the progress of the entire country. But the lack of basic amenities like clean water, electricity, roads, education and health services in rural areas has been a major challenge. To overcome this deficiency and make villages self-reliant, the Government of India launched the Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana (SAGY). This scheme is not only an effort to develop villages, but it is also a dream to improve the lives of the people of rural India. In this article, let us talk about this scheme in detail, what it is, what is its objective, and how it is transforming our villages.

Table of Contents

What is Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana?

Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana was launched on 11 October 2014, which started on the birth anniversary of Pandit Jayaprakash Narayan. The main objective of this scheme is that every MP adopts a village in his constituency and develops it as an ideal village. This means that the village should become an example in terms of basic facilities, education, health, employment and social equality. Under this scheme, MPs have been given the responsibility of selecting a village in their parliamentary constituency, which they should develop in a phased manner from 2016 to 2024

.The idea behind this scheme is that if every MP makes some villages in his constituency as Adarsh Grams, then these villages will serve as an inspiration for the rest of the villages. This will not only lead to the development of the selected villages, but will also spread the wave of progress in the surrounding areas. This scheme is being run with the cooperation of the central and state governments, local administration and gram panchayats, in which the participation of the village people has been given the highest importance.

Main objectives of the scheme

Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana has certain specific objectives that make it a unique effort for rural development. Let us have a look at them:

Holistic Development: The aim of this scheme is to develop villages in a way that includes basic amenities as well as social and economic progress. It focuses on clean water, electricity, roads, sanitation, education and health services.
Local Participation: The people of the village are made a part of this scheme. Development plans are made in collaboration with Gram Panchayats and local committees, so that work is done according to the needs of the village.
Social Equality: A major objective of the scheme is to promote social equality in the village. Special attention is given to women, children, deprived communities and weaker sections so that they can also join the mainstream of development.
Self-reliance: Under this scheme, the emphasis is on making villages self-reliant. This includes the use of local resources, increasing employment opportunities and encouraging small industries.
Source of inspiration: Every Adarsh Gram is developed as a model, which serves as an inspiration for other villages. This also inspires the surrounding villages towards development.

How does the scheme work?

A clean and systematic process has been created to implement the Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana. This scheme works in several phases:

Selection of village: Every MP has to select a village in his parliamentary constituency. Lok Sabha MPs select villages from the rural areas of their constituency, while Rajya Sabha MPs can choose any village from the state they belong to. While selecting the village, it is kept in mind that there is a need for development there and the local people are ready to cooperate.
Village Development Plan: After selecting a village, the MP prepares a Village Development Plan (VDP) in consultation with the local administration and the gram panchayat. This plan takes into account the needs, resources and priorities of the village.
Use of existing schemes: There is no separate big budget allocated for this scheme. Instead, MPs use existing government schemes like MNREGA, Jal Jeevan Mission, Swachh Bharat Mission, and Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana etc. MPs can also use the funds (MPLADS) available for their constituency.
People’s Participation: The people of the village are the most important part of this scheme. People’s opinion is taken through Gram Sabhas, and work is done according to their needs. This ensures that development work is not limited to papers only.
Monitoring and evaluation: Committees have been formed at the district level to monitor the progress of the scheme. These committees review the work from time to time and suggest necessary changes.

Since the launch of the Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana, work has started in thousands of villages across the country. From 2014 to 2025, many MPs have done remarkable work in their chosen villages. In some villages, basic amenities like roads, electricity, water and sanitation have improved, while in others, education and health services have improved.

For example, in states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, many model villages have been set up with solar lights, community toilets, improvements in schools and health centres. Modern facilities like digital education and Wi-Fi have also been introduced in some villages.

However, there have been challenges in some places. Some MPs have not shown as much interest in the selection and development of villages as was expected. Apart from this, lack of funds, lack of local cooperation and administrative delays have also slowed down the work in some places. Nevertheless, the government is continuously working to overcome these shortcomings.

Impact on people’s lives

The impact of Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana is not limited to roads or basic amenities in villages. It is improving the lives of people in many ways:

Improvement in infrastructure: Villages that previously did not have clean water, electricity or paved roads are now getting these facilities. This has made life easier for people.
Education and Health: Schools and Anganwadi centres have been improved in many villages. With the establishment of health centres, people have started getting treatment nearby.
Employment opportunities: Small industries and self-employment are being promoted under the scheme. Due to this, the people of the village are getting work in their own village.
Empowerment of women: Women are being included in gram sabhas and committees. This is making their voices heard, and they are participating in the decision-making process.
Social awareness: The scheme has increased awareness on issues like cleanliness, environmental protection and digital education. People are now taking initiatives themselves for the betterment of their villages.

Challenges and Solutions

Like every big scheme, Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana also faces some challenges. Problems like lack of interest from some MPs, improper utilization of funds and lack of cooperation at the local level have been observed. Apart from this, geographical and social conditions in some villages make work difficult.

The government has taken several steps to deal with these problems. MPs have been asked to review the progress regularly. Also, the district administration and village panchayats are being given more responsibility. Campaigns are being run to make people aware, so that they can take full advantage of this scheme.

conclusion

Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana is a new ray of hope for rural India. This scheme is not only developing villages, but is also working to make people self-reliant and empowered. If the MPs, local administration and the people of the village together implement this scheme fully, then the day is not far when our villages will not only be self-reliant, but will also become a source of inspiration for other villages. Come, let us all support this scheme and contribute to making our villages Adarsh Gram. Because only when the villages are strong, our country will be stronger.