The agrarian economy is still predominant in India, as 55% of the total population depends on agriculture. Therefore it is crucial to equip the rural areas by focusing on social and cultural development. 

Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana is one such scheme that aims to achieve the concept of Mahatma Gandhi’s ideal Indian villages. Keep reading to know about the objectives, benefits and other details of this scheme.

The Prime Minister of this nation launched the Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana in October 2014. Under this scheme, every member of parliament espouses a Gram Panchayat to conduct comprehensive progress of the village. This will emphasise the village's social development at the same standard as its infrastructure.

This scheme also aims for socio-cultural development by encouraging the villagers towards communal mobilisation. The Government intends to create 5 “Adarsh Gram” by the year 2024. Those will act as a governance and local development model for other gram panchayats.

The objectives of this yojana are as follows:

• Complete development of the chosen Gram Panchayat by stimulating the necessary processes.
• Effective improvement of the standard of living and quality of life across every segment of the nation’s population by:
  • Generating higher productivity
  • Upscaling the basic amenities provision while keeping rural India’s essence alive
  • Ensuring opportunities for an advanced livelihood by increasing social capital
  • Enhancing the human development rate
  • Mitigating disparities between the sections of society
  • Providing access to entitlements and rights

Some key features of Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana are:

• The development of the villages is demand-driven,
• The rural society stimulates it, and
• It depends on the villager’s participation.

Below are the eligibility criteria for Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana:

• The village should have a population of 3000 to 5000 persons in the plain region and 1000 to 3000 in the mountainous, tribal and non-viable areas.
• All the MPs must choose a village to transform it into an Adarsh gram except for their own village or that of their respective spouses.
• They must choose 1 gram panchayat for immediate action and 2 for working on later.
• Lok Sabha MPs must identify a Gram Panchayat from their constituency.
• Whereas the Rajya Sabha MPs must identify from any rural area of a district of the State where they are elected.

Below are some significant benefits of Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana are:

• A significant increase in employment opportunities
• Depleting migration due to extreme distress
• 100% documentation of birth and deaths with proper registration
• An evolved alternative dispute resolution system granted by the communities
• Social liberty from slavery, bonded labour, manual scavenging and child labour
• Established social justice, harmony and peace among the communities
• Inspiring other Gram Panchayats for holistic development

The Government of India did not issue any separate funding for the Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana. As a result, the operating bodies can obtain resources from other schemes like -

• Some existing schemes, like the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, Backward Regions Grant Fund, Indira Awas Yojana, etc.
• Grants of the State and Central Finance Commission
• Gram panchayat’s revenue
• The Member of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme
• Funds related to Corporate Social Responsibility

The Indian Government wanted to prosper the social and economic status alongside substantial infrastructure of the 1st village by the year 2016. Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana also successfully engaged every MPs from all parties in the infrastructural development of our villages under a single scheme.