Aajeevika Skills Programme

Aajeevika – National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM) was launched by the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD), Government of India in June 2011. with some investment support by the World Bank, the sole aim of this mission is to create efficient and effective institutional platforms for rural poor to improve their household income through sustainable livelihood enhancements and improved access to financial services offered by the government.


Aajeevika is one of the 3 programs under National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM) . NRLM constitutes other programs


  • Aajeevika Skill Development Programme (ASDP)
  • Rural Self Employment Training Institute (RSETI)
  • Mahila Kisan Sashktikaran Pariyojana (MKSP)


see below diagram,

Aajeevika Programme Details


  • 25% of allocation under NRLM for skills and placement
  • Financial support to Skills project to the extent of 90%, remaining 10% by the State Governments (only North East States)
  • The programme works in a public private partnership (PPP) mode through Project Implementation Agencies (PIAs)

Key features of the programme


  • Placement linked, market driven training for 3 months to 12 months.
  • Trained youth assured of a job after skilling (75% minimum)

Who is eligible?


i. Age Category

  • Poor Rural youth in 18-35 category
  • Upper age limit for 45 years in case of Particularly vulnerable Tribal Groups (PGTs)

ii. Identification of Poor

  • Participatory Identification of Poor (PIP).
  • Below Poverty Line (BPL) households.
  • Youth who have worked as laborer in MGNREGS work sites for at least 35 days in each of the previous three years.

Coverage of programme


  • 33% candidates to be women
  • 50% of target candidates from SC & ST families (nationally, in each state it will vary, depending on their percentage share in population)
  • 15% to belong to minorities
  • 3 % to belong to differently abled