Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) 2025

The AAY Scheme was expanded in the early 2000s to include an additional 50 lakh below Poverty line (BPL) households headed by widows, terminally ill people, people with disabilities, or people 60 years of age or older who had no other means of subsistence or social support.

The Antyodaya Anna Yojana now covers 1.5 crore families, or 23% of BPL families, as a result of this development. The number of beneficiaries who will be covered under the new update will rise from 2.5 crore families to 3 crore families. Additionally, each family will now receive 35 kg of food grains each month as opposed to the previous 25 kg. As a result, the total amount of food grains distributed monthly under the programme will rise from 62.5 lakh tonnes to 87.5 lakh tonnes.

Each family will receive an additional 10 kg of food grains at a heavily subsidised rate of Rs.2 per kg. Around 15 crore people in the country are estimated to benefit from this, who are currently living in poverty. The government has also suggested raising the AAY budget by Rs.4,000 crores in order to combat the increase in demand.

The Food Corporation of India (FCI), State Governments/UT Administrations, and accountable district-level officers have been designated as District Grievance Redressal Officers (DGROs) to investigate public complaints regarding this scheme.

The Objectives of Antyodaya Anna Yojana

In order to strengthen TPDS and make it more advantageous for Indian citizens, the Antyodaya Anna Yojana was introduced. Among its main goals are

1. Establishing a world without hunger in the majority of impoverished areas.
2. Increasing and bolstering TPDS's popularity.
3. Subsidized prices for staple food.
4. Food security for India's BPL population development.

1. The use of government funds to cover the costs of distributing and transporting the food grains.

Antyodaya Anna Yojana Features

The Antyodaya Anna Yojana AAY has the features listed below :

1. Food subsidy: Food grains are very heavily subsidised, costing Rs.2 for wheat per kg, Rs.3 for rice per kg, and other necessities. However, each family receives 35 kg of food grain each month.
2. Hunger Reduction: The main goal of this programme is to end hunger in India by giving food grains to every low-income family at deeply discounted prices.

1. Food distribution: Under the Antyodaya Anna Yojana, every BPL family with a ration card is eligible to receive their food grains without any limitations. Food grains are distributed in about 8.51 lakh tonnes per month.

Benefits of the Antyodaya Anna Yojana

Antyodaya Anna Yojana, a programme launched by the Indian government, is aimed at addressing the needs of the country's impoverished population related to hunger. Families who qualify for this programme can benefit from it. Here are a few of these advantages.

1. Even those with inconsistent incomes can afford to eat well.
2. People who are physically disabled, elderly, or unemployed can gain food security.

1. Primary food grains are offered at a discounted rate.
2. Each family participating in the AAY programme is eligible to receive up to 35 kg of food each month.

Antyodaya Anna Yojana Eligibility Criteria

To receive the benefits of this initiative, every BPL family must meet the Antyodaya Anna Yojana's eligibility requirements. The following are the requirements for this program's eligibility.

1. A person who has a physical or mental disability may also apply for the Antyodaya Anna Yojana.
2. The AAY programme is open to elderly pensioners 60 years of age and older who provide for their families.
3. Families can apply for this programme with an annual income of up to Rs.15,000.
4. To receive the benefits of the Antyodaya Anna Yojana, every family member must be determined to be below the poverty line.
5. This scheme offers assistance to all rural and mountainous primitive tribal communities.
6. A destitute widow can apply for this scheme.
7. Marginal farmers, agriculture workers without access to land, rural artisans or craftsmen like weavers, blacksmiths, potters, carpenters, slum dwellers, tanners, and daily wage workers in the informal sector like rag pickers, cobblers, porters, coolies, hand cart pullers, rickshaw pullers, fruit, and flower vendors.

Antyodaya Anna Yojana Beneficiaries

Criteria for Identifying the Families

1. Type of housing: The type of housing, specifically whether it is a pucca house or not, is the primary criterion used to identify the poorest families.
2. Ownership of land: Families with land are typically viewed as being in a better financial position than those without.
3. Literacy: Families with more educated members are typically viewed as being more prosperous than families with less educated members.
4. Financial status: Families with higher incomes are thought to be in a better financial situation than families with lower incomes.

Necessary Documents for the Antyodaya Anna Yojana

The paperwork needed to apply for the Antyodaya Anna Yojana is listed below

1. BPL certification
2. Income certification
3. A certification of deletion, or an affidavit stating that the applicant has never previously held a ration card.

How to apply for the Antyodaya Anna Yojana online?

Follow the steps listed below to apply for the AAY scheme online.

Step 1: Open the Antyodaya Anna Yojana website and select ‘Apply for a new ration card'.

Step 2: The ‘State / UT food portals’ list will now be displayed. Click on the relevant state, then fill out the ‘Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana 2024 application form’ with your information.

Step 3: To complete the submission, click the ‘Submit’ button.

How to apply for the Antyodaya Anna Yojana offline?

To apply for this programme, a rural area beneficiary must go to the department of urban development. After conducting research to determine which poor families fall under the BPL population, the State Government or UT Offices will inform the Village council or Panchayat and Municipality.

A provisional list of eligible families is created by the Office of Revenue, and those families will be informed of their approval at a session in the Gram Sabha. The Chief Executives are in charge of selecting the appropriate beneficiaries in urban areas. After being identified, the assigned authorities issue an AAY card, and families can use the cards to access rations.