**Executive Summary**
This document provides information regarding the financial support provided by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment to the National Scheduled Castes Finance and Development Corporation (NSFDC) for promoting economic development and self-employment among Scheduled Caste beneficiaries. It outlines fund disbursements, utilization, and revisions to lending policies and eligibility criteria. Revisions to the lending policy took effect on 01.04.2025 and revisions to the family income limit took effect on 07.01.2026.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Financial Support and Disbursement:**
* ₹1,500 crore was released to NSFDC by the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment up to 31.03.2020.
* An additional ₹15 crore was released as equity during the year 2023-24.
* As of 23.01.2026, ₹7,673.59 crore has been utilized against a cumulative release of ₹7,856.65 crore, with ₹183.06 crore remaining unutilized.
* **Fund Utilization Issues and Improvement Measures:**
* Reasons for under-utilization include delays in beneficiary selection, time for documentation, and non-receipt of utilization details.
* NSFDC has taken measures to improve fund utilization, including revising its lending policy and mandating utilization of funds within 90 days.
* **Revised Lending Policy (effective 01.04.2025):**
* Revision to lending policy, including mandating utilisation of funds within 90 days.
* Regular review meetings with State Channelizing Agencies.
* Field visits by officials.
* Third-party evaluation studies.
* Extensive awareness programmes.
* **Revised Eligibility Criteria (effective 07.01.2026):**
* The annual family income eligibility limit for NSFDC loan assistance has been revised from ₹3 lakh to ₹5 lakh.
* **Data on Beneficiaries and Fund Utilization (Annexures):**
* Year-wise details of funds disbursed and utilized by NSFDC to State Channelizing Agencies are given in Annexure-I.
* The number of Scheduled Caste beneficiaries covered under various NSFDC schemes (state-wise) is given in Annexure-II.
**Impact Analysis**
**Stakeholder: Scheduled Caste Beneficiaries**
* **Impact:** Enhanced outreach and economic empowerment due to increased income eligibility.
* **Action Required:** To apply for NSFDC loan assistance under the revised income eligibility limit.
**Stakeholder: State Channelizing Agencies (SCAs)**
* **Impact:** Increased scrutiny on fund utilization and adherence to revised lending policies.
* **Action Required:** To ensure timely beneficiary selection and utilization of funds within 90 days, participate in regular review meetings.
Key Entities Referenced
National Scheduled Castes Finance and Development Corporation (NSFDC): A corporation that Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment provides financial support for promoting economic development and self-employment among Scheduled Caste beneficiaries across the country.
Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment: Provides financial support to the National Scheduled Castes Finance and Development Corporation.
Scheduled Castes: Targeted beneficiaries of the NSFDC for economic development and self-employment.
Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment
NATIONAL SCHEDULED CASTES FINANCE AND
DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION
Posted On: 03 FEB 2026 6:09PM by PIB Delhi
Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment provides financial support to the National Scheduled Castes
Finance and Development Corporation (NSFDC) for promoting economic development and self-
employment among Scheduled Caste beneficiaries across the country.
A total amount of ₹1,500 crore was released up to 31.03.2020 by the Department of Social Justice and
Empowerment to NSFDC, and an additional amount of ₹15 crore as equity was released during the year
2023-24.
Year-wise details of funds disbursed by NSFDC to State Channelizing Agencies and the funds utilised by
them are given at Annexure-I.
The number of Scheduled Caste beneficiaries covered under various NSFDC schemes during the last five
years and the current year, State-wise, is given at Annexure-II.
As on 23.01.2026, an amount of ₹7,673.59 crore has been utilised against the cumulative release of
₹7,856.65 crore, with ₹183.06 crore remaining unutilised. The reasons for under-utilisation include delays
in beneficiary selection by State Channelizing Agencies, time taken by beneficiaries in completing loan
documentation, and non-receipt of utilisation details from district branches, leading to pendency of
Utilisation Certificates.
To improve fund utilisation, NSFDC has taken several measures, including revising its lending policy with
effect from 01.04.2025, mandating utilisation of funds within 90 days, conducting regular review meetings
with State Channelizing Agencies, field visits by officials, third-party evaluation studies, and extensive
awareness programmes.
Further, the annual family income eligibility limit for availing NSFDC loan assistance has been revised
from ₹3 lakh to ₹5 lakh with effect from 07.01.2026 to enhance outreach and economic empowerment of
Scheduled Castes.
[This information was given by the Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment, Shri Ramdas
Athawale, in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.]
(Rs. in crore)Year Funds disbursed by NSFDC to Funds utilised by State
State Channelizing Agencies Channelizing
/Channelizing Agencies Agencies/Channelizing Agencies
(SCAs/CAs) (SCAs/CAs)*
(2) (3)
(1)
2020-21 548.23 383.87
2021-22 572.01 522.61
2022-23 635.94 482.75
2023-24 714.45 739.40
2024-25 611.78 1092.17
2025-26 382.35 423.39
(as on 23.01.2026)
Total 3464.76 3644.19
Annexure-I.
*Funds utilized includes funds received during the previous years but utilized in subsequent years.
Annexure-II
Sl. States/UTs 2020-2021 2021-2022 2022-2023 2023-2024 2024-2025 20
No.
(a
23
No. of No. of No. of No. of No. of No.
Beneficiaries Beneficiaries Beneficiaries Beneficiaries Beneficiaries Beneficia
1 Andaman & 0 1 0 0 2 0
Nicobar
Islands
2 Andhra 102 4,007 2,997 11,571 8,229 9,
Pradesh
3 Arunachal 0 2 0 0 3 0
Pradesh
4 Assam 28 4 20 952 164 25 Bihar 96 44 5,018 2,652 211 4,
6 Chandigarh 74 4 75 11 7 10
7 Chhattisgarh 224 196 325 265 305 1,
8 Dadra and 0 2 1 0 0 0
Nagar
Haweli,
Daman &Diu
9 Delhi 49 185 334 14 77 1
10 Goa 3 2 2 1 3 1
11 Gujarat 728 202 347 81 394 92
12 Haryana 937 1,216 1,441 1,486 478 60
13 Himachal 282 15 726 453 1136 43
Pradesh
14 Jammu & 100 794 11 321 42 0
Kashmir
15 Jharkhand 45 1 1,945 111 88 29
16 Karnataka 5,540 4,353 2,932 2,280 2,828 49
17 Kerala 3,166 3,079 6,119 5,486 7,632 4,
18 Laddakh 0 0 0 0 0 0
19 Lakshadweep 0 1 0 0 0 0
20 Madhya 1,661 1,883 61 838 374 27
Pradesh
21 Maharashtra 1,428 3,277 6,215 752 1,123 13
22 Manipur 9 1 42 2 37 0
23 Meghalaya 0 0 1 1 3 024 Mizoram 1 0 0 0 55 0
25 Nagaland 2 1 4 0 69 0
26 Odisha 279 384 1,209 654 245 69
27 Puducherry 434 80 2,397 2,993 1,877 89
28 Punjab 1,488 2,907 3,972 5,741 6,095 1,
29 Rajasthan 7,931 84 4,494 1,905 785 9
30 Sikkim 40 43 5 4 24 0
31 Tamil Nadu 3,595 13,824 3,378 14,548 5,588 2,
32 Telangana 2,485 415 6,535 2,606 390 3,
33 Tripura 730 2798 676 1578 127 1
34 Uttar Pradesh 8,922 3,967 2,390 7,700 2,647 62
35 Uttarakhand 2 111 23 246 267 4
36 West Bengal 53,621 32,336 30,293 20,120 445 84
Total : 94,002 76,219 83,988 85,372 41,750 31
*****
S.M
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