Government Scheme Finder: Which Schemes Can You Apply For?
Tick what applies to you and get a shortlist of 32 central government schemes, each with its official site. This is a shortlist, not a decision: check the full rules on the official site before you apply.
Banking and insurance
PM Jan Dhan Yojana (2014)
What you get: A zero-balance bank account with a RuPay debit card and accident insurance cover. Who can apply: Any Indian adult without a bank account. Official site
PM Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (2015)
What you get: Life cover of Rs 2 lakh for a premium of Rs 436 a year, paid from your bank account. Who can apply: Bank account holders aged 18 to 50. Official site
PM Suraksha Bima Yojana (2015)
What you get: Accident cover of Rs 2 lakh for Rs 20 a year. Who can apply: Bank account holders aged 18 to 70. Official site
Pension
Atal Pension Yojana (2015)
What you get: A fixed pension of Rs 1,000 to Rs 5,000 a month from age 60, depending on what you pay in. Who can apply: Bank account holders aged 18 to 40 who do not pay income tax. Official site
PM Shram Yogi Maan-dhan (2019)
What you get: A pension of Rs 3,000 a month from age 60. The government matches your monthly payment. Who can apply: Unorganised workers aged 18 to 40 earning up to Rs 15,000 a month. Official site
Old Age Pension (NSAP) (1995)
What you get: A monthly pension for older people from poor households. The state adds its own share. Who can apply: People aged 60 and over from BPL households. Official site
PM Kisan Maan-dhan (2019)
What you get: A pension of Rs 3,000 a month from age 60. Who can apply: Small and marginal farmers aged 18 to 40. Official site
Work and business
e-Shram card (2021)
What you get: A national ID for unorganised workers, used to reach welfare schemes, with accident insurance. Who can apply: Unorganised workers aged 16 to 59 who are not in EPFO or ESIC. Official site
PM MUDRA Yojana (2015)
What you get: Loans without collateral for small businesses, in four sizes up to Rs 20 lakh. Who can apply: Anyone starting or growing a small non-farm business. Official site
Stand-Up India (2016)
What you get: Bank loans from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 1 crore to start a new business. Who can apply: Women and SC or ST entrepreneurs aged 18 and over setting up a new enterprise. Official site
PMEGP (2008)
What you get: A loan with a government subsidy to set up a new small factory, workshop or service unit. Who can apply: Anyone aged 18 and over setting up a new micro enterprise. Official site
PM SVANidhi (2020)
What you get: Small working-capital loans for street vendors, with a bigger loan each time you repay. Who can apply: Street vendors in towns and cities. Official site
PM Vishwakarma (2023)
What you get: Skill training with a stipend, a toolkit voucher and cheap collateral-free loans. Who can apply: Artisans in 18 traditional trades, such as carpenters, potters, tailors and blacksmiths. Official site
PM Kaushal Vikas Yojana (2015)
What you get: Free short-term skill training with a certificate. Who can apply: Young people who want job skills, including school and college dropouts. Official site
Health
Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY (2018)
What you get: Free hospital treatment up to Rs 5 lakh a year per family at listed hospitals. Who can apply: Poor and vulnerable families listed under the scheme. Check your name on the official site. Official site
Ayushman Vay Vandana card (2024)
What you get: Health cover up to Rs 5 lakh a year under Ayushman Bharat, whatever your income. Who can apply: Everyone aged 70 or older. Official site
PM Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (2015)
What you get: Generic medicines at much lower prices from Jan Aushadhi Kendras. Who can apply: Anyone. Just visit a Jan Aushadhi Kendra. Official site
Janani Suraksha Yojana (2005)
What you get: Cash help for giving birth in a government or accredited hospital. Who can apply: Pregnant women, with a focus on poor households and low-performing states such as Bihar. Official site
Women and girls
PM Matru Vandana Yojana (2017)
What you get: Cash support paid to the bank account of pregnant women and new mothers. Who can apply: Pregnant women and mothers for the first child, and for a second child if it is a girl. Official site
Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana (2015)
What you get: A high-interest savings account for a daughter, with tax benefits. Who can apply: Parents or guardians of a girl under 10. Open it at a post office or bank. Official site
Lakhpati Didi (DAY-NRLM) (2023)
What you get: Training and credit to help women in self-help groups earn at least Rs 1 lakh a year. Who can apply: Women who are members of a self-help group, mostly in villages. Official site
Housing and energy
PM Ujjwala Yojana (2016)
What you get: A free LPG cooking gas connection. Who can apply: Adult women from poor households without an LPG connection. Official site
PM Awas Yojana (Gramin) (2016)
What you get: Money to build a pucca house in a village. Who can apply: Rural families who are homeless or live in kutcha houses, picked from official lists. Official site
PM Awas Yojana (Urban) (2015)
What you get: Help to build, buy or rent a house in a town or city. Who can apply: Urban families from low and middle income groups with no pucca house. Official site
PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana (2024)
What you get: A subsidy for rooftop solar, aimed at up to 300 free units of electricity a month. Who can apply: Households with their own roof and an electricity connection. Official site
Food
Free ration (NFSA and PMGKAY) (2013)
What you get: Free foodgrains every month, which you can collect at any ration shop in India under One Nation One Ration Card. Who can apply: Families with an NFSA ration card. Apply through your state food department. Official site
Farmers
PM-KISAN (2019)
What you get: Rs 6,000 a year paid straight to your bank account in three instalments. Who can apply: Farmer families who own cultivable land. Income tax payers and some others are left out. Official site
PM Fasal Bima Yojana (2016)
What you get: Crop insurance at a low premium against drought, flood, pests and other losses. Who can apply: Farmers, including tenant farmers and sharecroppers, growing notified crops. Official site
Soil Health Card (2015)
What you get: Free soil testing with advice on which fertiliser to use and how much. Who can apply: All farmers. Official site
Transgender persons
National Portal for Transgender Persons (2020)
What you get: An official transgender certificate and ID card, applied for online. Who can apply: Any transgender person. The District Magistrate issues the certificate. The 2026 amendment may change the process, so check the official FAQ first. Official site
SMILE scheme and Garima Greh (2022)
What you get: Shelter homes (Garima Greh), scholarships, skill training and help with healthcare. Who can apply: Transgender persons, especially those without family support. Most parts need the TG certificate. Official site
Ayushman Bharat TG Plus card (2022)
What you get: Health cover under Ayushman Bharat for transgender persons. Reports differ on how widely it has been rolled out. Who can apply: Transgender persons holding a certificate from the National Portal. Ask at the portal or your district office. Official site