"PMAY-U 2.0 Targets One Crore Urban Families with Affordable Housing"
EWS (Economically Weaker Section)
households with annual income up to ₹3 lakh, the primary target group under PMAY-U 2.0.
Beneficiary-Led Construction (BLC)
vertical providing up to ₹2.5 lakh to EWS families who own land and build their own house.
Urban housing in India has long been shaped by a fundamental market failure. As the NCERT's own economic framework notes, low-cost housing for the poor is much needed but does not register as effective market demand because it requires purchasing power that low-income households lack. This gap between social need and market supply is the structural reason why the state must intervene directly in urban housing. The 74th Constitutional Amendment Act (1992) devolved urban planning functions to Urban Local Bodies under the Twelfth Schedule, but most ULBs lack the fiscal capacity to address housing deficits at scale. The Union government therefore retains a direct funding and monitoring role through centrally sponsored schemes.
The normative foundation for this intervention draws on the principle that all urban residents, including those in informal settlements, have a legitimate claim to basic civic amenities and public services. This is the spirit behind the global 'Right to the City' framework, which holds that urban residents have the right to public participation in city governance and access to public spaces and services. India's urban housing policy operationalises this principle domestically: slum dwellers and EWS families are not treated as illegal occupants to be evicted, but as rights-bearing citizens entitled to housing support. PMAY-U, launched in June 2015 under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), institutionalised this approach at national scale under the 'Housing for All' vision.
The scheme also addresses both intra-generational and inter-generational dimensions of equity. Intra-generationally, it ensures that contemporaneous access to housing is not restricted to those with market purchasing power, by targeting EWS, LIG, and MIG segments simultaneously. Inter-generationally, a permanent pucca house is a durable asset. It transfers wealth across generations, breaks cycles of poverty, and provides a stable base for children's education and health outcomes. Between 2005 and 2014, only about 8 lakh urban houses were completed under earlier schemes. PMAY-U and its successor have dramatically scaled this up.
PMAY-U 2.0, launched in September 2024, is the successor phase of the original mission. It targets 1 crore additional urban poor and middle-class families and runs from 2024 to 2029. Eligible families receive financial assistance of up to ₹2.50 lakh per unit for construction or purchase of affordable houses. The income eligibility bands are: EWS (annual income up to ₹3 lakh), LIG (₹3 lakh to ₹6 lakh), and MIG (₹6 lakh to ₹9 lakh). A beneficiary family is defined as a husband, wife, and unmarried children who do not own a pucca house anywhere in India. An adult earning member without a pucca house is treated as a separate household regardless of marital status.
The scheme operates through four verticals, each addressing a distinct segment of housing need. The Beneficiary-Led Construction (BLC) vertical provides up to ₹2.5 lakh to EWS families who own land and wish to build their own house, with a maximum carpet area of 45 sq. m. The Affordable Housing in Partnership (AHP) vertical involves public or private agencies constructing houses of 30–45 sq. m. carpet area for EWS beneficiaries, with central and state governments jointly providing financial assistance. …
Consider the following statements:
1.'Right to the City' is an agreed human right and in this regard, UN-Habitat (United Nations Habitat) monitors the commitments made by each country.
2.'Right to the City' gives every resident of the city the right to reclaim public spaces in the city and public participation.
3.'Right to the City' means that the State cannot deny any citizen of any public service or facility from unauthorized colonies (bastis) of the city.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
With reference to Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – Urban 2.0 (PMAY-U 2.0), consider the following statements:
1.EWS households eligible under the scheme have an annual income of up to ₹3 lakh.
2.MIG households eligible under the scheme have an annual income of up to ₹12 lakh.
3.The scheme provides financial assistance of up to ₹2.50 lakh per unit.
4.The scheme is implemented from 2024 to 2029.
How many of the above statements are correct?
Match the following verticals of PMAY-U 2.0 with their primary target beneficiaries:
Vertical — Target Group
A.Beneficiary-Led Construction (BLC) — 1. Migrants, construction workers, street vendors
B.Affordable Housing in Partnership (AHP) — 2. EWS families owning land who build their own house
C.Affordable Rental Housing (ARH) — 3. EWS beneficiaries for whom public/private agencies build houses
D.Interest Subsidy Scheme (ISS) — 4. EWS, LIG, and MIG borrowers taking home loans
With reference to the Interest Subsidy Scheme (ISS) vertical under PMAY-U 2.0, which of the following statements is/are correct?
1.It covers home loans sanctioned and disbursed on or after 1st September 2024.
2.The maximum interest subsidy provided is ₹1.80 lakh.
3.Only EWS and LIG beneficiaries are eligible; MIG beneficiaries are excluded.
4.The subsidy applies only to loans with a tenure of more than five years.
Select the correct answer using the code below:
Consider the following statements about the beneficiary definition under PMAY-U 2.0:
1.A beneficiary family must not own a pucca house anywhere in India in any member's name.
2.An adult earning member without a pucca house is treated as a separate household regardless of marital status.
3.A married couple can avail two separate houses under the scheme, one in each spouse's name.
4.Individuals with a pucca house below 21 sq. m. can be considered for upgradation under the scheme.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
Which of the following is/are correctly matched regarding the carpet area norms under PMAY-U 2.0?
1.BLC vertical — maximum carpet area of 45 sq. m.
2.AHP vertical — carpet area of 30–45 sq. m.
3.ARH vertical — maximum carpet area of 21 sq. m.
Select the correct answer using the code below:
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