The Union Budget for 2009-10 has proposed two new development schemes:

• The Pradhan Mantri Adarsh Gram Yojana (PMAGY), to be launched this year on a pilot basis, for the integrated development of 1000 villages in which the population of scheduled castes is above 50%. There are about 44,000 such villages in the country.  An allocation of INR 1000 has been proposed for this scheme.  Each village would be able to avail gap funding of INR 1 million over and above the allocations under rural development and poverty alleviation schemes.  On successful implementation of the pilot phase, the scheme will be extended in the coming years.
• A National Mission for Female Literacy, with focus on minorities, SC, ST and other marginalised groups.  The aim is to reduce by half the current level of female illiteracy, in three years.