Satat Jeevikoparjan Yojana (SJY): ₹60,000–₹1L Grant for Bihar Households — Frequently Asked Questions

SJY is a Government of Bihar scheme launched on 5 August 2018 and delivered by the Bihar Rural Livelihoods Promotion Society, or JEEViKA. It applies the Graduation Approach to help around 100,000 ultra-poor households in the state build a sustainable livelihood, using productive assets, a monthly stipend, training and long-term mentoring.

There are two parts to the financial support. First, ₹1,000 per month for the first seven months, which works out to ₹7,000 in total, as livelihood gap assistance. Second, a productive asset with an average value of ₹60,000 and a maximum of ₹1,00,000, usually released in 2–3 tranches.

SJY is a grant-type programme. Support arrives as asset transfers, monthly assistance, insurance cover and training — not as a loan with a repayment schedule, and not as an investment in exchange for a stake. No equity is taken in the beneficiary's activity.

Residents of Bihar whose household has been identified as ultra-poor through the programme's participatory selection process. The scheme focuses on socially or economically vulnerable groups, including SC/ST communities, and applicants should not have a significant alternative source of livelihood.

No. SJY is a rural livelihood scheme for ultra-poor households, not a startup registration programme. Its criteria relate to domicile, household poverty status, community and existing livelihood sources, and DPIIT or MSME registration is not part of the requirements.

The asset is meant to generate ongoing income for the household. The programme supports micro-enterprises, agricultural activities and livestock rearing.

Beneficiaries get 24 months of personalised mentoring from a Master Resource Person, capacity-building sessions that strengthen confidence and entrepreneurial skills, and life-skills coaching for better household management and decision-making. Insurance premiums are also covered under PMJJBY and Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana, and participants are linked to public entitlements and crisis relief.

There is no deadline. SJY operates on a rolling basis with intake open through the year, so households are identified and enrolled as the participatory process moves forward rather than against a fixed cut-off date.

Households are identified first: Village Organizations facilitate a participatory process that shortlists ultra-poor households. Selected applicants then provide documents to JEEViKA representatives — usually identity proof, address proof, and documentation of ultra-poor status and community affiliation. Programme authorities verify these against the scheme guidelines, and approved households are enrolled and assigned a Master Resource Person. Scheme details are published at https://brlps.in/sjywebinar/img/Jeevika-SJY.pdf

The package runs over roughly two years. The monthly livelihood assistance of ₹1,000 covers the first seven months, mentoring continues for 24 months, and the asset transfer is phased across 2–3 tranches during that period.

Satat Jeevikoparjan Yojana (SJY): ₹60,000–₹1L Grant for Bihar Households is offered by Bihar Rural Livelihoods Promotion Society (JEEViKA), a government body. It is provided as non-dilutive funding.