SVAMITVA SCHEME from Vajirao & Reddy Institute

SVAMITVA SCHEME

Why in News?

• The Ministry of Panchayati Raj released findings from an evaluation study conducted by Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad on the SVAMITVA Scheme.
• The study was presented before the World Bank as a successful model of rural land governance.
• Officials believe the scheme can become a model for other developing countries.

ABOUT SVAMITVA SCHEME Full Form

• SVAMITVA stands for:
  • Survey of Villages and Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Areas.

Ministry

• It is a Central Sector Scheme of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj.

Launch

• The scheme was launched nationwide on:
  • 24 April 2021
  • National Panchayati Raj Day
• It was launched after completion of the pilot phase during 2020–21 in 9 states.

MAIN OBJECTIVE

• To provide legal ownership records to people living in rural inhabited areas.
• To strengthen rural land governance through accurate mapping and property records.

KEY FEATURES OF THE SCHEME Drone-Based Survey

• The scheme uses:
  • Drone technology
  • Aerial surveys
  • Continuously Operating Reference Station (CORS) network
• This helps create accurate maps of rural residential areas.

Property Cards

• Property owners receive:
  • Legal ownership cards
  • Property cards
  • Title deeds
• These documents act as formal proof of ownership.

DIGITAL & GEO REFERENCED RECORDS

• The scheme creates:
  • Digitally verifiable property records
  • Geo-referenced land records
• This replaces informal and disputed land claims.

COVERAGE & PROGRESS Financial Support

• Central funding of more than:
  • ?472 crore has been provided up to FY26.
• The scheme has been extended till:
  • September 30, 2026.

Survey Coverage

• Drone surveys have been conducted in:
  • 3.3 lakh villages
• About:
  • 70,000 square kilometres of abadi land has been covered.

GROWTH IN PROPERTY CARDS

• Property card distribution increased from:
  • 7,440 villages in FY21 to
  • 1.89 lakh villages by FY26.
• Around:
  • 3.14 crore property cards have been prepared.
• The government estimates the number may reach:
  • 4 crore by September 2026.

STATES WITH SATURATED DRONE SURVEYS Drone survey has been saturated in:

• Andhra Pradesh
• Madhya Pradesh
• Uttar Pradesh
• Chhattisgarh
• Kerala
• Assam
• Arunachal Pradesh
• Odisha
• Jammu and Kashmir
• Delhi
• Mizoram
• Ladakh

IMPORTANCE OF THE SCHEME Formalisation of Rural Property Rights

• Informal land claims and disputes are being replaced by:
  • Legally recognised
  • Digitally verifiable property documents.

Economic Potential

• The estimated monetised value of mapped abadi land is:
  • Around ?135 lakh crore.

Reduction in Property Disputes

• Accurate land records can reduce:
  • Property disputes
  • Legal cases related to land ownership.

Improved Access to Credit

• Property cards can be used as collateral for loans.
• According to the government:
  • 10,913 loans worth ?1,679 crore have been sanctioned using SVAMITVA property cards.

Increased Loan Access

• The IIM Ahmedabad study found that:
  • Loan amounts increased by ?22,129 annually per parcel after SVAMITVA surveys.

Women’s Empowerment

• The scheme encourages inclusion of women as recognised property owners in rural areas.

Better Rural Planning

• Accurate GIS maps help in:
  • Gram Panchayat Development Plans (GPDP)
  • Property tax determination
  • Infrastructure planning.

ELIGIBILITY & EXCLUSIONS Eligibility

• A person must own property in a rural inhabited (abadi) area.

Exclusion

• Agricultural land is not covered under the scheme.

IMPLEMENTING AGENCY The scheme is implemented by:

• Survey of India
• National Informatics Centre Services Inc. (NICSI) as a technology partner.

At the state level:

• Revenue Department/Land Records Department acts as the nodal department with support from Panchayati Raj Departments.

CONCLUSION

• The SVAMITVA Scheme is becoming an important reform in rural land governance in India.
• By using drone technology and digital property records, the scheme is improving:
  • Legal ownership security
  • Access to finance
  • Rural planning
  • Reduction in disputes
• The scheme is now being viewed as a possible model for other developing countries as well.

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