The government of India, through the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, operates the SVAMITVA Scheme that aims to provide legal property documents to the rural population of India. Through this scheme, the central government of India provides land records documents to rural property owners across the country. The scheme SVAMITVA stands for Survey of Villages and Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Areas and envisages providing legal property cards to rural societies in India. The scheme aims to deal with the long-awaited issue of property ownership records in village areas of the country. Under the scheme, technology-based surveys are conducted and then documents are prepared accordingly. Read below to learn more about the SVAMITVA Scheme 2025.
Launch of SVAMITVA Scheme
The SVAMITVA Scheme was launched on 24 April 2020 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to address the issues faced by rural people due to a lack of property records. The scheme envisages providing legal property documents to rural families through technology-based scientific surveys and mapping of lands in rural areas. The scheme will play a vital role in developing a verified ownership system of properties in villages of India, and people will have legal property ownership cards to authenticate their rights on their properties. The scheme is managed by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, Govt. of India, and covers mainly rural regions of the country.
January 2025 Updates
On January 18, 2025, Prime Minister Narendra Modi distributed 65 lakh property ownership cards to citizens across India under the SVAMITVA Yojana. The action was performed by the PM in a virtual programme in which he also highlighted the significance of property ownership records for rural India. It is estimated that the government will keep working to encompass all gram panchayats in the upcoming years and provide property documents/cards to all families.
Summary Details of SVAMITVA Yojana
| Name of Scheme | SVAMITVA Scheme |
|---|---|
| Concerned Government | The Central Government of India |
| Concerned Ministry | The Ministry of Panchayati Raj |
| Objective | To provide ease of Property Rights |
| Beneficiaries | Rural citizens in India |
| Benefits | Gaining legal ownership of properties via SVAMITVA Cards |
| Application Process | No direct enrolment |
| Official Website | https://svamitva.nic.in/ |
Aims and Objectives
The SVAMITVA Scheme aims to ease the hardships related to land property ownership of rural citizens by providing them with legal documents prepared and approved by the government of India. The scheme utilises scientific tools and methods to carry out mapping and surveys in rural areas and prepare legal documents in association with state revenue departments so that rural people will have solid legal documents related to their owned properties, leading to reduced property-related disputes in rural areas. The scheme will be instrumental in empowering villagers and boosting their economic activities by establishing legal rights on their properties through property cards, thereby resolving the lack of property ownership records in rural regions of the country.
See also: PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana
Key Features
- The SVAMITVA Scheme is a central sector scheme that aims to carry out land mapping and ceding property records documents to rural citizens.
- The scheme will be helpful in reducing the land disputes in rural areas and establishing authenticate rights of people over their respective properties.
- The SVAMITVA cards will be helpful for citizens and they will use their properties as a financial asset for taking loans and other financial benefits.
- The scheme will establish a record of rights and remove property distress, thus relieving people from disputes and unnecessary engagement in claiming ownership of their properties.
Benefits
- Drone technology is used to digitally map every land parcel within the inhabited area of the village.
- This process is helpful in creating precise property cards for each property in villages and ensuring that ownership rights are clearly established for every household.
- With accurate records, properties can be utilised as financial assets and enable owners to avail of loans on their properties and gain other financial benefits using SVAMITVA Cards.
- The initiative will significantly reduce property disputes and legal conflicts among rural people.
- It will also provide a clearer framework for determining property taxes.
- The integration of GIS-based maps will further enhance rural planning and offer a solid foundation for better execution and development strategies in rural societies through improved GPDP (Gram Panchayat Development Plan) planning.
Eligibility Requirement
- The SVAMITVA Scheme involves no direct enrolment; therefore, citizens who have land ownership in rural areas will be provided with property cards without any formality.
- The scheme includes only residential properties and commercially important properties and excludes agricultural land.
Scheme Implementation
The scheme operates mainly in three parts to achieve the result. For the purpose of the scheme, the government officials will perform procedures for three parts, which are the pre-survey process, the survey process and the post-survey process. These processes are described below.
Pre-Survey Steps
Step 1: The government officials will obtain approval first to initiate the survey and then convene a Gram Sabha to inform the local community about the survey schedule, approach and the benefits it will bring.
Step 2: The identification and marking of land parcels will be carried out for government properties, Gram Sabha land, private properties, roads and open spaces.
Step 3: After the identification is done, permission for drone operations over the designated survey area will be obtained followed by a public notice to announce the survey.
Survey Process
Step 1: A Continuously Operating Reference Station (CORS) network will be set up and ground control points should be marked for accurate mapping.
Step 2: Drone images will be captured, processed and utilised to create precise digital maps of the surveyed lands.
Post-Survey Steps
Step 1: Necessary action is taken for public inquiry and objections to verify land ownership and resolve disputes, if any.
Step 2: The government will issue property cards to individual household owners in the concerned village.
Step 3: Regular updates will be made to land records along with ongoing maintenance.
Step 4: Concerned government officials will have to undergo training programs for capacity building and efficiency to ensure smooth implementation of the project.
Useful Documents
- Identity Proof
- Proof of ownership
- Other necessary documents as required
See also: PM Awas Yojana 2.0
Frequently Asked Questions
What is SVAMITVA Scheme and what benefits will it provide to rural people?
SVAMITVA stands for Survey of Villages and Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Areas and it envisages scientific surveys of properties in rural areas and distributing property ownership cards/documents to rural people.
By whom and when was the SVAMITVA Scheme initiated?
The SVAMITVA Scheme became operational after its launch on 24 April 2020 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
What is the main objective of the scheme?
The scheme aims to provide “Record of Rights” to rural people through scientifically prepared property ownership cards/title deeds.
What is the process of surveying under the SVAMITVA Yojana?
The process is performed using the drone technology for capturing images of land, processing images and then preparing property cards in close consultation with local people to authenticate ownership and resolve disputes, if any.
What kind of lands are covered for the SVAMITVA Scheme Survey?
The scheme encompasses lands such as government assets, Gram Sabha land parcels, individual properties, roads and open plots.