SVAMITVA: Rural Property Ownership Drive to Boost Economic Empowerment
(GS Paper II – Governance | GS Paper III – Economy)
The Government of India aims to issue property ownership titles to over 4.5 crore rural households across 3.46 lakh villages by FY26 under the Survey of Villages and Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Areas (SVAMITVA) scheme. This landmark initiative is expected to unlock nearly ₹100 lakh crore worth of rural property value, improve access to institutional credit, reduce disputes, and strengthen the foundations of local self-governance.
1. What is the objective of the SVAMITVA Scheme?
The SVAMITVA scheme aims to provide rural households with legal ownership rights for their residential properties. It promotes the monetisation of rural assets, minimizes land-related disputes, and supports evidence-based planning at the village level.
2. How many households and villages are targeted by FY26?
The government targets coverage of 4.5 crore households spread across 3.46 lakh villages by the end of the financial year 2025–26.
3. What progress has been made so far?
As of now, 24.7 million (2.47 crore) rural households across 1.65 lakh villages have been issued property cards. Drone-based mapping has been completed in more than 3.28 lakh villages, demonstrating rapid digital transformation in rural land records management.
4. Which technology is being used for mapping?
The scheme utilizes drone-based surveys and advanced geospatial mapping tools to capture high-resolution images for accurate property demarcation. This technology-driven process replaces manual surveys traditionally conducted by local officials such as patwaris.
5. What are the key benefits of the scheme?
- Provides legal recognition of residential properties in rural areas.
- Improves access to institutional credit by enabling collateral-based lending.
- Reduces land ownership disputes and promotes social harmony.
- Strengthens local governance and rural planning efforts.
- Unlocks property value estimated at over ₹100 lakh crore.
6. Which states have made significant progress?
Major contributors include Uttar Pradesh (1 crore households), Madhya Pradesh (39.9 lakh), Maharashtra (35.2 lakh), Haryana (25.1 lakh), Rajasthan (13 lakh), and Gujarat (12.2 lakh).
7. Are all areas covered under SVAMITVA?
No. The scheme excludes tribal and PESA regions (Panchayats Extension to Scheduled Areas Act) where land ownership is community-based and not individual.
8. What challenges have been reported?
Implementation delays have been observed in states like Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Bihar, and West Bengal due to variations in property record systems and lack of coordination among state departments.
9. How does this scheme impact the rural economy?
By granting legal ownership records, rural residents can use their property as collateral for loans, facilitating financial inclusion, entrepreneurship, and overall economic empowerment in villages.
10. How are funds and operations managed?
The Survey of India is the nodal agency responsible for drone mapping and establishment of Continuously Operating Reference Stations (CORS) to ensure spatial accuracy. Funds are provided by the Central Government, with state-level coordination through respective revenue departments.
In essence, the SVAMITVA scheme represents a transformative step towards digitized land governance, secure property rights, and inclusive rural growth.
