NULM: All about the National Urban Livelihoods Mission

What is the National Urban Livelihoods Mission?

The National Urban Livelihoods Mission (NULM) is a centre-sponsored programme that aims to end urban poverty by providing unskilled workers with skill training. The NULM scheme is one of the two components of the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana, the other being the National Rural Livelihoods Mission.

Under the mission, the centre also plans to provide housing to eligible beneficiaries through the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana. Urban street vendors would also be provided with space and housing finance to construct homes.

NULM scope

Implemented by the Union Ministry of Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation, NULM applies to all 4,041 statutory cities and towns in India, covering the entire urban population.

NULM eligibility

The following individuals are eligible for benefits under the scheme:

• Urban poor
• Homeless
• Street vendors

NULM objectives

• Providing universal coverage to the urban poor for skill development and credit facilities.
• Facilitating access to spaces, social security, institutional credit and skills for urban street vendors.
• Providing shelter having essential services, to the homeless urban people in a phased manner.
• Promote skill training for rural-urban migrants.
• Forming partnerships with the private sector for providing skill training, employment and operation of homeless shelters.

See also: All about the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship

NULM benefits

• Each urban poor gets Rs 15,000-18,000 for skill development.
• Self-employment to be promoted by setting up individual micro-enterprises and group enterprises. Interest subsidy worth Rs 2 lakhs would be offered for individual projects and Rs 10 lakhs for group enterprises. The subsidised interest rate will be 7%.
• To train the urban poor with market-oriented skills at City Livelihood Centres. For this, a capital grant of Rs 10 lakhs would be given to each centre.
• Help urban poor form self-help groups for meeting financial and social needs, with a support of Rs 10,000 for each group.
• To develop markets for vendors and promotion of skill training for vendors.
• To construct permanent shelters for the urban homeless and provide other essential services.

See also: EWS meaning and eligibility criteria

Main components of NULM

• Employment through Skill Training and Placement (ESTP).
• Self-Employment Programme (SEP).
• Social Mobilisation and Institutional Development (SMID).
• Shelter for Urban Homeless (SUH).
• Support to Urban Street Vendor (SUSV).
• Capacity Building and Training Programmes (CBT).

NULM target group

The primary target of NULM is the urban poor, including the urban homeless.