Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM)

Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM) was launched in 2013 by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs to reduce poverty and vulnerability of urban poor households by enabling them to access gainful self-employment and skilled wage employment opportunities.

The mission covers all statutory towns and focuses on the following target groups: urban homeless, street vendors, domestic workers, construction workers, rag-pickers, and other vulnerable occupational categories living in urban areas. Unlike rural-focused programmes, NULM recognises that the urban poor face different vulnerabilities — high rents, lack of social networks, and occupational hazards — and tailors its interventions accordingly.

Funding is shared 60:40 between the Centre and States (90:10 for northeastern and Himalayan states, 100% for UTs without legislatures). Cities prepare City Livelihood Plans that map vulnerabilities, identify skill gaps, and allocate funds across the seven NULM components. This guide demystifies each component and tells you exactly how to apply at the municipal level.

Social Mobilisation and Institutional Development (SM&ID) is the foundation. It promotes the formation of Self-Help Groups (SHGs) of urban poor women, with a focus on thrift and credit. SHGs that complete six months of existence and demonstrate regular savings are eligible for revolving fund assistance (up to Rs 10,000 per member group) and bank credit linkage up to Rs 2 lakh.

Employment through Skill Training and Placement (EST&P) provides demand-driven skill training to urban poor youth and adults. Training is delivered through empaneled training providers, Sector Skill Councils (SSCs), and urban local body-run centres. A minimum of 60% placement is targeted, and post-training support includes tracking, career counselling and linkage to apprenticeship programmes.

Self-Employment Programme (SEP) supports individual and group enterprises with subsidies, credit linkage and mentoring. The Street Vendor component (earlier under NULM, now increasingly integrated with PM SVANidhi) provides working-capital loans, vending-zone development and common infrastructure. Shelter for Urban Homeless (SUH) funds the construction and operation of permanent shelters, known as Rain Baseras, with basic amenities and linkages to identity documents and social protection schemes.

Under the NULM street-vendor component, eligible vendors can apply for a certificate of vending (CoV) from the Town Vending Committee (TVC). The TVC is mandated to survey all vendors, issue identity cards, and allocate vending zones with designated timings.

Once a vendor has a CoV, they can apply for a working-capital loan of up to Rs 50,000 under the SVANidhi–NULM convergence model. First-time borrowers receive a 7% interest subsidy, and timely repayment unlocks higher loan ceilings and cashback incentives. The scheme is collateral-free and backed by a credit guarantee.

Importantly, NULM also supports vendor-market infrastructure: permanent vending markets, common carts with display boards, water and sanitation facilities, and solid-waste management. If your city has not yet formed a TVC, you can petition the municipal commissioner under the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014.

Applications for NULM components are accepted at the City Mission Management Unit (CMMU), usually housed in the municipal corporation office. Each city has a Mission Manager and Community Organisers who conduct outreach in slums and informal settlements.

For SHG formation, contact the Community Organiser assigned to your ward. You will need a group of 10–20 women from poor urban households. The Community Organiser helps with group formation, bank account opening, and the first thrift deposit. Revolving fund and bank-linkage applications are processed through the CMMU and forwarded to the District Urban Development Authority (DUDA) or State Mission Management Unit.

For skill training, watch for mobilisation camps announced at urban community centres, anganwadis, and notified public spaces. You must be between 18 and 45 years of age (some states relax the upper limit to 55 for women and SC/ST candidates). Bring your Aadhaar, BPL/APL/EWS certificate (if available), and a passport-size photograph. Training is free; travel and subsistence allowances are paid as per state norms.

The Shelter for Urban Homeless (SUH) component funds the construction and operation of shelters for homeless individuals and families. Cities are required to conduct a homeless survey annually and maintain a real-time dashboard of shelter occupancy. If you or someone you know is homeless, approach the nearest shelter or the municipal helpline. All shelters must provide a bed, safe drinking water, sanitation, and linkage to Aadhaar and ration-card issuance.

A common mistake is assuming NULM is only for BPL-card holders. While BPL families are prioritised, the mission also uses vulnerability criteria — such as being a single woman-headed household, a person with disability, or a member of a scheduled caste or tribe — for inclusion. If you do not have a BPL card, bring any evidence of residence and occupation: rent receipts, employer letters, or Self-Declaration Forms accepted by the municipal social welfare department.

Another frequent error is applying at the wrong level. NULM is a city-level mission, not a district-level one. Do not go to the District Collector; go to the Municipal Corporation or Nagar Palika office where the CMMU is located. If your town is newly declared statutory, it may take a few months for the CMMU to be set up; in that case, escalate to the State Mission Director.

• 01Resident of a statutory town or notified urban area
• 02Family income below urban poverty line, or vulnerability criteria (SC/ST, disabled, single woman, etc.)
• 03Age 18–45 for skill training (relaxations up to 55 for women/SC/ST in many states)
• 04For SHG formation: group of 10–20 women from urban poor households
• 05For street-vendor loans: possession of Certificate of Vending (CoV) from Town Vending Committee

• §Aadhaar card (mandatory for most components)
• §BPL / APL / EWS certificate (preferred but not always mandatory)
• §Residence proof: rent receipt, electricity bill, or municipal tax receipt
• §Age proof for skill training (birth certificate, school leaving certificate, or Aadhaar)
• §Caste / disability certificate (if claiming vulnerability-based eligibility)
• §Passport-size photographs (for skill training and SHG registration)

• Applying at the district level instead of the City Mission Management Unit (CMMU)
• Not having a group of 10 women ready before requesting SHG formation
• Lack of Certificate of Vending when applying for street-vendor loans
• Submitting rural address proof for an urban-area scheme
• Failure to attend the initial community mobilisation meeting organised by the Community Organiser

• DAY-NULM Operational Guidelines (Revised 2022), Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairslink ↗
• Street Vendors Act 2014 and TVC Formation Rules, MoHUA / Legislative Departmentlink ↗
• PM SVANidhi Operational Guidelines, MoHUAlink ↗
• NULM Annual Report 2023–24, MoHUAlink ↗