The poverty alleviation programmes in India have been designed for both rural areas and urban areas. Most of the programmes are designed to target the rural poverty as prevalence of poverty is high in rural areas. 

(a) Integrated Rural Development Programme (IRDP) – It was first introduced in 1978 - 79. The main objective of IRDP is to create sustainable opportunities for self-employment in the rural sector.

(b) Jawahar Gram Samridhi Yojana (JGSY) – It is the revised version of the Jawahar Rozgar Yojana (JRY). It was started in 1999. The main aim of this programme was development infrastructure like roads to connect the villages to different areas and other social, education (schools) and infrastructure like hospitals in the rural areas.

(c) Pradhan Mantri Gramin Awaas Yojana – It was started in 1985. This scheme aimed at creating housing for everyone.

(d) Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act. (MGNREGA) – It was launched in 2005. It provides 100 days assured employment every year to every rural household.

(e) Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana – It was started in 2014. According to this yojana, each Member of Parliament will take the responsibility of developing three villages by 2019. The idea is to make India’s villages to be fully developed with physical and institutional infrastructure.