Social Justice and Empowerment Department, Government of Gujarat

Choose the scheme by your group

• Men from backward classes starting self-employment: the micro-finance loan from the Gujarat Backward Classes Development Corporation.
• Small entrepreneurs in the Gopalak target group: the small-scale loan from the Gujarat Gopalak Vikas Nigam.
• Unemployed Antyodaya Scheduled Caste people buying a vehicle: the passenger or goods four-wheeler loan, or the passenger auto-rickshaw loan, from the Dr. Ambedkar Antyodaya Development Corporation.
• Scheduled Caste residents of Gujarat starting a trade or business: the Bankable Scheme from the Gujarat Scheduled Caste Development Corporation.

Check the group rules first

Eligibility differs from scheme to scheme. The backward-classes micro-finance loan is for men only, and the two Antyodaya vehicle loans are for unemployed people only, so check your status against the scheme before you apply.

Expect to repay, not receive free money

Every scheme here is a loan. Budget for monthly repayments, and for interest where the scheme states it.

Check which corporation runs your scheme

The programmes are run by four different corporations under the department. Find out which one runs the scheme you want before you apply.

Gather the right documents

• For the Gujarat Gopalak Vikas Nigam loan, attach an income certificate issued by an authorised officer.
• For the Bankable Scheme, ask the implementing bank branch what it needs, since the bank handles part of the process.

The Social Justice and Empowerment Department is a department of the Government of Gujarat, with its office in Block No. 5, Sachivalaya, Gandhinagar. It runs loan and self-employment schemes for Scheduled Castes, backward classes and Antyodaya Scheduled Caste people, and the loans listed here are delivered through four development corporations that sit under the department.

What the loans are

Each scheme described here is a loan that the borrower repays. The micro-finance loan from the Gujarat Backward Classes Development Corporation covers most of the unit cost of a business and is repaid with interest in equal monthly instalments. The two loans from the Dr. Ambedkar Antyodaya Development Corporation, for a passenger or goods four-wheeler and for a passenger auto-rickshaw, both carry interest. The Gujarat Scheduled Caste Development Corporation's Bankable Scheme is a loan implemented through nationalised banks, with a subsidy on part of the loan within a set cap.

Who can apply

Each scheme has its own group. The micro-finance loan from the Gujarat Backward Classes Development Corporation is for men from socially and educationally backward classes who want self-employment. The Gujarat Gopalak Vikas Nigam's small-scale loan is for small entrepreneurs in its target group. The two Antyodaya loans from the Dr. Ambedkar Antyodaya Development Corporation are for unemployed Antyodaya Scheduled Caste people. The Bankable Scheme is for Scheduled Caste people who are residents of Gujarat and want to start a trade or business.

Who runs it

The schemes sit under the department, which is part of the Government of Gujarat. The corporations are separate bodies that run their own schemes. The Gujarat Gopalak Vikas Nigam is named as a corporation on its site, though its home page also describes it as a board. The Gujarat Scheduled Caste Development Corporation uses that name on its site, while its history page gives a longer company name, Gujarat Scheduled Caste Economic Development Corporation Limited.

How to apply

Apply to the corporation that runs the scheme you want. The Gujarat Gopalak Vikas Nigam takes loan applications online through a link on its home page, and the application must include an income certificate issued by an authorised officer. For the Bankable Scheme, the loan is implemented through nationalised banks, so the bank is part of the process. The department's pages give two different floors for its Sachivalaya office, so confirm the office details before you visit.