The Pradhan Mantri Rojgar Yojana was started during the Eighth Five Year Plan, which was from 1992-1997. The aim of the scheme was to provide employment opportunities to the unemployed youth of the country by promoting self-employment and entrepreneurship. The scheme was later replaced by the Prime Minister's Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP) in 2008, which continues to provide financial assistance to start-ups and micro-enterprises.