India’s Dedication to Social Welfare Initiatives
“The country is witnessing that as modern infrastructure is being established, the poor and middle class are being empowered with more employment opportunities.”
-Prime Minister Narendra Modi
New Delhi (PIB): The Indian government’s steadfast commitment to social welfare, reflects a deep-seated dedication to improving the lives of its diverse population. With a vast array of initiatives aimed at addressing issues such as poverty, education and social justice, the government has established a comprehensive framework designed to uplift marginalized communities and promote equitable development in the first 100 days of the government. This commitment is evident through various schemes and policies that strive to bridge the gap between different socio-economic groups, ensuring that progress is inclusive and sustainable.
Pradhan Mantri Janjatiya Unnat Gram Abhiyan
The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi approved Pradhan Mantri Janjatiya Unnat Gram Abhiyan in Sep 2024 with total outlay of Rs.79,156 crore (Central Share: Rs.56,333 crore and State Share: Rs. 22,823 crore) for improving the socio-economic condition of tribal communities, by adopting saturation coverage for tribal families in tribal-majority villages and aspirational districts. This will cover around 63,000 villages benefitting more than 5 crore tribal people as announced in the Budget Speech 2024-25. It will cover 549 districts and 2,740 blocks spread across all tribal majority villages across 30 States / UTs. The Mission comprises of 25 interventions which will be implemented by 17-line ministries. Each Ministry/Department would be responsible for implementation of scheme related to it in a time bound manner through funds allocated to them under Development Action Plan for Scheduled Tribes (DAPST) in next 5 years to achieve following goals:
Goal-I: Developing Enabling Infrastructure:
(i) Pucca house for eligible Households with other entitlements: Eligible ST household shall have access to pucca housing under the PMAY (Gramin) with availability of tapped water (Jal Jeevan Mission) and electricity supply (RDSS). Eligible ST household shall also have access to Ayushman Bharat Card (PMJAY).
(ii) Improving Village infrastructure: Ensuring all weather road connectivity to ST majority villages (PMGSY), provide access to mobile connectivity (Bharat Net) and internet, infrastructure for improving health, nutrition, and education (NHM, Samagra Shiksha and Poshan).
Goal-2: Promotion of Economic Empowerment:
(iii) Skill Development Entrepreneurship promotion and enhanced livelihood(self- employment) – Providing access to training (Skill India Mission/ JSS) and ensuring that ST boys/girls get access to long-term skill courses after 10th/12th standard every year. Further, Marketing support through Tribal Multipurpose Marketing Centre (TMMC), Tourist Home Stays and Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Fishery support for FRA Patta holders
Goal-3: Universalization of Access to Good Education:
(iv) Education – To increase GER to the national levels in school and higher education and to make quality education affordable and accessible to ST students (Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan) by setting up tribal hostels in schools at district/block level.
Goal-4: Healthy lives and Dignified Ageing:
(v) Health – To ensure enhanced access to quality health facilities to ST households, reach towards the national standards in IMR, MMR and coverage of immunisation through Mobile Medical Units in areas where sub centre is more than 10 km in plain areas and 5 kms in Hilly areas (National Health Mission).
NAMASTE Scheme
The National Action for Mechanized Sanitation Ecosystem (NAMASTE Scheme) reflects the Government’s commitment to a human-centric approach by eliminating the manual cleaning of sewers and septic tanks. Launched by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, this initiative, executed by the National Safai Karamcharis Finance and Development Corporation (NSKFDC), spans from FY 2023-24 to FY 2025-26 with a budget of ₹349.73 crores.
The scheme benefits sewer and septic tank workers (SSWs) by profiling them through a digital application and providing personal protective equipment (PPE), safety devices, occupational safety training, health insurance under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, and livelihood opportunities via subsidized sanitation vehicles and machinery. It also promotes the establishment of sanitation enterprises (sanipreneurs), targeting over 100,000 SSWs across 4,800 Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) in India.
The profiling of SSW aims to create a national database for the identification of Sewer and Septic Tank Workers (SSW). A unique NAMASTE ID shall be given to all such SSWs. In order to initiate profiling, an online training on the profiling process and demonstration of NAMASTE Mobile Application has been conducted for 30 States/UTs across all five zones till 6th March, 2024. Total 2367 ULB’s attended the training.
Over 2.9 lakh Unique ID for Persons with Disabilities generated
The “Unique ID for Persons with Disabilities” project aims to create a National Database for Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) and issue Unique Disability Identity Cards to each individual. This initiative enhances transparency, efficiency, and uniformity in delivering government benefits, while also streamlining the tracking of beneficiaries’ physical and financial progress across various levels—from village to national. As of July 15, 2024, a total of 10,955,968 Unique Disability Identity (UDID) cards have been issued, including 7,97,698 cards for Scheduled Tribe (ST) category PwDs, as reported on the portal (https://www.swavlambancard.gov.in/). Among the UDID cards issued for the ST category, 1,17,541 are for PwDs aged 60 years and above. The system currently recognizes 21 disabilities, with the scope to expand as per new regulations. This initiative enhances accessibility and transparency for PwDs nationwide. The UDID card shall bring a host of benefits to the Persons with Disabilities as given below:
• Persons with disabilities will not need to make multiple copies of documents, maintain, and carry multiple documents as the card will capture all the necessary details which can be decoded with the help of a reader.
• The UDID card will be the single document of identification, verification of the disabled for availing various benefits in future.
• The UDID Card will also help in stream-lining the tracking of the physical and financial progress of beneficiary at all levels of hierarchy of implementation – from village level, block level, District level, State level and National level.
Introduction of Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024
Waqf refers to properties dedicated exclusively for religious or charitable purposes under Islamic law, and any other use or sale of the property is prohibited. The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024 introduced in the parliament is intended to overcome the shortcomings and to enhance the efficiency of the administration and management of the waqf properties. These amendments aim to address issues of transparency, accountability, and efficient management of Waqf properties, ensuring better governance and protection of Waqf assets. The Waqf Amendment Bill, 2024, has been referred to a Joint Committee of Parliament on Waqf (Amendment) Bill,2024 for further deliberations, allowing all stakeholders to present their views.
1.23 lakh+ students enrolled in 405 Eklavya Model Residential School
The Eklavya Model Residential School (EMRS) initiative was launched in 1997-98 to provide quality education to Scheduled Tribe (ST) children in remote areas, enabling them to pursue higher education and employment opportunities. Grants for construction and recurring expenses have been provided to State Governments under Article 275 (1) of the Constitution. Ministry has set the target to set up 728 EMRSs across the country by the year 2026. As of August 7, 2024, 708 EMRSs have been sanctioned nationwide with 405 currently functioning, catering to over 1.23 lakh students. Eklavya Model Day Boarding Schools (EMDBS) were merged with Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) on April 29, 2022, to enhance educational opportunities for tribal children. Focusing on holistic development, each EMRS accommodates 480 students, evenly divided between boys and girls, from Class VI to XII, with infrastructure that includes classrooms, administrative blocks, hostels, playgrounds, and labs to support both academic and extracurricular activities. The program provides construction grants of ₹37.80 crore for plain areas and ₹48 crore for Northeast, hilly, and Left-Wing Extremism-affected regions, along with a recurring grant of ₹1.09 lakh per student annually. EMRS promotes a modern curriculum aligned with CBSE standards, ensuring uniform educational quality across all schools. It integrates technological advancements like Direct-to-Home (DTH) education and online tutoring for competitive exams like IIT, NEET etc., and utilizes smartboards for interactive learning. Additionally, the program offers skill development initiatives, specialized training, and facilities for indoor and outdoor sports, encouraging students to participate in national and international events while nurturing their athletic talents, all aimed at providing a holistic education to talented tribal children from diverse socio-economic backgrounds.
3 crore additional houses to be built under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY)
In May 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision and the government’s steadfast commitment to building and providing pucca houses for poor people in rural and urban areas culminated in the launch of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana—Urban (2015) and Gramin (2016). Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – Urban is one of the major flagship programmes being implemented by Government of India to provide all-weather pucca houses to all eligible beneficiaries in the urban areas. Under PMAY-U, 1.18 crore houses have been sanctioned while more than 85.5 lakh houses have already been constructed and delivered to the beneficiaries. PMAY-Gramin aims to provide pucca houses with basic amenities to all eligible houseless households and households living in kutcha and dilapidated house in rural areas. Recently the Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved additional 3 crore houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) with a total support of ₹5.36 lakh crore: 1 crore under PMAY-Urban (PMAY-U) 2.0 with ₹2.30 lakh crore, and 2 crore under PMAY-Gramin with ₹3.06 lakh crore. On 9th August ,2024, the Union Cabinet approved Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Urban (PMAY-U) 2.0 under which financial assistance will be provided to 1 crore urban poor and middle-class families through States/Union Territories (UTs)/PLIs to construct, purchase or rent a house at an affordable cost in urban areas in 5 years. The Government Assistance of ₹ 2.30 lakh crore will be provided under the Scheme. PMAY-U 2.0 is designed to extend financial assistance to urban poor and middle-class families for constructing, purchasing, or renting houses at affordable costs in urban areas. This initiative aligns with the Government of India’s vision to ensure that every citizen has access to a pucca house, thereby enhancing their quality of life. The Union Cabinet also approved the proposal of financial assistance to be provided for the construction of two crore more houses under PMAY-Gramin at existing unit assistance of Rs.1.20 lakh in plain areas and Rs.1.30 lakh in North Eastern Region States and Hill States of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh. These two crore houses will be constructed under the PMAY-G in the next five years from FY 2024- 2029 to address housing needs that have arisen over the years. The construction of houses for two crores more households is expected to benefit nearly ten crore individuals. The approval would facilitate the building of safe and secure houses of good quality with all the basic amenities for all people without housing and people living in dilapidated and kutcha houses. This will ensure the safety, hygiene and social inclusiveness of the beneficiaries.
Readjustment of Representation of Scheduled Tribes in assembly Constituencies of the State of Goa Bill, 2024 introduced
Readjustment of Representation of Scheduled Tribes in Assembly Constituencies of the State of Goa Bill, 2024 was introduced in Lok Sabha on 05th August 2024. Objective of the bill is to enable reservation of seats for effective democratic participation of members of Scheduled Tribes and provide for the readjustment of seats in the Legislative Assembly of Goa.
Key features of the Bill include:
❖ Population Assessment: It authorizes the Census Commissioner to determine the population of Scheduled Tribes in Goa, considering those declared as Scheduled Tribes since the 2001 Census. The Census Commissioner will publish the revised figures in the Gazette of India, making them final and superseding previous figures for representation purposes under Article 332 of the Constitution.
❖ Delimitation Amendments: The Bill empowers the Election Commission to amend the 2008 Delimitation Order to ensure proper representation of Scheduled Tribes in Goa’s Legislative Assembly by readjusting constituencies.
❖ Consideration of Revised Figures: The Election Commission will consider the updated population figures when readjusting the Legislative Assembly constituencies, adhering to Articles 170 and 332 of the Constitution and Section 8 of the Delimitation Act, 2002.
❖ Procedure Determination: The Election Commission will determine its own procedures for constituency readjustment and will have certain powers of a civil court.
❖ Gazette Publication: The Election Commission is authorized to publish amendments to the Delimitation Order in the Gazette, along with the dates of their operation. However, these amendments will not affect the current Legislative Assembly until its dissolution.
❖ Error Corrections: The Bill also enables the Election Commission to correct any errors in the Delimitation Order.
Electrification of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups households
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi launched Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha AbhiyaN (PM-JANMAN) on 15th November 2023 with budget of Rs 24,104 cr (Central Share: Rs.15,336 crore and State Share: Rs.8,768 crore) from FY 2023-24 to 2025-26 for 75 PVTG communities (11 lakh families) residing in about 3,00,000 habitations which are located in forest and remote areas in 18 states namely Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Odisha, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and West Bengal and 1 UT the Andaman & Nicobar Islands. Government of India has issued a New Solar Power Scheme for Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTG) Habitation/ Villages under PM JANMAN (Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan). This scheme will cover electrification of all un-electrified PVTG household by provision of off-grid solar systems where electricity supply through grid is not techno-economically feasible. In addition, the scheme has provision for providing solar lighting in 1500 Multi-Purpose Centres (MPCs) in PVTG area where electricity through grid is not available. A total financial outlay of Rs. 515 crores has been provided under the Scheme. Further, the Scheme provides for electrification of HHs through standalone solar home lighting systems where households are scattered and through solar mini-grid for a cluster of Households. MANAS Helpline launched to assist and report drug-related issues.
MANAS Helpline launched to assist and report drug-related issues
Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah launched the National Narcotics Helpline ‘MANAS’ (Madak Padarth Nishedh Asuchna Kendra) on 18th July 2024 in New Delhi. The MANAS (Madak Padarth Nishedh Asuchna Kendra) have a toll-free number 1933, a web portal, a mobile App and Umang App so that citizens can connect with Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) round-the-clock with anonymity to share information on drug peddling /trafficking or consult related to their issues like drug abuse, de-addiction and rehabilitation.
Tobacco- Free Educational Institutions (ToFEI) campaign
As part of the National Tobacco Control Programme (NTCP), the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India, has issued the Tobacco Free Educational Institution (ToFEI) Guidelines for safeguarding minors and youth from tobacco use. Department of School Education & Literacy, Ministry of Education has developed a “ToFEI Implementation Manual” for schools and launched it on World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) which was observed on 31st May, 2024. The objective is to make educational institutions across the nation comply with the ToFEI guidelines and become #Tobacco Free Area. Augmenting the mission for tobacco free educational institutions, Secretary, Department of School Education & Literacy, Ministry of Education, Government of India has issued a detailed advisory to all States/UTs for complying with Guidelines of Tobacco Free Educational Institutions (ToFEI) as per the ToFEI Implementation Manual in a befitting manner by undertaking the suggestive activities in schools and nearby area.
Sampoornata Abhiyan: NITI Aayog
A comprehensive three-month long campaign namely ‘Sampoornata Abhiyan’ is launched, running from 4th July to 30th September, 2024, aims to achieve 100% saturation of 12 key social sector indicators across all Aspirational Districts and Blocks (112 most under-developed districts and blocks across the country).
Focus Areas of ‘Sampoornata Abhiyan’:
Aspirational Blocks Key Performance Indicators
1. Antenatal Care (ANC) Registration: Percentage of pregnant women registered for ANC within the first trimester.
2. Diabetes Screening: Percentage of individuals screened for diabetes against the targeted population in the block.
3. Hypertension Screening: Percentage of individuals screened for hypertension against the targeted population in the block.
4. Supplementary Nutrition: Percentage of pregnant women regularly taking supplementary nutrition under the ICDS Programme.
5. Soil Health Cards: Percentage of Soil Health Cards generated against the soil sample collection target.
6. Revolving Fund for SHGs: Percentage of Self-Help Groups (SHGs) that have received a revolving fund compared to the total number of SHGs in the block.
Aspirational Districts KPIs
1. Antenatal Care (ANC) Registration: Percentage of pregnant women registered for ANC within the first trimester.
2. Supplementary Nutrition: Percentage of pregnant women regularly taking supplementary nutrition under the ICDS Programme.
3. Child Immunization: Percentage of children fully immunized (9-11 months) with BCG, DPT3, OPV3, and Measles 1.
4. Soil Health Cards Distribution: Number of Soil Health Cards distributed.
5. School Electricity Access: Percentage of secondary schools with functional electricity.
6. Textbook Provision: Percentage of schools providing textbooks to children within one month of the academic session start.
Expansion of PM SURAJ via VISVAS initiative
The PM SURAJ (Pradhan Mantri Samajik Utthan evam Rozgar Adharit Jankalyan) portal expanded through the VISVAS (Vanchit Ikai Samooh aur Vargon ki Aarthik Sahayta) initiative. The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MoSJ & E), Government of India, introduced a new Interest Subvention scheme under VISVAS, designed to provide financial support to self-help groups (SHGs) and individuals comprised exclusively of SC and/or OBC beneficiaries. This initiative offers loans of up to ₹4 lakh for SHGs and ₹2 lakh for individual borrowers. This online, transparent system simplifies access to concessional loans for SCs, OBCs, and Safai Karmacharis. It streamlines the loan application and processing stages, ensuring real-time information is available to stakeholders at district, state, and central levels, while also providing timely updates to beneficiaries.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Government of India’s multifaceted initiatives aimed at enhancing social welfare reflect a significant commitment to uplifting marginalized and vulnerable communities. Through targeted programs and policies, such as financial aid, skill development, and access to education, the government strives to bridge socio-economic gaps and empower those in need. While challenges remain, these efforts are crucial steps toward fostering an inclusive society where everyone has the opportunity to thrive. Continued focus and innovation in these initiatives will be essential for creating lasting change and ensuring that the benefits of growth reach every corner of the nation.
