Indian Government Initiatives

The Mahila Samriddhi Yojana and Mahila Kisan Yojana were women-focused financial inclusion schemes. The National Scheduled Caste Finance and Development Corporation (NSFDC) has been involved in implementing various financial schemes for marginalized communities, including women from scheduled castes. NABARD focuses on agricultural and rural development but is not the primary agency for these specific schemes. CAPART focuses on rural technology advancement, and the National Handicapped Finance and Development Corporation serves disabled persons.

The Command Area Development Programme is an integrated area development approach towards the command areas of major and medium irrigation projects in the country. The programme is aimed at bridging the gap between created irrigation potential and its utilization in the command area. The programme was restructured and renamed as Command Area Development & Water Management (CADWM) Programme w.e.f. 1-4-2004.

The Bharat Nirman Volunteer (Bharat Nirman Sevak) was associated with the Diksha programme, which focused on skill development and training. Bharat Nirman was a flagship infrastructure development programme, and its volunteers were part of the capacity-building initiatives. PURA focuses on urban amenities, ASHA is a health worker programme, and Anganwadi is a child care scheme - none of these specifically align with the Bharat Nirman Volunteer programme.

The Swarna Jayanti Shahri Rozgar Yojna (SJSRY) an employment generation programme implemented in urban areas earmarks 30 per cent of labour opportunities for women.  Under this, Urban Women Self Help Programme (UWSP) stipulates a minimum of five women to form a Self Help Group for setting up gainful group enterprise with bank linkage.  A subsidy of Rs.3.00 lakhs of 35% of the cost of the project or Rs.60, 000/- per member of the group, whichever is less, is released with the balance coming from bank loan and margin money.

The Central Government Health Scheme (External website that opens in a new window) was started in 1954 with the objective of providing comprehensive medical care to the Central Government employees, both serving and pensioners and their dependent family members. The scheme is also providing service to members and former member of parliament, judges of Supreme Court and High Court, freedom fighters, former Governors and former Vice-Presidents of India.

Since 1999, SARAS exhibitions have been a regular annual event and have been able to elicit wide participation by the beneficiaries of the programmes of the Ministry from all over the country. SARAS was promoted as an umbrella brand for promoting rural products in Indian urban centres. A major initiative was taken by the Ministry of Rural Development in the direction of promoting rural products and building capacities of Swarozgaris during 1999-2000 when it participated in India International Trade Fair (IITF), 1999 under the banner of SARAS.

In pursuance of the Government's vision of creating slum-free India, a new scheme of Rajiv Aawas Yojana (RAY) was launched on 2^nd June, 2011. The scheme aims at providing support to states that are willing to assign property rights to slum dwellers.

The decision to create a separate Department of Disability Affairs within the M/o SJ&E was taken up by the Government, in principle on 3rd January, 2012. This was also announced by the President before both houses of Parliament on 12th March, 2012.

Government of India had launched a Central Sector scheme, namely Rajiv Gandhi National Fellowship during the financial year 2005-06 to increase opportunities to Scheduled Castes for pursuing higher education leading to degrees such as M.Phil. and Ph.D. The scheme has been revised with effect from 1.4.2010. The scheme caters the requirements of the Scheduled Caste students for pursuing research degree in universities, research institutions and scientific institutions.

The scheme for construction of hostels for girls is in operation from the 3^rd Five Year Plan while for boys, the same was started in the year 1989-90. The earlier centrally sponsored scheme of hostels for SC boys and girls has been revised and is renamed as "Babu Jagjivan Ram Chhatravas Yojna' w.e.f. 01.01.08.

The largest ever water supply scheme in Himachal Pradesh was inaugurated on 6 October 2011 in Kangehan area of Kangra district. Constructed at a cost of 70 crore rupees, the scheme will benefit a population of one lakh and thirty one thousand people.

The Ministry of Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation is implementing the Sub-Mission on Basic Services to the Urban Poor (BSUP) and the Integrated Housing & Slum Development (IHSDP) for smaller towns/cities under JNNURM.  The basic objective is to strive for holistic slum development with a healthy and enabling urban environment by providing adequate shelter and basic infrastructure facilities to the slum dwellers of the identified urban areas.

The Government of India has initiated a Pilot Project namely Youth Employability Skill (YES) Project with the objective to enhance the employability of youth by running a variety of employable skills based training courses through recognized Vocational Training Providers (VTPs) for nearly 1000 rural youths and 7000 youth club members in the States of North Eastern Region.