{"id":108780,"date":"2026-06-18T18:15:46","date_gmt":"2026-06-18T12:45:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/?p=108780"},"modified":"2026-06-18T18:15:46","modified_gmt":"2026-06-18T12:45:46","slug":"empowering-the-poor-a-decade-of-inclusive-transformation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/empowering-the-poor-a-decade-of-inclusive-transformation\/","title":{"rendered":"Empowering the Poor, A Decade of Inclusive Transformation"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><b>Why in the news?<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Recent government data indicates that nearly 25 crore people moved out of multidimensional poverty between 2013-14 and 2022-23, highlighting the impact of sustained welfare interventions, social protection measures, infrastructure expansion, and technology-enabled governance over the last decade.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>From Antyodaya to Sarvodaya: Towards Inclusive and Sustainable Development<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Over the past decade, <\/span><b>India\u2019s poverty alleviation strategy has evolved from welfare-based support to empowerment-oriented development.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Through targeted interventions in water, sanitation, housing, healthcare, education, livelihoods, financial inclusion, and digital governance, the State has sought to improve both the quality of life and economic opportunities for vulnerable households. This comprehensive approach has contributed to a <\/span><b>sharp decline in multidimensional poverty from 29.17% in 2013-14 to 11.28% in 2022-23, enabling nearly 25 crore people to escape poverty.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><b>Water, Sanitation and Basic Service Delivery<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Access to clean drinking water, sanitation facilities, and hygiene services has emerged as a key pillar of India\u2019s strategy to improve living standards and public health.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM)<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Launched in 2019, the <\/span><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/jal-jeevan-mission-jjm\/\" target=\"_blank\">Jal Jeevan Mission<\/a><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> aims to provide safe and adequate drinking water through Functional Household Tap Connections to every rural household.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rural tap water coverage increased from 3.23 crore households in August 2019 to 15.84 crore households by May 2026.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Today, around 81.87% of rural households have access to tap water connections.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">More than 2.77 lakh villages have achieved 100% tap water coverage under the <\/span><b>Har Ghar Jal initiative<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The mission has significantly reduced the burden on rural women who traditionally spent several hours each day collecting water.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Special attention has been given to <\/span><b>Aspirational Districts<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><b>Aspirational Blocks<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, helping bridge regional development gaps.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The programme has also expanded tap water access to schools, Anganwadi Centres, Gram Panchayats, and Community Health Centres, thereby improving health and educational outcomes.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen and Urban)<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><b>Swachh Bharat Mission<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> was launched to eliminate open defecation, improve sanitation infrastructure, and promote scientific waste management.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">More than 12.11 crore household toilets have been constructed in rural India.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rural sanitation coverage increased from 39% in 2014 to 100%, leading to the declaration of India as Open Defecation Free (ODF) in 2019.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As of March 2026, over 5 lakh villages had achieved ODF Plus status through effective solid and liquid waste management.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">More than 5.31 lakh villages have operational solid waste management systems, while 5.50 lakh villages have liquid waste management systems.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In urban areas, door-to-door waste collection increased from 43% in 2014 to 98% in 2026, while waste processing rose from 16% to 82%.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Improved sanitation has contributed to better public health, reduced disease burden, and enhanced dignity, particularly for women and children.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Energy Access\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Access to clean cooking fuel and reliable electricity has improved living conditions, reduced health risks, and enhanced economic opportunities.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY)<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Launched in 2016, <\/span><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/pradhan-mantri-ujjwala-yojana-pmuy\/\" target=\"_blank\">Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana<\/a><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (PMUY) provides free LPG connections to women from economically weaker households.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">More than 10.57 crore LPG connections have been provided under the scheme.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Total LPG connections in the country increased from 14.52 crore in 2014 to 33.39 crore in 2026.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The scheme has reduced dependence on traditional fuels such as firewood and dung cakes.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Reduced indoor air pollution has improved the health of women and children.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Women have benefited from reduced drudgery and greater convenience in household work.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Launched in 2024, the <\/span><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/pm-surya-ghar-muft-bijli-yojana\/\" target=\"_blank\">PM Surya Ghar Scheme<\/a><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> promotes rooftop solar adoption among households.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It provides subsidies for rooftop solar installations and offers up to 300 units of free electricity per month.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">By April 2026, around 36.8 lakh households had benefited from the programme.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The scheme reduces electricity expenses while encouraging clean and renewable energy adoption.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Universal Electrification<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The government has pursued universal electrification through <\/span><b>SAUBHAGYA<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and rural power infrastructure schemes.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">All willing households were electrified under SAUBHAGYA by 2019.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rural electricity supply increased from 12.5 hours per day in FY 2014 to 22.6 hours in FY 2025.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Reliable electricity has improved agricultural productivity, education, healthcare delivery, and livelihood opportunities.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h1><b>Healthcare and Nutrition Security<\/b><\/h1>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Improving access to affordable healthcare and food security has been critical to reducing vulnerability among poor households.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Ayushman Bharat<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><b>Ayushman Bharat<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> seeks to provide financial protection against catastrophic health expenditure. The scheme provides annual health insurance coverage of \u20b95 lakh per family to economically vulnerable households.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">More than 43.93 crore Ayushman Cards have been issued.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hospital admissions increased from 29.96 lakh in 2019 to 12.03 crore by May 2026.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Treatments worth more than \u20b91.80 lakh crore have been provided under the scheme.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">More than 1.85 lakh <\/span><b>Ayushman Arogya Mandirs<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> have delivered primary healthcare services, facilitating over 540 crore patient visits.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/what-is-ayushman-bharat-digital-mission\/\" target=\"_blank\">Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission<\/a><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> has created 88.33 crore ABHA accounts, promoting paperless and integrated healthcare delivery.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Maternal and Child Health Interventions<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A series of initiatives have strengthened maternal and child healthcare services across the country.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Under the <\/span><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/pradhan-mantri-surakshit-matritva-abhiyaan\/\" target=\"_blank\">Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan<\/a><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, over 7 crore antenatal check-ups have been conducted.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/mission-indradhanush-yojana\/\" target=\"_blank\">Mission Indradhanush<\/a><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> has immunized 5.46 crore children and 1.32 crore pregnant women.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/maternal-mortality-ratio\/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Maternal Mortality Ratio<\/strong><\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> declined from 130 to 88 per 100,000 live births.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Increased institutional deliveries and antenatal care coverage have improved maternal and neonatal health outcomes.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Food Security through PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY)<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Food security remains a crucial pillar of social protection.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>PMGKAY<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> provides free foodgrains to more than 81 crore beneficiaries.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Over 99.8% of Fair Price Shops have been automated for Aadhaar-based distribution.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ration cards have been fully digitized across all States and Union Territories.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/one-nation-one-ration-card-scheme\/\" target=\"_blank\">One Nation One Ration Card<\/a><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (ONORC) system has enabled more than 2.07 billion transactions, benefiting migrant workers and mobile populations.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Improved food security has contributed to reductions in stunting, wasting, and underweight prevalence among children.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Education and Human Capital Development<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Education serves as a key instrument for breaking the cycle of poverty and promoting social mobility.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Samagra Shiksha<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/samagra-shiksha-scheme\/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Samagra Shiksha<\/strong><\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> aims to improve access, equity, and quality across the school education system.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">More than 1.49 lakh digital and ICT initiatives, including smart classrooms, have been implemented.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Around 25,000 schools have been covered under skill education programmes.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">More than 97% of schools now have functional girls\u2019 toilets.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Female primary school dropout rates declined sharply from 4.6% in 2013-14 to 0.3% in 2024-25.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Improved infrastructure and digital learning facilities have strengthened educational participation.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Beti Bachao Beti Padhao<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The programme promotes the survival, protection, and education of the girl child.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The sex ratio improved from 943 females per 1,000 males in 2011 to 1,020 in 2021.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Girls\u2019 secondary school enrolment increased from 75.51% to 80.2% between 2014-15 and 2024-25.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The initiative has contributed to greater gender equality and educational participation.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas and Digital Learning<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Special interventions have improved educational access for girls and disadvantaged groups.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Student enrolment in KGBVs increased from 3.52 lakh to 7.11 lakh between 2014-15 and 2024.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/pm-e-vidya\/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>PM eVidya<\/strong><\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><b>SWAYAM<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and <\/span><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/diksha-platform\/\" target=\"_blank\">DIKSHA<\/a><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> have expanded access to digital education and quality learning resources across the country.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Housing and Basic Infrastructure<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Affordable housing and improved civic infrastructure play an important role in enhancing social security and quality of life.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY)<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><b>Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (PMAY) seeks to ensure housing for all through urban and rural housing programmes.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">More than 98.10 lakh houses have been completed under PMAY-Urban.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Around 3.03 crore houses have been completed under PMAY-Gramin.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nearly 96% of urban houses and 75% of rural houses are registered in the name of women, promoting women\u2019s empowerment and asset ownership.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Access to pucca housing has improved living standards and social security for poor households.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>AMRUT<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/amrut-scheme\/\" target=\"_blank\">Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation<\/a><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> focuses on strengthening urban infrastructure.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The mission has facilitated more than 2.53 crore tap water connections.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nearly 7,943 urban infrastructure projects have been completed.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Investments in urban services have improved water supply, drainage, and overall urban living conditions.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Connectivity and Digital Inclusion<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Improved connectivity enables access to markets, services, information, and opportunities.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY)<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">PMGSY has transformed rural connectivity across the country.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nearly 99.6% of eligible habitations have been connected through all-weather roads.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">More than 6.96 lakh facilities, including schools, health centres, and markets, have been connected.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Better road connectivity has improved access to healthcare, education, and economic opportunities.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>BharatNet and Digital Governance<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Digital infrastructure has become an important tool for inclusive development.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/bharatnet-project-upsc\/\" target=\"_blank\">BharatNet<\/a><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> has connected more than 2.19 lakh Gram Panchayats through broadband infrastructure.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/egramswaraj-portal\/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>eGramSwaraj<\/strong><\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> has strengthened transparency and accountability in Panchayati Raj Institutions.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Digital governance has improved service delivery and citizen participation at the grassroots level.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Expansion of Digital Payments<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India\u2019s digital payments ecosystem has significantly expanded financial inclusion.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">UPI transactions have grown from a nascent platform to over 2,100 crore monthly transactions.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Digital payments have reduced transaction costs and enhanced access to financial services.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Technology-driven systems have improved the efficiency of welfare delivery and financial transactions.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Livelihood Promotion and Employment Generation<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The focus has gradually shifted from welfare support alone to creating sustainable livelihood opportunities and economic empowerment.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana \u2013 National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM)<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><b>DAY-NRLM<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> promotes self-employment and livelihood diversification through women-led <\/span><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/self-help-groups\/\" target=\"_blank\">Self-Help Groups<\/a><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (SHGs).<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Women associated with SHGs increased from 2.37 crore to 10 crore.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The number of SHGs expanded from 21.31 lakh to 91.75 lakh.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Access to institutional credit and livelihood opportunities has significantly improved.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Initiatives such as Lakhpati Didi are helping rural women become successful entrepreneurs.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Skill Development Initiatives<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Skill development programmes aim to improve employability and support economic self-reliance.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Under DDU-GKY, trained candidates increased from 43,038 in 2014-15 to 17.71 lakh in 2025-26.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">More than 1.64 crore youth have received training under <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/pradhan-mantri-kaushal-vikas-yojana\/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana<\/strong><\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Training programmes increasingly focus on emerging technologies, future skills, and industry requirements.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Employment Guarantee and Labour Security<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Employment guarantee programmes continue to provide livelihood support to rural households.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Person-days generated under the Viksit Bharat\u2013Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission increased significantly over the last decade.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Women\u2019s participation increased from 48% to over 58%, reflecting stronger economic inclusion.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The eShram portal has registered over 31.64 crore unorganized workers, strengthening social protection coverage.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Financial Inclusion and Entrepreneurship Development<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Access to banking, credit, and enterprise support has strengthened economic resilience among vulnerable groups.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY)<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">PMJDY has laid the foundation for financial inclusion and direct benefit transfers.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Beneficiaries increased from 17.9 crore in 2015 to 58.16 crore in 2026.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Total deposits in Jan Dhan accounts exceeded \u20b93 lakh crore.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The scheme has enabled efficient delivery of subsidies and welfare benefits.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The scheme supports micro and small enterprises through collateral-free loans.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">More than 57 crore loans have been sanctioned since inception.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Around 66% of loans have been provided to women entrepreneurs.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The scheme has promoted self-employment and grassroots entrepreneurship.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>PM SVANidhi, PM Vishwakarma and Stand-Up India<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These initiatives support vulnerable entrepreneurs and traditional workers.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/pm-svanidhi-scheme\/\" target=\"_blank\">PM SVANidhi<\/a><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> provides working capital support to street vendors.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/pm-vishwakarma-scheme-eligibility\/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>PM Vishwakarma<\/strong><\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> offers training, toolkit assistance, and credit support to artisans and craftspeople.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Stand-Up India<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> promotes entrepreneurship among women and SC\/ST communities through institutional credit support.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Inclusive Development of Tribal Communities<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Recognising the persistent socio-economic challenges faced by tribal communities, the government has adopted a targeted and integrated approach to improve infrastructure, education, healthcare, connectivity, and livelihood opportunities in tribal regions.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM-JANMAN)<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Launched in 2023 to accelerate the development of 75 <\/span><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/particularly-vulnerable-tribal-groups-pvtgs\/\" target=\"_blank\">Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups<\/a><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (PVTGs) through a convergent and saturation-based approach.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Focuses on providing housing, drinking water, healthcare, education, road connectivity, electrification, and livelihood opportunities in remote tribal areas.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As of February 2026, the mission has completed 2.66 lakh houses, 1,949 km of roads, and deployed 750 Mobile Medical Units.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It has expanded piped drinking water access to 8,473 villages, electrified 1.36 lakh households, and operationalised 2,390 Anganwadi Centres.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Pradhan Mantri Janjatiya Unnat Gram Abhiyan (PM-JUGA)<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Launched in 2024, also known as the <\/span><b>Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, to promote holistic development of tribal villages through convergence of multiple schemes.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Emphasises housing, roads, electrification, telecom connectivity, drinking water, and improved service delivery in tribal areas.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">By April 2026, 12.89 lakh houses and 2,411 km of roads had been sanctioned under the programme.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">More than 2.87 lakh households were electrified, 6,305 villages received tap water coverage, and telecom connectivity was sanctioned for 5,252 villages.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Pradhan Mantri Janjatiya Vikas Mission (PM-JVM)<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Launched in 2021 to strengthen tribal livelihoods through value addition, entrepreneurship, and sustainable utilisation of forest resources.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Implemented through TRIFED, the mission promotes tribal products, traditional crafts, and forest-based economic activities.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Between 2022 and 2025, TRIFED organised 79 artisan melas and 50 exhibitions, enhancing market access for tribal producers.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A total of 1,146 Van Dhan Vikas Kendras have been sanctioned to support value addition and income generation from minor forest produce.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS)<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Established to provide quality residential education to Scheduled Tribe students in remote and educationally backward areas.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The number of operational schools increased from 129 in 2014-15 to 499 by May 2026.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These schools currently serve more than 1.54 lakh tribal students, improving access to quality education and reducing educational disparities.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Read about how India reduced multidimensional poverty through inclusive development, welfare schemes, healthcare, housing, education, and financial inclusion.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":108759,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[786],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-108780","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-general-studies","8":"no-featured-image-padding"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/108780","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=108780"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/108780\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":108785,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/108780\/revisions\/108785"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/108759"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=108780"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=108780"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=108780"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}