New Delhi :On the occasion of celebrating AzadiKaAmritMahotsav to commemorate 75 years of independence and glorious journey of achieving thevision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat, Honorable Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry, has briefed about the achievements of the Department of Social Justice and Empowermenton 06th June, 2022 at 11:00 hours in the press conference held at Dr. Ambedkar International Centre (DAIC).

 

 

Honorable Minister informed  that the Department is endeavoring to achieve the vision of building an inclusive society by empowering socially, educationally and economically marginalizedsections like Scheduled Castes, Other Backward Classes, Senior Citizens, Victims of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse, Transgender Persons, Beggars, De-notified and Nomadic Tribes (DNTs), Economically Backward Classes (EBCs) and Economically Weaker Section (EWS).This Department has been implementing various schemes for upliftment of members of aforesaid target groups.

Following are the achievements of the Department from financial year 2014-15 to 2021-22:-

1. Various schemes for educational upliftment of Scheduled Castes (SCs), Other Backward Classes (OBCs), Denotified and Nomadic Tribes (DNTs) have been implementing. An amount of ₹ 36164 Crore has been spent since the financial year 2014-15 and over 11 Crorestudents have been benefited by the following schemes:-

• Pre-Matric Scholarship   to SC Students and Others: 224.70 lakh beneficiaries and expenditure approx.  Rs. 3280.07 crore
• Post Matric Scholarship   to the   SC Students: 434.29 lakh beneficiaries   and expenditure approx. Rs. 24968.55 Crore.
• A component of PradhanMantri – AnusuchitJatiAbhyudayYojana  (PM –AJAY):Babu Jagjivan Ram Chhtrawas Yojana : Rs. 342.5 Crore sanctioned for construction of 173 hostels, which benefitted about 15800 beneficiaries.
• Higher Education For Young Achievers (SHREYAS):
• Free Coaching Scheme for SC and OBC students (FCS),-approx 19437 beneficiaries and expenditure approx. Rs. 91.37 Crore since 2014-15.
• Top Class Scholarship Scheme for SCs (TCS),-approx 17817 beneficiaries and expenditure approx. Rs. 313.48crore since 2014-15.
• National Overseas Scholarship Scheme for SC etc. students (NOS),-534 beneficiaries   and expenditure approx. Rs. 152.23crore since 2014-15
• National Fellowship Scheme for SCs (NFSc)-18036 beneficiaries and expenditure approx. Rs. 1511.65crore since 2014-15

• Scheme for Residential Education in High Schools in Targeted Areas (SRESHTA): Total Rs. 247 Crore spent benefitting total 1,55,715 SC students.

• PM Young Achievers Scholarship Award Scheme for Vibrant India for OBCs and Others (PM –YASASVI) having following five sub-schemes:-
• Pre-Matric Scholarship for OBC, EBC and DNT Students -563.9 lakh  beneficiaries  and expenditure approx. Rs. 1195.33 Crore
• Post-Matric Scholarship for OBC, EBC and DNT Students-302.05 lakh  beneficiaries  and expenditure approx. Rs. 8186.56 crore
• Top Class School Education for OBC, EBC and DNT Students-New initiative has been taken.
• Construction of Hostel for OBC Boys and Girls- expenditure approx. Rs. 260.70 crore for constructionof Hostels having 16870 seats.

 

 

2. This Department is implementing schemes for social upliftmentof Scheduled Castes (SCs), Senior Citizens, Victims of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse, Transgender Persons, Beggars etc. Department has spent approx ₹ 10304 Croreon Social Defence  front and over 42 lakh persons have been benefitted during last 08 years.

• AtalVayoAbhyudayYojana (AVYAY)
• National Action Plan for Senior Citizens (NAPSrC)- Total Beneficiaries since 2014 are 271365 and expenditure  approx. Rs  334 Crore.
• RashtriyaVayoshriYojana (RVY)-  8,30,739  assistive devices  amounting to Rs. 182.06Crore have been distributed to 2,40,490 persons in 236 camps.
• Livelihood & Skilling Initiatives for Senior Citizens-

(i) Scheme for Elderly Self Help Group has been started in 2021-22.

(ii) Senior Able Citizens for Re-Employment in Dignity (SACRED) Portalwas launched on 01.10.2021.

• Silver Economy (SAGE portal) : 09 Start ups have been selected in the financial year 2021-22.

• Scheme for prevention of Alcohalism and Substance Abuse:

• National Action Plan for Drug Demand Reduction (NAPDDR)- Total Beneficiaries since 2014 are 11,35,292 and expenditure of Rs. approx. 839.09 Crore
• Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan (NMBA)- Presently, about 357 IRCAs, 78 ODICs, 55 CPLIs and 35 ATFs are spread all over the country.Through the various activities undertaken on-ground 2.46+ Crore people reached out so far including 1.17 Crore youth & 30 lakh women

• Support for Marginalised Individuals for Livelihood and Enterprise (SMILE):

• Central Sector Scheme for Comprehensive Rehabilitation for Welfare of Transgender Persons
• Central Sector Scheme for Comprehensive Rehabilitation of persons engaged in the act of Begging
• Rs.1,75,03,200 has been spent in SMILE in 2021-22.

3. Being the nodal ministry for prevention of atrocities, The Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities){PoA} Act, 1989 enacted with a view to, inter-alia, preventing atrocities against members of SCs and STs; has been made more deterrent and effective by inserting clause 18(A) in the Act and modifying its rulesin the year 2018 to set up egalitarian society across the country.

• Total number of Atrocity victims provided relief : 435382  with amount : Rs. 3073.77 Crore
• Inter-caste marriage initiatives: 164325 couples benefitted.

4. Ministry has enacted “The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019” to provide protection of rights to transgender persons and for their welfare.
5. By taking historic decision, 10% reservation has been provided for the Economically Weaker Sections by inserting 15(6) and 16(6) articles in the Constitution of India through its 103rd Amendment in the year 2019.
6. This Department has been implementing various skilldevelopmentsand loaning schemes through its Corporations for making marginalized sections of the society economically empowered and Atmanirbhar also.Over 20 lakhpersons fromthe marginalized sections from SCs, OBCs, DNTs, EBCs and SafaiKaramcharishave been benefited by spending amount of ₹ 8286 Croresince the financial year 2014-15.
7. In the honour of Dr. B R Ambedkar,  we were fortunate to build Panchtirth at five places:-

· Amedbkar’s birthplace in Mhow

· The place in London where he stayed while studying in the UK

· DeekshaBhoomi in Nagpur, where he took education

· MahaparinirvanSthal in Delhi and

· ChaityaBhoomi in Mumbai.

8. Dr. Amberdkar International Centre (DAIC) has also been built up at Janpath  in Delhi to reduce Socio-economic inequalities by  conducting rigorous and authoritative research.
9. This Department has set up a National Helpline for prevention of atrocities on members of SCs/STs, Toll free No. “14566”.  National Helpline for Sr. Citizens has also been provided on Toll free no. “14567”.
10. All the schemes and projects have been started executing through e- files only by adopting 100% Go-green. This Department has strengthened e-governance and ensured 100% transparency by implementing IT enabled system for making end –to- end activities online.  ‘e-Anudaan’portal,has been developed and made operational where all the proposals from NGOs/Trusts/Societies etc are received and processed On line.

Department through various programs and schemes will always be striving to build an inclusive society wherein adequate support is provided to members of target groups for their development and making them economically and socially self-reliant across the country.