INDEX

YOJANA – AUGUST 2018

1. GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES FOR WEAKER SECTIONS ....................................... 3

2. FOSTERING ENTREPRENEURSHIP AMONG THE MARGINALIZED................... 4

3. SOCIAL EMPOWERMENT FOR DIFFERENTLY ABLED....................................... 6

4. IMPORTANT INITIATIVES OF THE GOVERNMENT FOR WELFARE OF

TRIBALS .............................................................................................................8

5. EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN .......................................................................... 10

www.shankariasacademy.com | www.iasparliament.com 2
 YOJANA – JUNE 2018

1. GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES FOR What are the measures taken by GOI to

WEAKER SECTIONS promote financial inclusion of weaker
sections ?
What is financial Inclusion ?
NATIONAL SCHEDULED CASTES
• Financial inclusion may be defined as
FINANCE AND DEVELOPMENT
the process of ensuring access to
CORPORATION :
financial services and timely and
adequate credit where needed by • NSFDC was setup by the Govt. of
vulnerable groups such as weaker India on February 08, 1989 with the
sections and low income groups at an name National Scheduled Castes and
affordable cost. Scheduled Tribes Finance and
Development Corporation
What are the barriers to financial
(NSCSTFDC).
inclusion ?

• Lack of financial literacy and poor
marketing of financial products leads
to low awareness among urban poor
depending on the informal
sources which cater according to the
status.
• There is also a great degree of self
exclusion due to the existence of
informal credit sources meeting their
convenience.
• Mobile number registration and pin
number registration is a big deterrent
for customers along with financial
literacy.
• Low penetration of financial services,
less efficiency of
Correspondents also limits
success of financial inclusion.
• Other reasons for exclusion are low
income, poverty, illiteracy, lack of
awareness, cumbersome
documentation, attitude of the bank
staff and language.
• It has been assigned the task for
financing, facilitating and mobilizing
funds for the economic empowerment
credit of persons living below Double of the
Poverty Line (DPL) [presently upto Rs.
98,000/- p.a. for rural areas and
Rs.1,20,000/- p.a. for urban areas].
• It provides financial assistance for
income generating schemes for the
target group through State
Channelising Agencies (SCAs) which
are nominated by respective State/UT
Government and other Channel
Partners such as Public Sector Banks,
Regional Rural Banks, NBFC-MFIs,
JHARCRAFT, NEDFi etc.
Business National Scheduled Tribes Finance and
the Development Corporation (NSTFDC) :
• The main objects of the Corporation is
to work for socio-economic and
educational upliftment of Scheduled
Tribes(STs), to provide better self-
employment avenues so that they can

www.shankariasacademy.com | www.iasparliament.com 3
 become economically independent and • The operating model currently
self-reliant. followed by RMK is that of a
facilitating agency wherein RMK
• The Corporation undertakes a wide
provides loans to NGO-MFIs termed
range of activities for socio–economic
as Intermediary Organizations (IMO)
and educational upliftment of the STs
which on-lend to Self Help Groups
by devising and implementing
(SHGs) of women.
financial assistance schemes
exclusively for the tribal. Stand Up India Scheme :

National Safai Karamcharis Finance & • The Stand up India scheme aims at
Development Corporation(NSKFDC): promoting entrepreneurship among
women and scheduled castes and
• It is implementing various loan and
tribes.
non-loan based schemes.
• Stand-Up India Scheme facilitates
• Under Loan based schemes, NSKFDC
bank loans between Rs 10 lakh and
provides financial assistance to the
Rs 1 Crore to at least one Scheduled
Safai Karamcharis, Scavengers and
Caste (SC) or Scheduled Tribe (ST)
their dependants for any viable
borrower and at least one woman
income generating schemes including
borrower per bank branch for setting
sanitation related activities and for
up a greenfield enterprise.
education in India and abroad.
Venture Capital Fund for Scheduled
National Backward Classes Finance &
Castes :
Development Corporation (NBCFDC) :
• To provide concessional finance to the
• NBCFDC provides financial assistance
SC entrepreneurs, who will create
through State Channelising Agencies
wealth and value for society and at
(SCAs) nominated by the State
the same time will promote profitable
Governments/ UTs.
businesses.
• NBCFDC also provides Micro
• To increase financial inclusion for SC
Financing through SCAs/ Self Help
entrepreneurs and to motivate them
Groups (SHGs).
for further growth of SC communities.
Rashtriya Mahila Kosh (RMK) :
2. FOSTERING
• Rashtriya Mahila Kosh (RMK), ENTREPRENEURSHIP AMONG
established in 1993 is a national THE MARGINALIZED
level organization as an autonomous
What are the challenges in promoting the
body under the aegis of the
entrepreneurship ?
Ministry of Women and Child
Development, for socio-economic • Lack of skills and education is a major
empowerment of women. impediment which makes the weaker

www.shankariasacademy.com | www.iasparliament.com 4
 sections to feel less confident in 2,500 crore and a total corpus of INR
taking up the responsibilities. 10,000 crore over a period 4 years (i.e.
INR 2,500 crore per year)
• Shortage of finance, fear of risk and
lack of functional literacy are some of Stand Up India Scheme :
the reasons that hold them back from
starting their own enterprises. • The Stand up India scheme aims at
promoting entrepreneurship among
• Lack of raw materials supply, lack of
women and scheduled castes and
adequate capital and absence of
tribes.
marketing infrastructure are some of
the other constraints. • Stand-Up India Scheme facilitates

• Due to lack of education, rural bank loans between Rs 10 lakh and

entrepreneurs also suffer from lack of Rs 1 Crore to at least one Scheduled
aptitude and competency and lack of Caste (SC) or Scheduled Tribe (ST)
awareness of the facilities available to borrower and at least one woman
them. borrower per bank branch for setting
up a greenfield enterprise.
• The Scheduled Castes find it difficult
to extend the arena due to the
• The scheme is expected to benefit at
discrimination they face in the
least 2.5 lakh borrowers.
business arena.
Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana :
What are the measures taken by GOI to
address the above issues ? • Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana
Start up India (PMMY) is a flagship scheme of
Government of India to “fund the
• Startup India is a flagship initiative
unfunded” by bringing such
launched by the Government of India
enterprises to the formal financial
on 16th January, 2016 to build a
strong eco-system for nurturing system and extending affordable
innovation and startups in the credit to them.
country which will drive economic
• It enables a small borrower to borrow
growth and generate large scale
employment opportunities. from all Public Sector Banks such as
PSU Banks, Regional Rural Banks
• The Government through this and Cooperative Banks, Private Sector
initiative aims to empower startups to
Banks, Foreign Banks, Micro Finance
grow through innovation and design.
Institutions (MFI) and Non Banking
• In order to provide funding support to Finance Companies (NBFC) for loans
Startups, Government will set up a upto Rs 10 lakhs for non-farm income
fund with an initial corpus of INR generating activities.

www.shankariasacademy.com | www.iasparliament.com 5
Start-up Village Entrepreneurship What are the GOI Initiatives for disabled
Programme : persons ?

• SVEP will hence be a focused • The change in the name of the

intervention to promote start-up Department of Disability Affairs to
entrepreneurship at village level by the Department of Empowerment of
rural poor households by providing Persons with Disabilities was to send
assured availability of need based the message that ‘empowerment’
financial support, capacity building would be the key to the policies and
and advisory services for programmes for the disabled and that
establishment of village enterprises.
a separate department meant this

• SVEP envisages creation of sector would receive focused

sustainable self employment attention it deserved.

opportunities for a large number of
• In order to enable persons with
rural poor youth, enabling them to
disabilities to gain universal access
engage effectively with the market and
and independent living the
help generate wealth locally.
government launched its ambitious
• In the process, SVEP will bring banks “Accessible India Campaign”
and financial institutions closer to the (Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan) which
village entrepreneur. seeks to make at least 50 percent of
all government buildings in the
3. SOCIAL EMPOWERMENT FOR
national capital and all state capitals
DIFFERENTLY ABLED
“fully accessible” for the disabled.
What is the present status of Disabled in
our country ? • Sugamaya Pustakalaya an online
platform that makes accessible
• In India around 2.3 % population is
content available to print-disabled
affected by either one form of
people was also launched which
disability or a witness to multiple
houses publications across diverse
disorders.
subjects and languages and multiple
• The disabled persons are still accessible formats. Books are
oppressed, marginalized and denied available in Accessible formats for
the opportunity for full citizenship people with visual impairment and
and participation and from living a other print disabilities.
reasonable quality of life because of
society's prejudiced perception of • Free Coaching for the economically
them as inferior, incapable and disadvantaged students with
burden to the society. disabilities to enable them to appear
in competitive examinations for

www.shankariasacademy.com | www.iasparliament.com 6
 appropriate job in government, public • Persons with Disabilities (Equal
and private sectors has also been Opportunities, Protection of Rights
envisaged. and Full Participation) Act, 1995 ,
was amended and the categories of
• Nearly 200 mega camps/special
disabilities have been increased from
camps were organized covering 27
existing 7 to 21. The Act also provides
states for the assistive devices at the
for increasing reservation quota from
cost of about Rs.169.56 crore
3 per cent to 4 percent in government
benefiting nearly 2.10 lakh
jobs.
Divyangjan.
• The main objective behind the setting
• Aids and assistive devices costing
up of the Indian Sign Language
Rs.108.70 crore were also provided to
Research and Training Centre
1.83 lakh Divyang children with
(ISLRTC) is to develop manpower for
Special Needs (DCWSN) during 2,734
using, teaching and conducting
camps under ADIP-Sarva Shiksha
research in Indian Sign Language.
Abhiyan in the primary schools all
over the country. • Inclusive Education for the
Disabled as Secondary Stage
• District Disability Rehabilitation
Scheme supports children with
Centres (DDRC) are set up under
disabilities aged 14 or above for
SIPDA for providing comprehensive
completing their secondary education
services to the persons with
from class 9 to Class 12 in
disabilities at the grass-root level and
government aided schools.
for facilitating creation of the
infrastructure and capacity building • A mobile app will be launched to
at the district level for awareness provide the information on disabled
generation, rehabilitation and training friendly public utilities in a city. It will
of rehabilitation professionals. feature places like ATMs, banks,
malls, toilets and will also have user
• The Ministry of Social Justice and
generated ratings of how disabled
Empowerment confers National
friendly those places are.
Awards on individuals, institutions,
states/districts for their outstanding • Currently there is only one news
achievements or work done towards bulletin with sign language, the GOI
empowerment of Persons with will be training 200 persons in sign
Disabilities on the occasion of the language every year in next years to
International Day for disabled persons make Television more disabled
(3rd December). As many as 89 lakh friendly.
citizens have benefitted.

www.shankariasacademy.com | www.iasparliament.com 7
 4. IMPORTANT INITIATIVES OF projects on merits will be considered
THE GOVERNMENT FOR for funding after many years.

WELFARE OF TRIBALS Scheduled Tribes and other Traditional

What are the initiatives of the GOI to Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest
promote welfare of Tribals ? Rights) Act, 2006 :

Minimum Support Price for Minor • It has been enacted to recognize and
Forest Produce : vest the forest rights and occupation
of forest land in forest dwelling
• The MSP for the ten MFP items which Scheduled Tribes and other
had formed a part of the scheme since traditional forest dwellers, who have
inception in 2013-14 had been revised been residing in such forests for
on 31.10.2016. generations, but whose rights could
not be recorded.
• Also, furthermore MFP items had been
included in the list of MFP items and • This Act not only recognizes the rights
the scheme was made applicable all to hold and live in the forest land
over the country. under the individual or common
occupation for habitation or for self-
• Subsequently, the MSP of the ten
cultivation for livelihood, but also
items existing in the Scheme since its
grants several other rights to ensure
inception were further reviewed
their control over forest resources
consequent upon a study conducted
which, inter-alia, include right of
by M/s TERI, Delhi on behest of
ownership, access to collect, use and
TRIFED, and recommendation of the
dispose of minor forest produce,
Pricing Cell.
community rights such as nistar;
• The MSP of five items viz. Sal Seed, habitat rights for primitive tribal
Sal Leaves, Chironji Pods with seeds, groups and pre-agricultural
Rangeeni Lac and Kusumi Lac have communities; right to protect,
been increased in November, 2017. regenerate or conserve or manage any
community forest resource which they
NGO Grants: have been traditionally protecting and
• Ministry has been funding NGOs in conserving for sustainable use.
service deficient areas in sectors such • The Act also provides for diversion of
as Health, Education etc. forest land for public utility facilities

• In order to ensure transparency and managed by the Government, such as

in line with Government policies, NGO schools, dispensaries, fair price

shops, electricity and
Grants portal has been developed.
telecommunication lines, water tanks,
• Henceforth, all interventions will be etc. with the recommendation of Gram
funded through applications received Sabhas.
only through online portal. Also new

www.shankariasacademy.com | www.iasparliament.com 8
Special Central Assistance to Tribal Sub- Scheme of Strengthening Education
Scheme (SCA to TSS) : among ST Girls in Low Literacy Districts

• Special Central Assistance to Tribal :

Sub-Scheme (SCA to TSS) is 100% • The scheme aims to bridge the gap in
grant from Government of India (since literacy levels between the general
1977-78). It is charged to female population and tribal women,
Consolidated Fund of India (except in the identified districts or blocks,
grants for North Eastern States, a more particularly in naxal affected
voted item) and is an additive to State areas and in areas inhabited by
Plan funds and efforts for Tribal Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups
Development. (PVTGs), by creating the required
ambience for education for ST girls.
• This grant is utilized for economic
development of Integrated Tribal • It is a Central Sector gender specific
Development Agency (ITDA), scheme and the Ministry provides
Integrated Tribal Development Project 100% funding.
(ITDP), Modified Area Development
• The grants are provided to the eligible
Approach (MADA) Pockets and
NGOs on an application (in the
Clusters, PVTGs and dispersed tribal
prescribed format) duly recommended
population.
by the multidisciplinary State Level
Grants-in-Aid under Article 275(1) of the Committee of the concerned State
Constitution : Government / UT Administration.
• Grants-in-aid under Proviso to Article Scheme of Vocational Training in Tribal
275(1) of Constitution of India is Areas :
100% annual grant from Government
• The main aim of the Scheme is to
of India to States. It is charged to
develop the skills of the ST youth for a
Consolidated Fund of India (except
variety of jobs as well as self-
grants for North Eastern States, a
employment and to improve their
voted item) and is an additive to State
socio-economic condition by
Plan funds and efforts for Tribal
enhancing their income.
Development. ]
• It is not an area-specific scheme, the
• Funds are utilized for socio-economic
condition being that free vocational
development of Integrated Tribal
training facilities are extended only to
Development Agency (ITDA),
tribal youth, 100% grants under the
Integrated Tribal Development Project
scheme are provided to the States,
(ITDP), Modified Area Development
Union Territories and other
Approach (MADA) Pockets and
Associations implementing the
Clusters and for PVTGs.
Scheme.

www.shankariasacademy.com | www.iasparliament.com 9
 • Each Vocational Training Centre • National Nutrition Mission (NNM):
(VTC) under the scheme may cater to aims to attain a "Suposhit Bharat"
five vocational courses in traditional and has also the objective of
skills depending upon the improving the nutritional status of
employment potential of the area. pregnant women and lactating
mothers and reducing anaemia among
5. EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN
women along with children.
What are the initiatives taken by GOI for
• Rastriya Mahila Kosh (RMK), for
achieving Gender equality and
extending micro-finance services to
emancipation of Women ?
bring about socio-economic upliftment
• Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP): to
of poor women.
address the declining Child Sex Ratio
(CSR) and related issues of • Mahila e-Haat, a unique direct online
empowerment of women over a life- digital marketing platform for women
cycle continuum. It is a tri-ministerial entrepreneurs/ SHGs/ NGOs.
effort of Ministries of Women and
• Pradhan Mantri Mahila Shakti
Child Development, Health & Family
Kendra, which will empower rural
Welfare and Human Resource
women through community
Development. .
participation to create an environment
• Pradhan Mantri MatruVandana in which they realize their full
Yojana (PMMVY), (erstwhile Maternity potential.
Benefit Programme) to contribute
• The Ministry also conducts Training
towards better enabling environment
of Trainers of Elected Women
by providing cash incentives for
Representatives of Panchayati Raj to
improved health and nutrition to
deliberate upon issues related to
pregnant and nursing mothers.
empowerment of women and
• Scheme for Adolescent Girls aims at functioning of PRIs; describe
girls in the age group 11-14, to processes of participatory planning in
empower and improve their social local governance; and enable women
status through nutrition, life skills, to identify their own leadership
home skills and vocational training. potential to contribute effectively as
change agents.

www.shankariasacademy.com | www.iasparliament.com 10
What are the initiatives taken by GOI for • Mahila Police Volunteers: The
combating all forms of discrimination Ministry, in collaboration with MHA
and violence against women in the has recently started the engagement
country ? of Mahila Police Volunteers (MPVs) in

• One Stop Centres (OSCs ): for States/UTs. These MPVs will act as a

facilitating access to an integrated link between police and community

range of services including police, and facilitate women in distress.

medical, legal, psychological support

• SwadharGreh: this scheme caters to
and temporary shelter to women
primary needs of women in difficult
affected by violence.
circumstances.

• Women Helpline: to provide women

• Ujjawala: a comprehensive scheme to
with a 24x7 service, Women Helplines prevent trafficking of women and
with the uniform code 181 have been children for commercial sexual
set up across the country. These exploitation, to facilitate rescue
Helplines provide 24 hour emergency victims and placing them in safe
custody, to provide rehabilitation
response to women affected by
services by providing basic
violence, and also provide counselling
amenities/needs, to facilitate
through phone and awareness about reintegration of victims into the family
government schemes. and society, to facilitate repatriation of
cross border victims.

♣♣♣♣♣

www.shankariasacademy.com | www.iasparliament.com 11