Women’s Day Special Series: 10 Schemes Shaping Women’s Lives in India

The Government of India has launched several initiatives to empower women, promote gender equality, and enhance their overall quality of life. These schemes focus on areas such as education, financial inclusion, entrepreneurship, health, and safety, ensuring holistic development and self-reliance for women across the country. Programmes like Beti Bachao Beti Padhao encourage education and welfare of the girl child, while Mudra Yojana and Stand-Up India facilitate financial assistance for aspiring women entrepreneurs. Initiatives such as PM Ujjwala Yojana provide clean cooking fuel to improve health and hygiene, and Nai Roshni offers leadership training for minority women. These schemes collectively aim to create an inclusive and progressive society by enabling women to access opportunities, resources, and financial support.

Empowering Women: 10 Government Schemes Making a Difference

1. Nai Roshni Scheme

Overview

• Launched: 2012-13
• Ministry: Ministry of Minority Affairs, Government of India
• Target Group: Minority women (18-65 years)
• Objective: Leadership development through skill training
• Implementation: In collaboration with NGOs and civil societies

Objectives

• Promote minority women leadership in India
• Combat gender inequality in society
• Encourage women to raise their voices against exploitation
• Develop skills for empowerment and independence
• Increase women’s participation in society

Eligibility Criteria

• Labor-intensive approach with ongoing support
• Community engagement through frequent visits
• Field-intensive training in residential areas
• Eligible organizations for grants-in-aid:
• NGOs, registered societies, public trusts, universities, women’s cooperatives, government training institutes, and state channelizing agencies

Key Activities

• Leadership training for decision-making roles
• Life skills education for confidence and communication
• Legal rights awareness and access to government schemes
• Financial and digital literacy training
• Community mobilization for social development
• Vocational training to enhance employability
• Support for Self-Help Groups (SHGs)
• Sanitation awareness under Swachh Bharat Abhiyan
• Health and nutrition initiatives for better well-being

Importance

• Helps in poverty eradication and financial development
• Aims to break the cycle of poverty for minority women
• Encourages women’s leadership in the workforce
• Facilitates women’s integration into the service sector for economic growth

2. Stand Up India Scheme

About

• Launched: April 2016
• Extended Till: 2025
• Purpose: Promote entrepreneurship for economic empowerment and job creation

Aim

• Support women and SC/ST entrepreneurs in starting businesses
• Encourage greenfield enterprises in manufacturing, services, trading, and agriculture-related activities

Objectives

• Promote entrepreneurship among women, SC & ST individuals
• Provide bank loans between ₹10 lakh and ₹1 crore
• Ensure each Scheduled Commercial Bank branch supports at least:
• One SC/ST borrower
• One woman borrower

Eligibility

• SC/ST and/or women entrepreneurs above 18 years of age
• Applicable only for greenfield projects (first-time ventures)
• For non-individual enterprises, at least 51% shareholding must be with SC/ST and/or women entrepreneurs

3. Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY)

About

• Launched: May 1, 2016, by PM Narendra Modi
• Slogan: “Clean Fuel, Better Life”
• Objective: Provide clean cooking fuel (LPG) to safeguard the health of women and children
• Implementing Agency: Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas
• Budget: ₹8,000 crore

Features

• Target: Initially 5 crore LPG connections (2016-19), revised to 8 crore in April 2018
• Support: ₹1,600 per connection
• Connections: Issued in the name of women of the household

Eligibility & Identification

• Available to BPL families
• Any adult woman from a BPL family can apply
• Expanded (2018) to include women from:
• SC/ST, PMAY, AAY, Most Backward Classes, Tea Garden, Forest Dwellers, River Islands
• Identification based on SECC-2011 data

4. Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) Initiative

Overview

• Launched on January 22, 2015, in Panipat, Haryana.
• Aims to address gender inequality, declining Child Sex Ratio (CSR), and empower girls through education and healthcare.
• Implemented by the Ministry of Women and Child Development, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, and Ministry of Education.

Objectives

• Prevent gender bias and eliminate female infanticide.
• Ensure girl child survival, protection, and well-being.
• Promote education for girls by increasing school enrollment and reducing dropout rates.
• Raise awareness to change societal attitudes and eliminate discrimination.
• Strengthen women empowerment for equal participation in society.

Significance

• Addresses declining CSR by combating gender-biased sex selection.
• Promotes gender equality by challenging patriarchal norms.
• Empowers girls through education and skill development.
• Encourages community participation to create societal change.
• Contributes to national development by fostering an inclusive and equitable society.

5. Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana (SSY)

• Launched in 2015 under the Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao campaign to promote savings for the girl child’s future.

Eligibility

• Must be an Indian citizen.
• The account can be opened by parents or legal guardians for a girl child below 10 years.
• Only one account per girl child; a family can open a maximum of two accounts.
• NRIs are not eligible.

Key Features

• Deposit Limit: Minimum ₹250, maximum ₹1.5 lakh per financial year.
• Investment Tenure: Contributions required for 15 years, but the account matures in 21 years.
• Interest Rate: Updated quarterly by the government (currently 8.2% per annum for Q1 2024-25).
• Tax Benefits: Exempt under Section 80C (investment, interest, and maturity amount are tax-free).
• Partial Withdrawal: Allowed for higher education (50%) or marriage (100%) after 18 years.
• Premature Closure: Permitted in case of death, medical emergencies, or financial hardship (subject to approval).

6. Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY)

• Launched in 2015 to provide affordable credit to micro and small enterprises (MSEs).
• Aims to integrate underserved businesses into the formal financial system by offering easy access to credit.

Objective

• “Fund the unfunded” by enabling small businesses to secure loans through banks, MFIs, and NBFCs.

Loan Details

• Loan Amount: Up to ₹10 lakh for non-farm income-generating activities (manufacturing, trading, services, etc.).
• Eligibility: Any Indian citizen with a viable business plan can apply.

Categories of Loans

• Shishu: Loans up to ₹50,000 (for startups & micro businesses).
• Kishore: Loans from ₹50,000 to ₹5 lakh (for growing businesses).
• Tarun: Loans from ₹5 lakh to ₹10 lakh (for business expansion).

Other Features

• No direct subsidy, but loans linked to government schemes with subsidies are eligible for benefits.

7. Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY)

• Safe motherhood intervention under the National Health Mission (NHM).
• Objective: Reduce maternal & neonatal mortality by promoting institutional deliveries.
• Launched on: April 12, 2005, by the Prime Minister.
• Implemented in all states & UTs, with special focus on Low Performing States (LPS).

Key Features

• Centrally sponsored scheme with cash assistance for delivery & post-delivery care.
• Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) serves as a link between the government & pregnant women.

Focus Areas

• LPS (Low Performing States): Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Assam, Rajasthan, Odisha, Jammu & Kashmir.
• HPS (High Performing States): All other states.

8. Women Helpline Scheme

Objective

• Provides 24-hour immediate & emergency response to women affected by violence.
• Referral services to police, One Stop Centres, hospitals, and government schemes.
• Offers information on women-related government programs through a single uniform number.

Benefits

• Toll-free number: 181 for women seeking support & information.
• 24×7 service, integrated with 112 (ERSS) for emergency assistance.
• Future plan: 112 for emergencies, 181 for non-emergency & information services.
• Connects to ERSS for police, fire, ambulance services, & One Stop Centres.
• Provides guidance on government schemes, programs & legal officers (Dowry Prohibition Officers, Child Marriage Prevention Officers, Protection Officers, etc.).

Eligibility

• Any woman or girl facing violence in public or private life.
• Women seeking information on women-related schemes & programs.

9. Mahila e-Haat

Overview

• Online marketing platform for women entrepreneurs to showcase and sell their products.
• Launched by the Ministry of Women & Child Development under Rashtriya Mahila Kosh (RMK).
• Part of ‘Digital India’ and ‘Stand Up India’ initiatives.

Mission

• Acts as a direct interface between women entrepreneurs & buyers.
• Web-based platform for selling products/services directly to customers.

Unique Features

• Women can showcase products & services (e.g., tailoring, handmade goods).
• Requires only a mobile number for registration and management.
• Buyers can contact sellers via phone, email, or in person.
• No intermediaries, ensuring direct transactions.

Eligibility

• Indian women citizens, Women SHGs, or Women-led enterprises.
• Must be 18 years or older.
• Goods/services must be legal & comply with Indian laws.

Key Terms & Conditions

• Vendors must ensure product quality, timely delivery & compliance with taxes.
• Illegal or smuggled goods are strictly prohibited.
• Products will be displayed for 30 days, with a 30-day break before re-exhibition.
• Vendors receive payment directly from buyers.
• A quarterly transaction report must be submitted to RMK.
• RMK reserves the right to select products/services for listing.

10. Mahila Shakti Kendra Scheme

Objective

• Empower rural women through community participation.
• Strengthen women-centric initiatives at multiple levels of governance.
• Implementation Details: Launched for 2017-18 to 2019-20.

Cost-sharing ratio

• 60:40 between Centre & States.
• 90:10 for Northeast & Special Category States.
• Implemented by: State Governments/UT Administrations.

Structure

National Level

• Provides domain-based knowledge support.

State Level

• State Resource Centre for Women (SRCW) offers technical support on women-related issues.

District Level

• District Level Centre for Women (DLCW) in 640 districts (phased rollout).
• Acts as a link between village, block & state levels.
• Supports Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) implementation.

Block Level

College student volunteers play a key role in,

• Awareness generation about government schemes.
• Addressing social issues at the grassroots level.