IMPORTANT SCHEMES AND COMMITTEES

In a significant move towards transparency and accountability, the Union Housing and Urban
Affairs Ministry has mandated the display of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – Urban (PMAY-
U) logo and beneficiary details on all houses constructed under the scheme. The directive
applies to all States and Union Territories, aiming to streamline the implementation of the
flagship mission of the Government of India.

Women’s empowerment is crucial for building a strong and developed nation, especially
when women thrive economically, contributing to rural prosperity. Prime Minister Narendra
Modi’s initiative, NAMO Drone Didi, announced on November 30, aims to empower 15,000
women Self Help Groups (SHGs) by providing drones for agricultural purposes. This
innovative approach harnesses technology to empower rural women, positioning them at the
forefront of the agricultural revolution.

The PM Street Vendor’s AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi) scheme, launched during the
COVID-19 outbreak, has emerged as a crucial initiative in supporting urban street vendors.
The scheme, designed as a micro-credit program, has disbursed an impressive total of Rs
9,790 crore in loans to beneficiaries, as disclosed by the government in the Rajya Sabha.

YUVAi-Youth for Unnati and Vikas with AI,” a collaborative initiative of the National e-
Governance Division (NeGD), Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY),
Government of India, and Intel India, is poised to take center stage at the upcoming Global
Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI) Summit. This groundbreaking program, designed
to impart essential AI skills to the youth, is gaining recognition for its innovative approach and
commitment to building a future-ready workforce.

Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri — Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) has emerged as a
beacon of hope in India’s healthcare landscape, particularly for women. Data released by the
Health Ministry reveals a significant contribution by women to the scheme’s success, with
approximately 49% of the total Ayushman cards created attributed to them.

In a significant move aimed at addressing childhood pneumonia, Dr. Sapam Ranjan Singh,
the State Health and Family Welfare Minister of Manipur, recently inaugurated the SAANS
Campaign 2023-24 in Imphal. Concurrently, the minister also dedicated the Jawaharlal Nehru
Institute of Medical Sciences (JNIMS) as the State Newborn Resource Centre, emphasizing
the state’s commitment to child healthcare.

In a pioneering move towards fostering innovation and research in Ayurveda, the Central
Council for Research in Ayurveda Sciences (CCRAS), under the Ministry of Ayush, has
introduced the “Ayurveda Gyan Naipunya Initiative” (AGNI). This initiative is strategically
designed to encourage Ayurveda practitioners to contribute, document, and validate
innovative medical practices for the betterment of educational and academic realms.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has unveiled the ‘Hot Cooked Meal Scheme’ in Uttar
Pradesh, a landmark initiative aimed to providing nutritious meals to children aged 3 to 6
years at Anganwadis. The scheme, modeled after the successful Midday Meals program, is
designed to offer 70 grams of food grains per beneficiary per day in the form of hot-cooked
meals. Additionally, Adityanath laid the foundation stone for 3,401 Anganwadi centers and
inaugurated a transit hostel for police personnel during the event.

The Union Cabinet, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has recently approved the
Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM-JANMAN), a comprehensive
initiative aimed at addressing the challenges faced by Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups
(PVTGs). This scheme, with a substantial total outlay of Rs 24,104 crore, reflects the
government’s commitment to uplift tribal communities across the country.

In a remarkable move towards enhancing education and bolstering the socio-economic

advancement of Scheduled Caste (SC) students, the Ministry of Social Justice &
Empowerment has unveiled the ‘Scheme for Residential Education for Students in High
Schools in Targeted Areas’ (SHRESHTA). The primary objective of this initiative is to extend
the influence of government development programs and address service gaps in regions
predominantly inhabited by SC communities within the education sector.

India’s Intensified Mission Indradhanush (IMI) 5.0, a flagship immunization campaign

launched by the Health Ministry, is nearing its conclusion today. This campaign, which
strives to reach children who have missed vaccine doses or fallen behind their vaccination
schedule, along with pregnant women across the country, has undergone some remarkable
transformations this year. As of September 30, the campaign had already made impressive
strides, with over 34,69,705 children and 6,55,480 pregnant women receiving vaccine
doses during the first two rounds. A significant achievement given the challenges posed by
the ongoing global pandemic.

Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) has achieved remarkable success, with over 50
crore beneficiaries and a significant increase in total balance. The scheme’s growth,
especially post-Covid-19, reflects its effectiveness in promoting financial inclusion.

In a groundbreaking initiative to empower women, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF)
kick-started an allfemale bikers’ expedition rally named ‘Yashasvini‘ from Srinagar to
Gujarat on Tuesday. The rally, an ode to women empowerment, was flagged off from the
iconic Ghanta Ghar near the city center of Lal Chowk in Srinagar. The esteemed guest who
inaugurated this remarkable journey was the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir,
Manoj Sinha.

The Scheme for Higher Education Youth in Apprenticeship and Skills (SHREYAS scheme),
comprising four central sector sub-schemes, has been instrumental in empowering
thousands of students from Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Other Backward Classes (OBCs)
since its inception in 2014. This umbrella scheme encompasses “Top Class Education for
SCs,” “Free Coaching Scheme for SCs and OBCs,” “National Overseas Scheme for SCs,”
and “National Fellowship for SCs.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has unveiled the ‘PM Vishwakarma’ scheme on the
auspicious occasion of ‘Vishwakarma Jayanti.’ This initiative is designed to provide crucial
support to traditional craftsmen and artisans by offering them low-interest loans without
requiring collateral. With a substantial financial allocation of Rs 13,000 crore over a five-
year period, this scheme aims to benefit approximately 30 lakh families of traditional
artisans and craftsmen, including weavers, goldsmiths, blacksmiths, laundry workers, and
barbers. The primary objective is to enhance the accessibility and quality of products and
services provided by these skilled individuals.

Project Tiger and Project Elephant, two significant conservation initiatives in India, have
been merged under a new division called ‘Project Tiger and Elephant Division’ by the
Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC). Recently, the Prime
Minister also commended the success of Project Tiger on its 50th anniversary.

The ministry of education has selected Oracle Cloud Infrastructure to modernise the
national education technology platform Digital Infrastructure for Knowledge Sharing
(DIKSHA), the company. The migration will help make DIKSHA more accessible and lower
its IT costs. Under the seven-year collaboration pact, OCI will help the ministry use
DIKSHA to provide educational resources to millions of additional students, teachers and
collaborators across the country.

Bhu-Vision (also known as KRISHI-RASTAA Soil Testing System) is a revolutionary IoT-

based automated soil testing and agronomy advisory platform that was recently launched
in India. This system is a game-changer for India’s agriculture sector. It is a smart, fast,
easy, affordable, and accessible solution for soil testing and agronomy. It has been jointly
developed by ICAR-IIRR(Indian Council of Agricultural Research -Indian Institute of Rice
Research) and KrishiTantra.

The Ministry of Education has introduced the Pradhan Mantri Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan
(PM-USHA), a central scheme aimed at enhancing access, equity, and excellence in higher
education across States and Union Territories. However, the requirement for implementing
the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and adopting certain academic criteria to avail
funds has sparked controversy, making the scheme seem exclusivist.