IMPLEMENTATION OF CHINTAN SHIVIR 2025 RECOMMENDATIONS

IMPLEMENTATION OF CHINTAN SHIVIR 2025 RECOMMENDATIONS

The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MoSJE) organizes Chintan Shivir to review implementation of various programmes and schemes, discuss issues and challenges faced by States/UTs in implementing the schemes, share best practices and innovations by the States/UTs as well as suggestions for improvement and way forward. The suggestions given in the Chintan Shivir 2025 were factored into various schemes and best practices were adopted for various sectors for which the Ministry is mandated.

A Working Group Committee set up by this Ministry for revision of guidelines of Scholarships for Scheduled Castes students, has inter-alia looked into the following issues of scholarships to enhance outreach, achieve access and saturation across the country, and to improve the existing system to enhance efficiency and address emerging challenges:

The Ministry has taken several steps to enhance the effectiveness of schemes like Pradhan Mantri Anusuchit Jaati Abhyuday Yojana (PM-AJAY), Scheme for Economic Empowerment of DNTs (SEED) and National Action for Mechanised Sanitation Ecosystem (NAMASTE)

Pradhan Mantri Anusuchit Jaati Abhyuday Yojana (PM-AJAY)

Under the Adarsh Gram Component of PM-AJAY scheme, the scope of coverage has been expanded to include all eligible villages meeting the selection criteria of having at least 40% Scheduled Caste population and a total population of 500 or more, thereby enhancing the overall effectiveness of the scheme.

Scheme for Economic Empowerment of DNTs (SEED)

An additional 2,000 Self-Help Groups (SHGs) has been sanctioned in Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh. Coordination with the States has improved significantly, particularly in the opening of bank accounts for SHGs. The number of SHG bank accounts has increased from 1,814 in April 2025 to 3,000 at present. Under the Ayushman Bharat initiative, 4.5 lakh Ayushman cards have been sanctioned across seven States – Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Haryana. Agencies have been hired to facilitate doorstep delivery of cards and organize camps for card distribution.

National Action for Mechanised Sanitation Ecosystem (NAMASTE)

Some of the components of NAMASTE scheme have been modified to further strengthen and ensure effective implementation of the scheme. With a view to advancing the ultimate goal of mechanization and incentivizing private sector stakeholders, a new component of providing upfront capital subsidy to them to procure and deploy mechanized cleaning equipments/vehicles has been added in the scheme. Further, per person upfront capital subsidy for Sanipreneur has been increased to 50 percent of the unit cost.

This information was provided by UNION MINISTER OF STATE FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT, SHRI B.L.VERMA, in a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha today.

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