Latest Indian Government Schemes for Welfare
The constitution of India established the Indian Union as a welfare state. This has been ostensibly reflected in the Preamble and the Directive Principles, which were laid down in the constitution. To continue fostering this spirit, the Indian government has implemented a number of welfare schemes targeting the deprived sections of society. They seek to provide economic, political and social justice to the poor people. Here’s a brief about a few government welfare schemes:
The PMAY Yojana
This is one of the most ambitious projects covered under the government’s jurisdiction. Its primary mission is ‘Housing for all’. It is broadly divided into two categories: PMAY- G for rural areas and PMAY-U for urban areas. It offers a credit-linked subsidy for all its beneficiaries.
The main objective of this scheme is to construct over 20 million homes for people belonging to the economically weaker sections of the society. It focuses on the following broad objectives:
1. Affordable housing for the poor via a credit-linked subsidy scheme.
2. Rehabilitation of the inhabitants of the slums.
3. Providing affordable housing with the cooperation and coordination of the private entities and the government.
Features of the PMAY Scheme:
1. PMAY will provide an interest of 6.5 percent on the housing cost availed by the applicants/ beneficiaries.
2. The scheme has been termed as a pro-women scheme owing to its preference towards women beneficiaries.
3. The houses constructed under this scheme will be eco-friendly.
The Ayushman Bharat Yojana or PM-JAY:
Ayushman Bharat Yojana is another initiative undertaken to bring about a positive impact in the healthcare sector.
It is projected to provide healthcare facilities to more than 10 crore families from both urban and rural areas. It is one of the biggest healthcare schemes to be sponsored by the government. The Prime Minister of India launched this scheme in the year 2018 on Independence Day. This scheme was initially named as Ayushman Bharat Yojna. Later, it was renamed as PM Jan Arogya Yojana. It will subsume the existing healthcare scheme of the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana.
The Beneficiaries of PM-JAY:
The scheme has been designed to benefit poor families in both the rural and urban landscape. There are over 8 crore families in the rural, and approximately 3 crore families in the urban sector who are entitled as beneficiaries of the PM-JAY. The beneficiaries are determined as per the SECC 2011 data. The families falling under deprived categories from D1 through D7 of the SECC 2011 data are all eligible under this scheme. Moreover, in the urban landscape, there are 11 occupational parameters that will determine eligibility. The list of eligible families has already been shared with the respective state governments and a dedicated NHPM identification code is to be allocated to the eligible families.
The Soil Health Card Scheme:
This is yet another welfare initiative undertaken by the government to reduce the risk of failure of crops, and also to manage the health of the soil. It was launched in the year 2015 and falls under the Ministry of Agriculture and Welfare Ministry. The soil health card provides farmers with a detailed health report of the soil and further, directs farmers to make use of appropriate fertilizers in order to increase the fertility. Over the period of its implementation, it has shown a significant reduction in the farm input cost.
There are many farmers who are bereft of global climate change and its impact on soil fertility. Hence, it acts like a guide for them to implement the right techniques for farming, whilst taking into consideration the soil health.
The soil health card is a printed report given to the farmer and is renewed every three years. The collection of soil samples for testing is undertaken by the state government and is usually done after the harvesting seasons. The soil samples are further sent to the laboratory for testing. This scheme is unlike any other scheme that has been implemented previously as it is more science-oriented. Furthermore, the implementation of this scheme is deemed more robust, as the same individual who collects a sample of soil is responsible for conducting the soil health analysis. This ensures there are no errors in the chain of communication.
These were the few noteworthy Bharat sarkar yojana, undertaken by the government of India to propel India and its people towards a better future.
