Government schemes for poverty alleviation

  1. Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA): Guarantees 100 days of wage employment to rural households.
  2. MGNREGA aims to create sustainable assets like roads, canals, and ponds in rural areas.
  3. Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY): Provides affordable housing for the urban and rural poor.
  4. Under PMAY, beneficiaries receive financial assistance for building or improving their homes.
  5. National Food Security Act (NFSA): Ensures access to subsidized food grains for two-thirds of India's population.
  6. The Public Distribution System (PDS) is a key component of NFSA for food security.
  7. Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY): Provides free food grains during emergencies like the COVID-19 pandemic.
  8. Deen Dayal Antyodaya Yojana: Focuses on skill development and self-employment for rural and urban poor.
  9. Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY): Offers skill training to enhance employability and income levels.
  10. Jan Dhan Yojana: Promotes financial inclusion by providing access to banking services for the unbanked.
  11. The Stand-Up India Scheme: Encourages entrepreneurship among women and SC/ST communities.
  12. Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF): Supports rural infrastructure development to improve living standards.
  13. National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM): Enhances livelihoods through Self-Help Groups (SHGs) and microfinance.
  14. Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS): Addresses malnutrition and healthcare needs of children and pregnant women.
  15. Mid-Day Meal Scheme (MDMS): Provides free meals to schoolchildren to improve nutrition and education.
  16. Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN): Offers direct income support to farmers for poverty reduction.
  17. Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY): Targets the poorest families for food grain distribution at highly subsidized rates.
  18. Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme (IGNOAPS): Provides pensions to senior citizens, widows, and disabled individuals.
  19. Rural Employment Generation Programme (REGP): Promotes self-employment in rural areas through entrepreneurship.
  20. Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM): Focuses on sanitation and hygiene to improve living conditions and health.
  21. National Urban Livelihoods Mission (NULM): Aims to reduce poverty in urban areas by providing skill training and employment.
  22. Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP): Supports micro-enterprises and job creation.
  23. Unorganized Workers Social Security Act: Provides social security benefits for workers in the informal sector.
  24. Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY): Offers health insurance coverage for the BPL population.
  25. Ayushman Bharat: Provides free healthcare to poor and vulnerable families under the PM-JAY scheme.
  26. Skill India Initiative: Improves employability through vocational training programs.
  27. Digital India: Enhances access to digital services for rural and urban poor.
  28. Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana (SAGY): Focuses on holistic development of model villages.
  29. Mission Antyodaya: Aims to uplift the poorest households by converging various schemes.
  30. National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP): Offers pensions and financial assistance to vulnerable groups.
  31. India’s poverty alleviation strategies integrate welfare programs with economic growth.
  32. Many schemes are aligned with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
  33. Challenges include effective implementation, leakages, and targeting beneficiaries.
  34. Poverty alleviation efforts are supported by technology, such as Aadhaar-linked subsidies.
  35. Recent reforms emphasize self-reliance through schemes like Atmanirbhar Bharat.