Over the course of the last nine years, the laser-sharp focus of the Government under PM Modi’s leadership has been on alleviation, and eventual elimination of poverty on the one hand and according dignity to the hitherto marginalised on the other. It is perhaps this latter thrust – that of making everyone feel included, valued and respected for their contribution to social progress that redefines the concept of “serving the poor” in the true sense. No other Government has been intrinsically aligned with the needs and expectations of the poor as diligently.
As PM Modi has himself stated in recent public appearances, the direct benefits of schemes and policies assume multiplied significance when they get translated to second-order benefits that give more implied incentives and advantages than was originally proposed or planned. Take the Swachh Bharat Mission – Gramin, as a forerunner.
Under SBM-Gramin, all the villages in the country declared themselves ODF by October 2, 2019. Thus, the ODF target, women’s safety and hygiene and the increased enrolment of girls in schools (thereby in the upcoming workforce and the country’s economic progress) is one such example of one power policy having a multiplier, ongoing effect.
The decision to reach each one, in every corner – har ghar – through awas, through ration, through clean energy, has been a unique dimension of the last nine years. Har Ghar Ration; PM-GKAY has been under implementation since April 2020, as the largest food security program in the world. Har Ghar Jal (Jal Jeevan Mission)- more than eight crore rural households with more than 40 crore people have been benefitted under the programme. Har Ghar Bijli (Saubhagya Yojana)- close to 3 crore households were electrified under the SAUBHAGYA Yojana, covering over 99.9per cent of the households.
Till date, over 9.59 crore LPG connections have been released under Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, fulfilling the promise of Har Ghar Gas Cylinder with Ujjwala Yojana. Under the Har Ghar Bank account (Jan Dhan Yojana), more than 48 crore beneficiaries have banked under PMJDY since inception. These initiatives have a clear mandate – to reach every house in order to support the overall economic development of the marginalised sections of society.
India delivered over 2 billion doses of the COVID vaccine as part of what is considered the biggest immunisation campaign in the world. In just 18 months, India successfully administered more than two crore doses of COVID-19 vaccines across the nation. This, without any added provisos of affordability – meaning everyone across the social spectrum had access to immunisation.
The benefits that have accrued to the poor are convertible, as is seen in the schemes above and also palpable – for example, under PMGKY, an increase in MNREGA wage to Rs 202 a day from Rs 182 benefits 13.62 crore families.Thousands of Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Kendras (PMBJKs) have been opened to provide quality generic medicines at affordable prices across the country. When it comes to loans, again a core need that fuels bigger dreams, under the aegis of the Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY), close to 41 crore loans have been sanctioned since the launch of the scheme.
These are all intended as tools to empower and enrich the lives of the poor sections of our society. To drive home the need for seamlessness in transactions, Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) was made applicable across the country in December 2014, just six months into the tenure of PM Modi- led Government. His vision saw a resounding endorsement in terms of the people’s trust when a growth of more than 200per cent in digital payment volume was recorded during the last four years since 2018-19. UPI transactions alone have grown eight times in the last three years, and 50 times in the last 4 years.
With over 41 crore people in India exiting poverty between 2005-06 and 2019-20 due to the incessant, committed efforts of the PM Modi Government, we are today on track to eliminate extreme poverty by 2024.
The Government and the people have responded to PM Modi’s earnest mission by making it their own – thus, the concept of people’s participation comes into play. Mission Amrit Sarovar is a great example of how Jan Bhagidari plays a crucial role in achieving inclusion, emancipation and development.
Aimed at developing and rejuvenating 75 water bodies in each district of the country, it has achieved 60per cent of the target has been achieved with over 30,000 Amrit Sarovars constructed in the span of 9 months.
The Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana launched to enhance rural connectivity and offer all-weather roads, is another such initiative where the use of green technology rationalises the construction cost and also facilitates effective waste disposal while conserving the use of virgin mining materials. The multiplier effect – or aforementioned ripple benefits are the added incentive to visit different parts of the country with ease of transportation and travel!
Finally, when PM Modi stressed on the use of the term ‘Divyang’ instead of ‘Viklang”, it raised awareness and enhanced the sensitivity towards this hitherto marginalised section. All new and existing schemes now ensure the basic minimum right of ‘accessibility’ to the Divyangjan. The primary objective of Antyodaya where PM Modi which entails the “Whole of Government Approach” with a clear objective to ensure effective utilisation of resources through the convergence of various government schemes for each marginalised household is to touch and transform – everyone. Similarly, his commitment to the empowerment of women, especially tribals, Mulsim women and those from De-Notified and Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Tribes (DNTs), shows his Government’s undiluted commitment to the upliftment of the marginalised, even among the poor.
So, going beyond what is needed by the poor, going beyond just meeting their expectations, PM Modi-led Government has, in many ways, exceeded the expectations of those that deserve it most and has given ‘service to poor’ a meaningful new direction for the next many years. The last few have set the tone and tenor for the next many years by way of Har Ghar, Har Pal Garib Kalyan and Garib Samman.
COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS
Then v/s Now
1.2.6 times rise in rural expenditure in 9 years (in Rs thousand crore)
o 2015-16: 90
o 2023-24(BE): 238
2. Gig Economy Jobs Boom by 208per cent! (In lakhs)!
o 2011-12: 25
o 2020-21: 77
3. Ministry of tribal affairs allocation up by 119per cent(in Rs. crore)
o 2014-15 (Actual Expenditure): 3,832
o 2022-23 (Budget Estimate): 8,407
4. 291per cent Growth in Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maan-Dhan (Rs crore)
o 2018-19: 49.5
o 2022-23: 194*
*(Up to 1.3.2023. Scheme launched in 2019)
FLAGSHIP SCHEME AND THEIR PERFORMANCES
5. Pro-Poor- Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY)
· 80 crore+ citizens- fed, world’s largest food security scheme
· Rs 53,679 crore- worth economic impact generated during COVID
· Over 94per cent – of foodgrain distribution via Electronic Point of Sale (EPoS)
· 99.5per cent Aadhaar seeding by March 2023
· “Mera Ration” app- registered 20 lakh downloads in 2 years.
6.Deepened Entrepreneurial Spirit- Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY)
· 40 crore+ – loans disbursed by 2023.
· Rs 4.5 lakh crore+ – disbursed in FY 2022-23 alone
· 70per cent- loans to women beneficiaries.
· 51per cent -of loan accounts are entrepreneurs of SC/ST & OBCs
· 3.72 crore – Total jobs generated (approx. since inception)
7.Easier Healthcare Accessibility- Ayushman Bharat- PM Jan Arogya Yojana
· 4.8 crore + – hospital admissions till 2023 under world’s largest health assurance
· Rs. 1,393 crore – authorised for admissions via portability.
· Per capita- Govt. spending on healthcare doubled b/w FY 2015-20
· 22 crore+- verified beneficiaries as on January 2023
· Over 1.59 lakh health & wellness centres providing free primary health care
8. Easy Access to Cooking Fuel- Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY)
· 9.59 crore + -PMUY connections 2023
· 4.49 crore- dummy LPG connections weeded out as of 2022.
· 14.17 crore- free refills provided FY 2020-21
· Rs. 71,301 crore+ – savings to the national exchequer as on 2022.
· 104per cent – coverage achieved
9 BIG ACHIEVEMENTS
Progressive Welfare Outcomes Redefine Service Deliveries
· Rs. 7557 crore loan sanctioned under Stand-Up India to SC and ST beneficiaries
· 80 crore+ poor to be provided free food grains under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana
· Rs. 5,182 crore disbursed in 42.87 lakh accounts under PM SVANidhi (March 2023)
· 48.9 crore+ Jan Dhan Accounts opened
· 4 crore +house sanctioned under PMAY.
· 28.90 crore- Unorganised workers registered in E- Shram Portal
· DBTs-Rs. 29 lakh crore directly transferred to beneficiary bank accounts under various schemes
· Rs. 71,301 crore (Savings due to weeding away dummy LPG connections as on November 2022)
· Rs. 13,290 crore claims settled under PM Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana
ON GLOBAL STAGE
· Indian blind cricket team wins T-20 World Cup for 3rd consecutive time
· World’s biggest -Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana inclusion initiative in the world
· World’s Largest-Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana food security program
· BharatNet -World’s largest rural broadband connectivity project
· World’s largest-India’s cooperative sector is the world’s largest.
· India has one of the largest networks of Ramsar Sites in Asia.
· 50 crore people enrolled under PM Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana & PM Suraksha Bima Yojana exceeds 7 times the population of Italy
· 11 crore+ toilets provided under Swachh Bharat Mission Gramin exceeds number of COVID vaccines given in Poland by 2023.
OTHER HIGHLIGHTS
· PM SVANidhi generates Rs. 45,000 crore worth digital transactions through microfinance for street vendors
· Rs. 104 crore+104 crore+ transactions in 3.5+ years till 2023 through Nation-wide portability of the One Nation One Ration Card
· Rs.1- Janaushadhi Suvidha Oxy-Biodegradable Sanitary Napkin sales surpass Rs.35 crore.
· 14 crore + free LPG refills provided to Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) beneficiaries during COVID- 19.
· PM Ujjwala Yojana saves from toxic kitchen smoke equivalent to smoking 400 cigarettes per hour
· 1.44 lakh loans worth Rs. 33,152 crore under Stand-Up India to women.
· 28per cent increased allocation during FY 18-23 to POSHAN scheme to benefit children’s nutrition
· 70per cent of PM Awas-Gramin beneficiaries are women.
· 27.7per cent in FY21 increased Rural Female Labour Force Participation Rate (FLFPR) because of rural growth and amenities.
· 291per cent rise in members in Self Help Groups in 9 years due to more awareness camps
· 1.3 crore+ candidates trained/oriented under Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana, December 31December 31, 2022
· 2.83 crore rural homes completed with quality in a span of 9 years
· PM Vishwakarma Kaushal Samman Yojana to support traditional artisans across India, Budget 2023
· 1.24 crore+ property cards digitalised in over 2 lakh villages under SVAMITVA scheme, March 2023
· 8.9 crore+ women mobilised into over 82 lakh SHGs under Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-NRLM, February 2023.
