Content
- PM Vishwakarma Scheme: Honouring Heritage, Powering Progress
- Swasth Nari Sashakt Parivar Abhiyaan
PM Vishwakarma Scheme: Honouring Heritage, Powering Progress
Basics
- Definition: PM Vishwakarma Scheme (launched 17 Sept 2023, on Vishwakarma Jayanti) aims to uplift traditional artisans and craftsmen engaged in 18 family-based trades.
- Financial Outlay: ₹13,000 crore (FY 2023–24 to FY 2027–28).
- Implementing Ministries:
- Ministry of MSME (nodal)
- Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE)
- Department of Financial Services (DFS), Ministry of Finance
- Institutional Mechanism: 497 District Project Management Units (DPMUs) covering 618 districts.
- Target Group: Artisans working with hands/tools in unorganised sector (carpenter, blacksmith, potter, cobbler, tailor, barber, mason, etc.).
Relevance :
- GS II: Inclusive development (SC/ST/OBC, women, PwDs), governance via DPMUs, social mobility of traditional occupations.
- GS III: MSME formalisation, skill development, credit inclusion, exports & ODOP, Atmanirbhar Bharat push.
- GS I: Preservation of cultural heritage, guru-shishya parampara.
Why in News ?
- As of August 31, 2025:
- 30 lakh artisans registered (achieving 5-year target in just 2 years).
- 26 lakh skill verifications completed, 86% completed basic training.
- 23 lakh+ toolkit e-vouchers issued worth ₹15,000 each.
- 4.7 lakh loans sanctioned worth ₹41,188 crore.
- Raajmistri (Mason) is the most registered trade.
Key Features & Benefits
- Recognition: PM Vishwakarma Certificate + ID card.
- Skill Development:
- Stipend: ₹500/day during training.
- Toolkit manuals for standardisation.
- Toolkit Incentive: ₹15,000 e-voucher for modern tools.
- Credit Support (Enterprise Development Loan):
- 1st tranche: ₹1 lakh (18 months repayment).
- 2nd tranche: ₹2 lakh (30 months repayment).
- Interest: 5% (Govt. subvention 8%).
- Digital Incentive: Re.1 per transaction (up to 100/month).
- Marketing Support: Branding, fairs, exhibitions, e-commerce onboarding (GeM), quality certification.
- Inclusion: Women, SC/ST/OBC, PwDs, Transgenders, NER, Islands, Hilly areas.
Achievements
- Registered artisans: 30 lakhs (vs. target 30 lakhs in 5 years → achieved in 2 years).
- Toolkit e-vouchers: 23 lakh+ issued → worth over ₹3,450 crore in tool support.
- Loans sanctioned: 4.7 lakh beneficiaries → ₹41,188 crore sanctioned.
- Training coverage: 26 lakh skill verifications → 86% trained.
- Top States: Karnataka, Maharashtra, MP, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh.
- Top Trades: Mason, Tailor, Garland maker, Carpenter, Cobbler.
Significance
- Economic: Formalises unorganised artisans into MSME ecosystem; reduces dependence on local moneylenders charging 15–20% interest.
- Social: Restores dignity of traditional crafts; empowers marginalised communities and women.
- Cultural: Preserves India’s guru-shishya heritage, handicrafts, and indigenous knowledge.
- Digital India push: Encourages UPI, QR code adoption among rural artisans.
- Employment: Creates sustainable self-employment; artisans moving from daily wage uncertainty to entrepreneurship.
Multi-Dimensional Overview
(a) Economic Angle
- Boosts micro-enterprises → part of Atmanirbhar Bharat & Vocal for Local strategy.
- ₹41,188 crore credit infusion supports rural consumption and local economies.
- Reduces rural-urban migration by creating local livelihood opportunities.
(b) Social & Inclusion
- Focus on women artisans .
- Priority to SC/ST/OBC, transgenders, PwDs.
- Social mobility: e.g., barbers, cobblers, washermen now recognised as entrepreneurs.
(c) Skill & Technology
- Introduction of modern machinery, digital payments, and e-commerce onboarding.
- Toolkit standardisation → productivity and quality improvement.
(d) Cultural & Heritage
- Preserves 18 traditional trades threatened by mechanisation.
- Crafts linked to Make in India and GI-tagged products can gain international visibility.
(e) Governance & Federalism
- DPMUs in 497 districts ensure last-mile delivery and monitoring.
- CSCs used for Aadhaar-linked registration → ensures transparency and avoids duplication.
Challenges & Way Forward
- Scalability: Sustainability beyond financial aid; artisans must compete in globalised markets.
- Awareness: Ensuring coverage in remote tribal, island, and border regions.
- Market Linkages: Avoid middlemen exploitation; need for strong e-commerce integration.
- Technology Adoption: Bridging digital literacy gap among older artisans.
- Monitoring: Risk of ghost beneficiaries and misuse of loans → strong auditing required.
- Global Branding: Need to connect artisans to One District One Product (ODOP), global supply chains, GI certification.
Value Addiition
- According to 2011 Census, ~7 crore artisans in India (unorganised sector).
- Handicrafts sector exports (2023–24): ~$4.1 billion.
- MSMEs contribute ~30% to India’s GDP, ~48% to exports, and employ ~11 crore people → PM Vishwakarma strengthens this base.
- Similar international examples:
- Japan: “Meister” system recognises traditional craftsmanship.
- Germany: Vocational apprenticeships under dual system.
Conclusion
- PM Vishwakarma is not just a welfare scheme but a structural reform for artisan empowerment.
- By linking recognition + skill + credit + markets, it converts artisans into micro-entrepreneurs.
- Success will depend on integration with MSME clusters, ODOP, digital commerce, and GI exports.
- It represents India’s attempt to balance heritage preservation with economic modernisation.
Swasth Nari Sashakt Parivar Abhiyaan
Basics
- Definition: SNSPA is a national health initiative launched in September 2025 by MoHFW & MoWCD to improve women’s health, maternal-child care, and family well-being.
- Scale: Over 1 lakh health camps across Ayushman Arogya Mandirs & CHCs – India’s largest women-centric health outreach.
- Focus Areas: Screening (anaemia, hypertension, diabetes, TB, SCD, cancers), maternal care, immunisation, nutrition awareness, behavioural change, digital monitoring.
- Duration: Runs till 2 October 2025 (Gandhi Jayanti) as a high-impact campaign.
- Platforms Used: Anganwadis, Nikshay Mitras, SASHAKT portal for real-time monitoring.
Relevance :
- GS II: Women’s health empowerment, Poshan 2.0 & Mission Shakti linkages, SDG 3 & 5, digital health governance.
- GS III: Reduces OOPE, boosts productivity, integrates ABHA/PM-JAY.
- GS I: Addresses anaemia, MMR, child mortality, tribal health equity.
Why in News?
- Launched on PM Narendra Modi’s 75th birthday (17 Sept 2025) as a Jan Bhagidari Abhiyaan.
- First-of-its-kind integration of women’s health, family empowerment, and community participation at this scale.
Significance
- Health Crisis Context:
- India has one of the highest burdens of anaemia among women (57% of women aged 15–49, NFHS-5).
- Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR): 97 per 1,00,000 live births (SRS 2020–22) — still above SDG target of <70.
- Child Mortality: Under-5 mortality at 32 per 1,000 live births (SRS 2022).
- Policy Integration: Builds on Poshan 2.0, Mission Shakti, Mission Indradhanush, SUMAN, and global SDG goals.
- Links women empowerment, health, nutrition, governance, SDGs, and behavioural change into one holistic scheme.
Multi-Dimensional Overview
A. Health & Nutrition Dimension
- Comprehensive screenings: Anaemia (iron deficiency + SCD in tribal belts), breast & cervical cancer, diabetes, hypertension, TB.
- Nutritional support: Integrated with Poshan 2.0 and Suposhit Gram Panchayat Abhiyaan.
- Antenatal Care (ANC): Distribution of Mother and Child Protection cards; counselling to reduce maternal deaths.
- Immunisation: Complementary to Mission Indradhanush (5.46 crore children & 1.32 crore pregnant women vaccinated till Dec 2024).
B. Governance & Technology
- SASHAKT portal: Real-time monitoring, accountability, grievance redressal.
- Healthcare worker self-verification ensures compliance by doctors, CHOs, ASHAs.
- Digital enrolment under PM-JAY, ABHA, Ayushman Vaya Vandana.
C. Social Dimension
- Community-driven model via Nikshay Mitras, volunteers, Indian Red Cross.
- Focus on behaviour change: menstrual hygiene, nutrition, sanitation.
- Outreach through Doordarshan, AIR, social media → strengthens health literacy.
D. Women Empowerment Dimension
- Places women’s health at the centre of family well-being.
- Links health to empowerment under Mission Shakti.
- PMMVY + JSY + JSSK integration ensures financial & institutional support.
E. Economic Dimension
- Preventive healthcare reduces out-of-pocket expenditure (OOPE) — still 47.1% of total health spending in India (NHA 2019–20).
- Women’s improved health boosts productivity → contributes to $5 trillion economy & Viksit Bharat 2047 vision.
F. Inclusivity & Equity
- Tribal focus: counselling for Sickle Cell Disease, TB detection, targeted screenings.
- Special reach to rural, tribal & underserved regions through Ayushman Arogya Mandirs.
- Gender equity: PMMVY provides ₹6,000 incentive for girl child (2nd birth).
Impact & Expected Outcomes
- Short-Term (2025):
- Screen millions of women for anaemia, cancer, hypertension.
- Boost immunisation & antenatal check-ups during Poshan Maah.
- Medium-Term (2027):
- Reduction in MMR (from 97 → closer to SDG <70).
- Lower anaemia prevalence among women and children.
- Higher institutional deliveries via JSY & SUMAN.
- Long-Term (2047):
- Stronger health-seeking behaviour.
- Empowered women → healthier families → healthier India.
Value Additions
- Anaemia: 57% of women, 67% of children (NFHS-5, 2019–21).
- Maternal Mortality: 97 per 1,00,000 (SRS 2020–22), down from 130 in 2014–16.
- OOPE: 47.1% of total health expenditure (NHA 2019–20) vs global avg <20%.
- Institutional Deliveries: 89% in NFHS-5 vs 79% in NFHS-4.
- Health Workforce: India has ~1.1 doctors & 1.7 nurses per 1,000 population — below WHO norm of 1:1000 doctors.
Conclusion
- SNSPA is not just a health campaign, but a social reform drive linking health, empowerment, behaviour change, and governance.
- It strengthens the continuum from pregnancy → delivery → child care → women’s wellness.
- Represents a Jan Andolan model, similar to Swachh Bharat Abhiyan → likely to become a flagship for women’s health like SBM was for sanitation.
