KURUSHETRA SUMMARY

July 2024

Topic-1 : Lakhpati Didi Initiative: Empowering Rural Women Entrepreneurs

Launched in 2023 by the Ministry of Rural Development, Lakhpati Didi aims to empower women in Self-Help Groups (SHGs) to achieve a sustainable annual household income exceeding Rs. 1,00 lakh.

Target: The program initially aimed for 2 crore Lakhpati Didis but has been expanded to reach 3 crore by 2024-25.

SHGs: Empowering Women

• Over 94 lakh SHGs with 10 crore women form the backbone of the initiative.
• SHGs provide collective action, financial literacy, and skill development for entrepreneurial ventures.
• The initiative facilitates diverse livelihood activities through collaboration across various levels.

Strategy for Success

1. Deepening Livelihood Options:
   • Trained Community Resource Persons will guide households in diversifying income sources using a digital platform.
2. Capacity Building:
   • A cascade training strategy will equip potential Lakhpati Didis across India.
   • Experts will train Resource Persons who will then train Master Trainers in each state/UT.
   • Master Trainers will guide Community Resource Persons selected by State Missions.
3. Financial Assistance:
   • DAY-NRLM helps mobilize financial support for SHG women and their federations.

Financial Schemes

• Revolving Fund (RF): Savings fund within SHGs for internal lending (Rs. 20,000-30,000 per SHG).
• Vulnerability Reduction Fund (VRF): Provided to Village Organisations (VOs) for addressing vulnerabilities (Rs. 1,50,000 per VO).
• Community Investment Fund (CIF): Enhances creditworthiness and empowers women in financial management (up to Rs. 2.50 lakh per SHG).
• Viability Gap Fund (VGF): Supports Cluster Level Federations (CLFs) for operational costs (3 years of financial assistance).

Financial Inclusion & Market Linkages

• SHG members are engaged with financial regulators and commercial banks to empower them financially.
• Women Producer Groups (PGs) can receive financial support for working capital and infrastructure (Rs. 2 lakh per group).
• Producer Enterprises (PEs) are promoted for economies of scale and better market access.
• Women Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) receive equity grants (Rs. 15 lakh over 3 years) from the Ministry of Agriculture.
• Community Enterprise Fund (CEF) supports SHG members in developing enterprises (SVEP with Rs. 6.5 crore budget per block).
• Aajeevika Grameen Express Yojana (AGEY) provides subsidized loans for rural transport services (up to Rs. 8.5 lakh for groups).
• One Stop Facility (OSF) offers business development services (Rs. 2.5 lakh for individual and Rs. 5 lakh for group enterprises).
• Micro Enterprise Development (MED) supports non-farm sector enterprises for SHGs (Rs. 20 lakh budget per block).
• Incubator program aims to scale up 150 women-owned enterprises in each state/UT (Rs. 10.70 crore per state).
• Cluster Promotion supports artisan and sectoral clusters (Rs. 5 crore per cluster for interventions).

Capitalization and Marketing Support

• Collateral-free loans up to Rs. 20 lakh per SHG, interest subvention, and overdraft limits are available.
• Market linkages are provided through buyer-seller meets, e-commerce platforms, and partnerships for SHG products.

 

Topic-2 : Adoption of Digital Technologies in Rural India

Digital Transformation in Rural India

• Rapid adoption of digital technologies is transforming rural India across sectors like education, healthcare, agriculture, and financial inclusion.

Revolutionizing Education

• PM e-Vidya & PMGDISHA schemes provide online learning resources and digital literacy training in remote areas.
• Over 5.5 crore rural citizens have been trained under PMGDISHA since 2017.

Transforming Healthcare

• Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) creates a unified health infrastructure for telemedicine and digital diagnostics.
• Telemedicine usage in rural areas increased by over 700% during the pandemic.

Empowering Agriculture

• Digital India Land Records Modernization Programme (DILRMP) and e-NAM platform empower farmers with land records, weather data, and online marketplaces.
• Precision farming techniques led to a 20-30% increase in crop yields in some states.

Driving Economic Empowerment

• Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) and Unified Payments Interface (UPI) provide access to banking, credit, and digital payments in rural areas.
• The percentage of rural adults with a bank account rose from 53% (2014) to 80% (2021).

Empowering Women

• Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY) and Mahila E-Haat platform provide skill development and entrepreneurial opportunities for rural women.

Bridging the Digital Divide

• Initiatives like BharatNet, Common Service Centres (CSCs), and PMGDISHA aim to improve internet connectivity, access to digital services, and digital literacy training in rural areas.

Challenges and the Way Forward

• Infrastructure gaps, digital literacy, and cultural barriers hinder wider adoption.
• Collaboration between government, private sector, and civil society is crucial to address these challenges.
• Widespread digital adoption is key to unlocking inclusive development and sustainable growth in rural India.

Topic-3 : Rural India: Innovation for Inclusiveness

Innovation for Inclusive Development

• Innovation for development uses modern tools to create inclusive societies (UN definition).
• India’s Global Innovation Index (GII) ranking improved from 48 (2020) to 40 (2023).

Telecommunication: Bridging the Divide

• Phone connections in India surged from 41 million to 943 million (2001-2012).
• Mobile phone density reached 911 million.
• Rural tele-density grew from 1.7% (2004) to 58.5% (2023).
• PM-WANI scheme further increases internet reach in rural areas.

Healthcare: Accessible Quality Care

• e-Sanjeevani telemedicine service provides specialist consultations remotely.
• Over 241 million consultations conducted since 2019 launch.
• Benefits women, senior citizens, and those in remote areas.

Education: Equal Opportunities

• Increased internet penetration and educational apps offer resources to rural students.
• AI integration personalizes learning for rural students.

Banking and Finance: Inclusive Services

• Aadhaar based services improve access to banking and credit.
• Digital payments and agent banking enhance financial inclusion in rural areas.

Agriculture: Boosting Productivity

• 70% of rural households depend on agriculture.
• AI-enabled drones improve farming efficiency.
• Government subsidies support drone use.
• Mobile apps provide information on insurance, weather, and market prices.

Access to Clean Water: Sustainable Solutions

• Startups like Boon offer solar-powered water ATMs with IoT monitoring.
• Bhujal app helps measure groundwater levels for better water management.

Conclusion

• Innovations in rural India align with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
• Robust digital infrastructure and reduced urban bias are crucial for sustained development.