PM-SURAJ PORTAL (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – Govt Scheme)

Context: The Prime Minister of India recently launched the 'Pradhan Mantri Samajik Utthan and Rozgar Adharit Jankalyan' (PM-SURAJ) national portal and approved credit assistance for one lakh entrepreneurs from marginalized backgrounds.

Pradhan Mantri Samajik Utthan and Rozgar Adharit Jankalyan' (PM-SURAJ)

• About: The PM-SURAJ portal reflects the ministry's commitment to prioritizing the development of underprivileged communities.
• Centralized Platform for Disadvantaged Sections: It serves as a unified platform where individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds can apply for and track the progress of various loan and credit schemes tailored to their needs.
• Direct Financial Assistance: This initiative facilitates the direct disbursement of financial aid to beneficiaries, bypassing intermediaries and reducing the prevalence of commissions.
• Focus on Marginalized Segments: The primary objective is to uplift the most marginalized sections of society, ensuring they have equitable access to opportunities for growth and development.
• Implementing Agency: The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.
• Previous Efforts for Social Empowerment: To achieve the vision of a developed India by 2047, it's imperative to extend essential facilities like gas connections, bank accounts, and sanitation amenities to Dalits, backward classes, the deprived, and tribal communities.
• Empowerment of SC, ST, and OBC Communities: The government has doubled its efforts to empower Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Classes, evident in the substantial increase in financial assistance and targeted support programs over the past decade.