LAKHPATI DIDI SCHEME (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – Govt Scheme)

Context: Buoyed by its success, the Centre has decided to increase the target for ‘Lakhpati Didi’ scheme, which aims to train women’s self-help groups to earn a sustainable income of at least ₹one lakh per annum by setting up micro-enterprises within their villages.

Lakhpati Didi Scheme

• About: The announcement to promote women's engagement in micro-enterprises was made during the Independence Day speech.
• Objective: The government, through the Lakhpati Didi Initiative, aims to train two crore women, fostering the creation of micro-enterprises within their respective villages.
• Sustainable Income Goals: The program's objective is to train women in self-help groups (SHGs), empowering them to generate a sustainable annual income of at least Rs 1 lakh per household.
• Target: Train two crore women
• Diverse Skill Development: Women under the scheme will receive training in various skills like plumbing, LED bulb making, drone operation and repair, tailoring, and weaving.
• Transformative Rural Economy Vision: The Ministry of Rural Development is adopting a comprehensive, whole-of-government approach to bring about maximum impact and convergence, aiming to transform the rural economy by empowering 'Lakhpati Didis.’

Self Help Groups (SHGs): They are small groups of poor people. The members of an SHG face similar problems. They help each other, to solve their problems. SHGs promote small savings among their members. The savings are kept with the bank. This is the common fund in the name of the SHG. The SHG gives small loans to its members from its common fund

• SHG is an informal group and registration under any Societies Act, State cooperative Act or a partnership firm is not mandatory.