President Droupadi Murmu visits the stall during the Lakhpati Didi Sammelan, in Jaisalmer. File
| Photo Credit: ANI

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.

The announcement was made by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman while presenting the interim budget for 2024-25. She said the target for training ‘Lakhpati Didi’ would be increased from existing 2 crore to 3 crore.

Budget 2024 updates

“Eighty-three lakh self-help groups with 9 crore women are transforming rural socio-economic landscape with empowerment and self-reliance. Their success has assisted nearly one crore women to become Lakhpati Didi already. They are an inspiration to others. Their achievements will be recognized through honouring them,” Ms. Sitharaman said.

The Finance Minister said that there was a need to focus on four “major castes”. “They are, ‘Garib’ (Poor), ‘Mahilayen’ (Women), ‘Yuva’ (Youth) and ‘Annadata’(Farmer). Their needs, their aspirations, and their welfare are our highest priority,” she said, adding that all four require and receive government support in their quest to better their lives.

She said that there will also be expedition of the upgradation of Anganwadi Centres under “Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0” scheme for improved nutrition delivery, early childhood care and development.

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Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 is an integrated nutrition support programme to address the challenges of malnutrition in children, adolescent girls, pregnant women and lactating mothers through a strategic shift in nutrition content.

Accordingly, the Saksham Anganwadi and POSHAN 2.0 programmes saw the highest allocation of funds at ₹21,200 crore, followed by the Mission Shakti (Mission for Protection and Empowerment for Women) which has been given ₹3,145.97 crore.

The total allocation for the Women and Child Development Ministry for 2024-25 is ₹26,000 crore, a marginal increase of 2.52% from the previous year’s budget.

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Listing the various achievements of her government as far as the women were concerned, the Finance Minister said 30 crore Mudra Yojana loans have been given to women entrepreneurs, female enrolment in higher education has gone up by 28% in ten years. In STEM courses, girls and women constitute forty-three per cent of enrolment – one of the highest in the world.

“All these measures are getting reflected in the increasing participation of women in workforce,” she added.

She further added that making ‘Triple Talaq’ illegal, reserving one-third seats for women in the Lok Sabha and State legislative assemblies, and giving over 70% houses under PM Awas Yojana in rural areas to women as sole or joint owners have enhanced their dignity.