Social Justice Ministry Highlights 12 Years of Welfare and Empowerment

The Post-Matric Scholarship Scheme for Scheduled Castes has supported more than 6.12 crore students with funding exceeding ₹46,581 crore.

The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has released a comprehensive review of its work over the past 12 years, highlighting a shift from traditional welfare support to large-scale empowerment initiatives driven by technology, social inclusion and economic opportunity.

According to the Ministry, more than 11 crore beneficiaries, including students, senior citizens, transgender persons, sanitation workers and marginalized communities, have benefited from various schemes and interventions since 2014. The review outlines progress in education, social justice, healthcare, entrepreneurship and livelihood generation.

Digital Reforms Strengthen Educational Support

One of the most significant changes has been the expansion of Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) systems for scholarship programmes. By linking benefits directly to Aadhaar-seeded bank accounts, the Ministry says it has improved transparency and reduced delays in fund distribution.

The Post-Matric Scholarship Scheme for Scheduled Castes has supported more than 6.12 crore students with funding exceeding ₹46,581 crore. The Pre-Matric Scholarship Scheme has benefited nearly 3 crore students through assistance worth ₹4,893 crore.

Under the PM-YASASVI initiative, students from Other Backward Classes (OBC), Economically Backward Classes (EBC) and Denotified, Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Tribes (DNT) have received scholarships, hostel facilities and educational support amounting to over ₹15,555 crore.

Expanding Social Protection and Community Welfare

The Ministry highlighted major efforts to strengthen legal safeguards for vulnerable communities. Amendments to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act introduced Exclusive Special Courts, strengthened victim support mechanisms and increased compensation provisions. Since 2014, more than ₹5,012 crore has been released to support over 7.26 lakh victims of atrocities.

The Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan has also emerged as one of the country's largest awareness campaigns against substance abuse. The initiative has reached more than 26 crore people, including over 9.5 crore young citizens, through community outreach, digital platforms and partnerships with social and spiritual organizations.

Focus on Inclusion, Dignity and Economic Empowerment

Support for senior citizens has expanded under the Atal Vayo Abhyudaya Yojana (AVYAY). More than 8.53 lakh elderly citizens have received over 46 lakh assistive devices through Rashtriya Vayoshri camps, while the Elderline helpline has handled and resolved more than 29 lakh calls.

The Ministry also highlighted progress under the SMILE scheme for transgender persons. Through a dedicated national portal, over 33,000 transgender certificates have been issued, while shelter homes known as Garima Grehs continue to provide support services. Gender-affirmation procedures have also been integrated into the Ayushman Bharat health insurance framework.

Economic empowerment initiatives have received a major boost through Venture Capital Funds for Scheduled Castes and Backward Classes, with more than ₹750 crore approved for entrepreneurship projects. Meanwhile, the NAMASTE scheme has promoted the mechanization of sewer cleaning and improved worker safety, providing concessional finance worth ₹2,383 crore to support more than 3.42 lakh sanitation workers.

The Ministry said these initiatives reflect a broader effort to combine social justice, economic inclusion and technology-driven governance to improve the lives of vulnerable and underserved communities across India.