12 Years of Transforming Lives: Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment Uplifts Over 11 Crore aspirational Citizens

The Department of Social Justice and Empowerment (DoSJE) today released a comprehensive review marking 12 years of landmark achievements, highlighting a paradigm shift from basic welfare to absolute empowerment. Through deep-rooted digital interventions, robust legislative safety nets, and targeted livelihood opportunities, the Ministry has directly impacted the lives of over 11 crore students, senior citizens, transgender persons, and marginalized communities across India since 2014.

Revolutionizing Education Through Digital Transparency A multi-layered digital architecture has completely overhauled the delivery of educational assistance. By transitioning to an absolute Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) model linked with Aadhaar-seeded bank accounts from FY 2021-22, the Ministry eliminated leakages and institutional delays. To date, the flagship Post-Matric Scholarship Scheme for Scheduled Castes has supported over 6.12 crore students with an investment of ₹46,581.54 crore.

Similarly, the Pre-Matric Scholarship Scheme has secured the education of 2.99 crore vulnerable students with a ₹4,893.03 crore funding release. Under the PM-YASASVI scheme, over 1,069 lakh students from OBC, EBC, and DNT communities have received financial assistance, residential hostel infrastructure, and premier school placements totaling ₹15,555.53 crore.

Concrete Safeguards for Social Justice and Dignity The Ministry has enforced historic institutional protections. To ensure stringent justice, major amendments to the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act were enacted, establishing Exclusive Special Courts, setting up Victim Rights frameworks, and raising relief amounts. Since 2014, ₹5,012.17 crore has been released, directly supporting 7.26 lakh atrocity victims. On the national health front, the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan (NMBA) has built an unprecedented mass awareness force, reaching more than 26.28 crore citizens, including 9.56 crore youth, mobilized through partnerships with spiritual bodies and digital dashboards.

Specialized Care Frameworks for Senior Citizens and Transgender Persons Under the Atal Vayo Abhyudaya Yojana (AVYAY), senior care has moved from charity to institutional right. Over 8.53 lakh elderly persons have received 46.32 lakh free assistive living devices through Rashtriya Vayoshri camps, while the national "Elderline" (14567) has successfully resolved over 29 lakh calls. Furthermore, the pioneering SMILE scheme has extended legal and economic identity to transgender persons via a unified National Portal, issuing 33,189 certificates, setting up operational 'Garima Greh' shelters, and integrating gender-affirmation procedures into the Ayushman Bharat (PM-JAY) framework.

Fostering Inclusive Entrepreneurship and Mechanical Sanitation Driving economic self-reliance, the Venture Capital Funds for Scheduled Castes (VCF-SC) and Backward Classes (VCF-BC) have collectively approved over ₹750 crore to establish competitive businesses, securing direct employment for thousands. Additionally, under the NAMASTE scheme, the Ministry has championed the complete mechanization of sewer cleaning to replace manual practices, deploying ₹2,383.06 crore in concessional finance to guarantee safety and professional dignity for 3.42 lakh sanitation workers across the country.

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SM/AJ