VISHWAKARMA YOJANA
CONTEXT:
- PM Modi announced the Vishwakarma Yojana in his address to the nation on India’s 77th Independence Day.
ABOUT VISHWAKARMA YOJANA:
- The Vishwakarma Yojana has been announced in the wake of many artisan families moving away from their professions and the arts due to a lack of funding, recognition, training, income, and a host of other challenges.
- The Vishwakarma Yojana is a visionary initiative by the Indian government designed to extend financial assistance to individuals engaged in traditional crafts and skills.
- This scheme seeks to provide a strong support system to artisans, enabling them to flourish in their crafts while also contributing to the preservation of India’s rich cultural heritage.
OBJECTIVES OF THE YOJANA:
- The scheme aims to improve the quality, scale, and reach of products and services available to artisans by exposing them to better and accessible raw material, tools, training on product development, etc.
- Under the scheme, the beneficiaries will be integrated with international and domestic value chains by providing marketing, packaging and branding assistance as well as access to markets.
- The beneficiaries of the Vishwakarma Yojana will encompass those engaged in traditional crafts requiring specialized skills.
- The Vishwakarma Scheme was formally announced in the 2023 Budget.
- The Vishwakarma Yojana will encourage growth among professions such as goldsmiths, ironsmiths, washermen, hairdressers, hairdressers, and masons among others.
- Artisans and craftsmen from myriad sectors, such as metal, wood, textiles, clay, stone, leather, bamboo, paper, glass, and cane would be covered under this scheme.
BENEFICIARIES UNDER THE YOJANA:
- All those who are involved in craftsmanship that requires traditional skills will be benefitted by the Vishwakarma yojana.
- To be launched on the occasion of Vishwakarma Jayanti in September this year, the scheme will start with an outlay of Rs 13,000 to 15,000 crore for these people.
SYLLABUS: PRELIMS, CURRENT AFFAIRS
