The Union Finance Minister Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman told in Lok Sabha that the BJP-led NDA government has helped the SC/ST people in India through various government schemes.
The Government of India, under the leadership of Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has implemented several schemes to uplift vulnerable sections of society, including Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), and Other Backward Classes (OBCs). These initiatives aim to provide financial support, housing, entrepreneurship opportunities, and better living conditions for disadvantaged communities.
Major Benefits for SCs, STs, and OBCs
She said that various government schemes like PM Kisan Yojana, PM Awas Yojana, PM Mudra Yojana have been launched and financial benefits have been provided to SC/ST/OBC category people.
- PM KISAN Yojana
- Around 76% of the farmers benefiting from the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM KISAN) scheme belong to SC, ST, or OBC communities. This scheme provides direct financial assistance to farmers, ensuring income security.
- PM Awas Yojana (Urban & Rural)
- Over the past decade, 1.18 crore houses have been sanctioned for the poor under PM Awas Yojana (Urban).
- Of these, 23 lakh houses have been allocated to SC/ST beneficiaries, while 42 lakh have gone to OBC beneficiaries.
- Under PMAY-Rural, 60% of the houses have been provided to SCs and STs, improving housing accessibility for disadvantaged groups.
- PM MUDRA Yojana
- Approximately 33% of the loans under the Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana have been granted to enterprises led by SC, ST, and OBC entrepreneurs. This initiative promotes self-employment and small businesses.
- PM SVANidhi Scheme
- Nearly 70% of the beneficiaries of the PM Street Vendor’s AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi) scheme belong to SC, ST, or OBC communities. The scheme provides financial support to street vendors to help them expand their businesses.
- Stand-Up India Scheme
- To empower SC/ST entrepreneurs, the Stand-Up India Scheme has disbursed over ₹7,000 crore in loans, encouraging business development among marginalized communities.
- PMFME (Pradhan Mantri Formalization of Micro Food Processing Enterprises)
- Over 65% of loans under this scheme have been given to SC, ST, and OBC beneficiaries, supporting small-scale food processing units and promoting employment.
Special Initiatives for Tribal Welfare
- Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan
- In October 2024, Prime Minister Modi launched this initiative to improve social infrastructure, healthcare, education, and livelihoods in 63,800 tribal villages across India.
- PM JANMAN (Janjatiya Anusandhan Mission)
- On Janjatiya Gaurav Divas 2023, the Prime Minister launched PM JANMAN to provide targeted support to 75 Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) in 18 States and 1 Union Territory.
- The initiative focuses on providing safe housing, clean drinking water, education, healthcare, roads, telecom connectivity, electrification, and sustainable livelihoods.
She said that these efforts reflect the government’s commitment to ensuring economic empowerment, social security, and development opportunities for SCs, STs, and OBCs across the country. This data shows that the government is working towards the welfare of SC/ST and OBC category people. Watch the video below 👇
Following are the benefits to the vulnerable sections – SCs/STs/OBCs – under various initiatives of the Hon'ble PM Shri @narendramodi-led govt:
— Nirmala Sitharaman Office (@nsitharamanoffc) March 25, 2025
✅ Under PM KISAN, around 76% of the farmers are SC/ST/OBC.
✅ Under PM Awas (Urban) in the last decade, over 1.18 crore houses have… pic.twitter.com/5E9E4aHsKk
