SMILE Scheme: In News
The SMILE scheme has rehabilitated over 10200 persons engaged in begging across 216 cities in India.
- The SMILE (Support for Marginalized Individuals for Livelihood and Enterprise) is an umbrella programme of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.
- It is a central sector scheme.
- It aims to realise the vision of a “Bhiksha Vritti Mukt Bharat” (Begging-Free India) by adopting a convergence-based approach involving
the Central Government, State Governments, Union Territories, district administrations, urban local bodies, municipal corporations and implementing agencies. - It will cover 295 cities by the financial year 2030-31, with a special focus on metropolitan centres as well as religious, tourist and historical destinations.
- The larger scheme includes the:
- ‘Central Sector Scheme for Comprehensive Rehabilitation for Welfare of Transgender Persons’
- Central Sector Scheme for Comprehensive Rehabilitation of Persons Engaged in the Act of Begging
- These two schemes provide comprehensive welfare and rehabilitation measures to the transgender community and the people engaged in the act of begging.
- To strengthen implementation and transparency, the Ministry has introduced the SMILE-Beggary National Portal, which enables digital registration, monitoring and tracking of rehabilitation centres and shelter homes.
