**Executive Summary**
This document is the response of the Minister of Minority Affairs to questions regarding the Nai Roshni Scheme, specifically concerning vocational training for minority women, access to credit for Self-Help Groups, a dedicated portal for minority women entrepreneurs, and actions to remove social barriers. The document clarifies that the Nai Roshni Scheme has been discontinued and replaced by the Women Leadership and Entrepreneurship component within the PM VIKAS scheme. The response was provided on December 3, 2025.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Nai Roshni Scheme Status:**
* The Nai Roshni Scheme, a Leadership Development Programme for Minority Women, was launched in 2012-13.
* The scheme has been discontinued and no new vocational training courses have been launched under it.
* The scheme has been integrated into the PM VIKAS scheme as the Women Leadership and Entrepreneurship component.
* **PM VIKAS Scheme (Women Leadership and Entrepreneurship Component):**
* Training is provided in three courses:
* Leadership and Basic Entrepreneurship Development
* Entrepreneurial Development
* Business Mentorship/ Business Correspondents (Biz Sakhis/ Udyami Mitra)
* An allocation of a target of 3380 candidates has been made under the Women leadership and entrepreneurship component of the PM VIKAS scheme.
* **Access to Credit and Marketing Links:**
* The PM VIKAS scheme aims to promote individual or group enterprises among 30% of beneficiaries trained under the Entrepreneurship Development module.
* This is done by establishing linkages with financial institutions such as NMDFC, Banks, and NBFCs to promote development of individual or group enterprises among minority women.
* The Ministry organizes Minority community specific events viz. Lok Samvardan Parvs to provide a marketing platform for minority artisans/ craft persons/ culinary experts (including Minority women).
* **Dedicated Portal:**
* The Ministry has not launched a dedicated portal to showcase artisanal products manufactured by minority women entrepreneurs.
* **Ensuring Participation of Minority Women:**
* A certain percentage of total candidates to be trained are earmarked for women beneficiaries under the PM VIKAS Scheme.
* At least 33% of the total target is reserved for women beneficiaries in Traditional Training and Non-traditional Skilling sub-components.
* At least 50% of the total target is reserved for women beneficiaries in the Education component.
* The Women Leadership and Entrepreneurship Component (earlier Nai Roshni Scheme) is exclusively for women beneficiaries.
**Impact Analysis**
**Stakeholder: Minority Women**
* **Impact:** The change from the Nai Roshni Scheme to the PM VIKAS scheme's Women Leadership and Entrepreneurship component will impact how minority women receive leadership and entrepreneurship training.
* **Action Required:** Participate in the Women Leadership and Entrepreneurship component of the PM VIKAS scheme to receive training and support in developing enterprises and accessing financial resources.
**Stakeholder: Government/Ministry of Minority Affairs**
* **Impact:** Shift in program structure and a need to manage the transition and integration of Nai Roshni into the PM VIKAS framework.
* **Action Required:** Ensure effective implementation of the Women Leadership and Entrepreneurship component of the PM VIKAS scheme, monitor progress toward targets, and facilitate access to financial institutions and marketing opportunities for minority women.
**Stakeholder: Financial Institutions (NMDFC, Banks, NBFCs)**
* **Impact:** Expected to provide financial assistance and support to minority women entrepreneurs who participate in the PM VIKAS scheme.
* **Action Required:** Establish linkages with the PM VIKAS scheme to provide credit and financial resources to minority women entrepreneurs to enable them to set up enterprises/self-employment ventures.
Key Entities Referenced
Pradhan Mantri Virasat Ka Samvardhan (PM VIKAS): An integrated scheme that includes the Women Leadership and Entrepreneurship component, which previously was the Nai Roshni Scheme, providing training to minority women.
Ministry of Minority Affairs: The primary ministry responsible for implementing and overseeing the Nai Roshni Scheme and later the Women Leadership and Entrepreneurship component under the PM VIKAS scheme.
Nai Roshni Scheme: A Leadership Development Programme for Minority Women launched in 2012-13, now discontinued and integrated into the PM VIKAS scheme as the Women Leadership and Entrepreneurship component.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF MINORITY AFFAIRS
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 480
ANSWERED ON 03.12.2025
NAI ROSHNI SCHEME
†480. SHRI JASWANTSINH SUMANBHAI BHABHOR:
SMT. VIJAYALAKSHMI DEVI:
SHRI BUNTY VIVEK SAHU:
Will the Minister of MINORITY AFFAIRS be pleased to state:
(a) the names of the new vocational training courses launched specifically for minority
women under the Nai Roshni Scheme;
(b) the manner in which the Government is providing encouragement to provide access to
credit and marketing links for women Self-Help Groups (SHGs);
(c) whether a dedicated portal has been launched to showcase products manufactured by
minority women entrepreneurs and if so, the details thereof; and
(d) the various steps taken/being taken by the Government to remove social barriers to ensure
participation of minority women in economic activities?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF MINORITY AFFAIRS
(SHRI KIREN RIJIJU)
(a): The Nai Roshni Scheme, a Leadership Development Programme for Minority Women
was launched in 2012-13 with an objective to empower and instill confidence among
minority women by providing knowledge, tools and techniques for interacting with
Government systems, banks and other institutions at all levels. The said scheme has now been
discontinued and accordingly, no new vocational training courses have been launched
specifically for minority women under the Nai Roshni Scheme.
However, the scheme has now been converged as a Women Leadership and
Entrepreneurship component into an integrated scheme viz. Pradhan Mantri Virasat Ka
Samvardhan (PM VIKAS), wherein under the Women leadership and entrepreneurship
component, training in following three courses are provided to minority women:-
i. Leadership and Basic Entrepreneurship Development
ii. Entrepreneurial Development
iii. Business Mentorship/ Business Correspondents (Biz Sakhis/ Udyami Mitra)
Till now, an allocation of a target of 3380 candidates has been made under Women
leadership and entrepreneurship component of the PM VIKAS scheme.
(b) and (c): A key deliverable in the Women Leadership and Entrepreneurship component of
the PM VIKAS scheme is to promote development of individual or group enterprises
amongst 30 percent of the beneficiaries trained under the Entrepreneurship Development
module to setup enterprises/ self-employment ventures in line with the vision of ‘AtmaNirbhar Bharat’, by establishing linkages with financial institutions such as NMDFC, Banks,
NBFCs.
Besides, the Ministry of Minority Affairs organises Minority community specific
events viz. Lok Samvardan Parvs to provide an effective marketing platform, wherein
opportunity is given to minority artisans/ craft persons/ culinary experts (including Minority
women) from across the country to display and market their handcrafted, indigenous and
artisanal products. These events help in generating employment and livelihood opportunities,
besides exposing them to business opportunities and a wider market presence.
As such, the Ministry has not launched a dedicated portal to showcase artisanal
products manufactured by minority women entrepreneurs yet.
(d): To ensure participation of minority women, a certain percentage of total candidates to
be trained are earmarked for women beneficiaries under PM VIKAS Scheme:
i. At least 33 percent of the total target is reserved for women beneficiaries in the
Traditional Training and Non-traditional Skilling sub components
ii. At least 50 percent of the total target is reserved for women beneficiaries in the
Education component
iii. Women Leadership and Entrepreneurship Component (earlier Nai Roshni Scheme) is
exclusively for women beneficiaries.
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