Parliament Question: PM-VIKAS Scheme

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF MINORITY AFFAIRS LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.2916 ANSWERED ON 06.08.2025 PM-VIKAS SCHEME 2916. DR. KALYAN VAIJINATHRAO KALE: SHRI BENNY BEHANAN: SHRI JOYANTA BASUMATARY: Will the Minister of MINORITY AFFAIRS be pleased to state: (a) the total number of beneficiaries covered under the PM-VIKAS scheme since its inception in 2023, Community and State-wise particularly in North Eastern States including Bodoland Territorial Region; (b) the training modules, financial assistance and marketing support provided under the scheme to traditional artisans; (c) whether any evaluation or feedback mechanisms have been instituted to assess impact on employment and income enhancement; and (d) the details of the strategy of the Government to integrate PM-VIKAS with local handicraft clusters and MSMEs in minority-concentrated districts? ANSWER THE MINISTER OF MINORITY AFFAIRS (SHRI KIREN RIJIJU) (a) to (d): The Pradhan Mantri Virasat Ka Samvardhan (PM VIKAS) is a Central Sector Scheme of the Ministry which converges five erstwhile schemes viz. ‘Seekho Aur Kamao’, ‘Nai Manzil’, ‘Nai Roshni’, ‘USTTAD’ and ‘Hamari Dharohar’ schemes and focuses on upliftment of six notified minority communities through the following: i. Skilling and Training (Non-traditional and traditional) ii. Women Leadership and Entrepreneurship iii. Education (through National Institute of Open Schooling) iv. Infrastructure Development (through Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram) The scheme also provisions to facilitate credit linkages by connecting beneficiaries with loan programs offered by the National Minorities Development & Finance Corporation (NMDFC). There is also a provision of stipend, to be paid to all beneficiaries of the scheme, through the DBT mode for the training period. Further, training and capacity building of traditional artisans / master craftspersons, is undertaken through the following three routes :- a) NSQF-aligned training in need-based arts/ craft job roles; b) Customized Workshops for improving market linkages and livelihoods of local communities; c) Preservation of cultural heritage of traditional and languishing art and craft forms including Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH).The projects under the scheme are allocated to Program Implementation Agencies(PIA) and hence, state wise/ community wise data of beneficiaries is not available. However, under the scheme, the Ministry has recently allocated projects to institutionsbased in North-eastern states, i.e. State Institute of Hotel Management (SIHM), Tripura; North Eastern Regional Agricultural Marketing Corporation Ltd (NERAMAC); and Nagaland Tool Room & Training Centre (NTTC), Dimapur, Nagaland. Besides, under the PM VIKAS Scheme, the Ministry organizes ‘Lok Samvardhan Parv’ which provides artisans with a unique opportunity to showcase their indigenous arts, crafts, and rich cultural heritage. The event has been designed not only to promote the traditions of minority communities but also to foster an innovative and entrepreneurial environment for artisans. To enhance their skills in areas like marketing, export & online business, design, GST and sales etc., workshops are conducted by the Ministry, with support from the Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts (EPCH), ensuring a holistic approach to empowering their talent and increasing their income. So far, the Ministry has organised 04 Lok Samvardhan Parvs, as under: a. July, 2024 at Dilli Haat, INA, New Delhi b. January, 2025 at Baba Kharak Singh Marg, New Delhi c. April, 2025 at Convocation Ground, Kashmir University, Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir d. June, 2025 at Gandhi Darshan, Raj Ghat, New Delhi PM VIKAS is a scheme that has been rolled out only recently and the implementation of different allocated projects is in initial stages only. Hence, as of now, any evaluation or feedback of these projects have not been done. *****