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Economy

Empowering the Poor: A Decade of Inclusive Transformation (UPSC-RAS)

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KEY facts for mains answer -

  1. 25 crore people lifted out of multidimensional poverty.
  2. Multidimensional poverty from 29.17% (2013-14) to  11.28% (2022-23) . [ 17.89 percentage point decline].
  3. Average inflation 8.1% (2004-14) but in last decade 5.1% (2014-25).

1. WATER, SANITATION & HYGIENE (WASH)

  1. Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM)-   funtional tap water coverage to all .
  2. Swachh Bharat Mission  Urban (SBM-U)
  1. Budget -Phase 2, 2021-26 -  128.3% increase.
  2. Door-to-door waste collection increase from 43% to  98%.

♦ ODF+ = ODF + solid/liquid waste management; ODF++ = ODF+ + functional/maintained toilets + safe faecal sludge treatment

C. Swachh Bharat Mission Grameen (SBM-G)

  1. Prior to 2014 approximately 550 million rural Indians lacked sanitation.
  2. Rural sanitation increase from 39% (2014) to 100% (2019); India declared ODF in 2019

2. CLEAN ENERGY & ELECTRIFICATION

A. PM Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) –

  1. 10.57 cr free LPG connections to BPL women.
  2. Total LPG connections  increase from 14.52 cr (2014)  to 33.39 cr (2026) [ 129.9% rise].

 B.PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana -

  1. Up to 300 units free electricity/month via rooftop solar
  2. Solar installations: 30 lakh
  3. Budget: (2026-27)
  4. Beneficiaries: 36.8 lakh households

Rural Electrification

  1. SAUBHAGYA (2017)  100% willing household electrification by March 2019.
  2. DDUGJY (2014)  100% village electrification by 2025.

3. PUBLIC HEALTH & FOOD SECURITY

A. Ayushman Bharat –

  1.  PM-JAYWorld's largest publicly funded health scheme.
  2. Coverage: ₹5 lakh/family/year for bottom 40% [ 12.37 cr families].
  3. Ayushman Cards issued: 43.93 cr (May 2026).

B. PMGKAY -

  1. Free foodgrains to 81 cr+ beneficiaries; extended for 5 years (Jan 2024).
  2. 5.50 lakh (99.8%) Fair Price Shops Aadhaar-automated.
  3. Ration cards 100% digitised.
  4. One Nation One Ration Card (ONORC): 2.07 billion transactions.

4. EDUCATION

A. Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan

Subsumed-   Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan , RMSA  and  Teacher Education

  1. 4,073 schools upgraded; 1.49 lakh ICT/smart classrooms implemented
  2. 25,000 schools covered under skill education

B. Digital Education-

  1. SWAYAM portal (MOOC): 5.80 cr enrolments (Jan 2026)
  2. SWAYAM Prabha: 280+ channels, 3 lakh monthly viewers
  3. DIKSHA: 2.17 cr registered users

5. INFRASTRUCTURE & CONNECTIVITY

Housing

  • PMAY-Urban: 98.10 lakh houses completed and 96% registered in women's names (PMAY-U 2.0)
  • PMAY-Grameen: 3.91 cr sanctioned, 3.03 cr completed and 75% beneficiaries are women

Roads

  • PMGSY: 99.6% eligible habitations connected and roads length 4.11 lakh km.

Digital

  • BharatNet - High-speed broadband to 2.19 lakh Gram Panchayats.
  • UPI -   2,100 cr monthly transactions.
  • eGramSwaraj: ₹3 lakh crore processed; 2.59 lakh PRIs onboarded.

6. LIVELIHOODS & EMPLOYMENT

DAY-NRLM

  1. Women in SHGs: 10 cr; SHGs participation of 91.75 lakh.
  2. Loan disbursement: ₹1.2 lakh crore
  3. Lakhpati Didi (2023): 3.07 cr rural women entrepreneurs.
  4. Namo Drone Didi (2023): 500 drones distributed.

Employment

  1. MGNREGA/Viksit Bharat Rozgar Mission: 125 days/year guarantee; person-days 3,036.7 cr; women's participation 58.19%.
  2. PMKVY: 1.64 cr+ youth trained; PMKVY 4.0 — 27.43 lakh across 38 sectors including AI/Industry 4.0.
  3. eShram Portal 31.64 cr (May 2026).

Financial Inclusion

  1. PM MUDRA Yojana: Loan accounts  57 cr; 66% loans to women; 49% to SC/ST/OBC.
  2. PM Jan Dhan Yojana: Beneficiaries  58.16 cr; balance ₹3.02 lakh crore.
  3. PM SVANidhi: Street vendor loans; beneficiaries  75.27 lakh; 46% female.

7. TRIBAL DEVELOPMENT

  1. PM-JANMAN - 75 PVTGs targeted; 2.66 lakh houses, 1,949 km roads, 750 Mobile Medical Units (Feb 2026).
  2. PM Janjatiya Unnat Gram Abhiyan (2024): 12.89 lakh houses sanctioned.