On the occasion of India’s 77 th Independence Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressing
the nation from the Red Fort, New Delhi said that he has taken the issue of women-led
development in G-20, where it has received a lot of support. In an effort to reach out to the
economically marginalized and socially backward community before the 2024 Lok Sabha
elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 15, 2023, Tuesday announced two new
initiatives- Vishwakarma Yojna and Lakhpati Didi.
The Vishwakarma Yojna, is a new scheme with an expected expenditure of Rs.13,000 crore
to 15,000 crore for people having traditional skills. PM Modi said, ̎In the upcoming days, we
will launch a program on the coming Vishwakarma Jayanti. On this Vishwakarma Jayanti we
will give about Rs.13,000 crore to Rs.15,000 crore to the people who live with traditional
skills, who work with tools and with their own hands, mostly from the OBC community. Be it
our carpenters, our goldsmiths, our masons, our laundry workers, our barber brothers and
sisters…̎
̎The other, Lakhpati Didi scheme under which skill training will be provided to two crore
women so that they can earn at least Rs.1 Lakh annually. Addressing to the nation from the
Red Fort, PM Modi announced that, ̎Today we are working on women self-help groups with
the aim of creating two crore Lakhpati Didi’s. While taking forward the issues of women-led
development in the G-20, Prime Minister promoted women’s potential, their power and
said that the whole G-20 group is accepting its importance and is giving a lot of support ̎.
PM Narendra Modi added, ̎Today 10 crore women are associated with Women Self Help
Groups and if you go to a village, you will see women working in Banks, in Anganwadi or in
giving medicines. Now my dream is to create 2-crore Lakhpati Didi’s with an earning of 1
Lakh or more.̎ To implement this scheme, a new alternative in the form of Science and
Technology will be used and they will impart drone pilot training to women so that
technology can be brought in the agriculture sector. Initially the Government of India will
start with drone flights by 15 thousand Women Self Help Groups.
In response to the Prime Minister’s announcement of providing drone pilot training to the
members of Women Self Help Groups, Deepak Bhardwaj, co-founder and director, IoTech
World Avigation, one of India’s leading Agri-drone manufacturers said, ̎ The announcement
of Hon’ble Prime Minister to provide drones to 15,000 Women Self Help Groups, train them
to fly and repair, will revolutionize India’s agriculture landscape and will give more power to
women which is key for the growth of our nation. It is likely to speed up adoption of drone
technology in the field of agriculture and will lead to substantial employment generation
and agribusiness opportunities in rural areas ̎.
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