PM VIKAS - GOVERNMENT SCHEME
News:
Budget 2023 | Finance Minister announces PM-VIKAS package for artisans and
craftspeople
What's in the news?
● Union
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced a package of assistance for
artisans and craftspeople while presenting the Union Budget 2023-24 in
Parliament.
PM-VIKAS Scheme:
● The
newly-conceptualized Pradhan Mantri
Vishwakarma Kaushal Samman (PM-VIKAS) scheme will enable the country’s artisans to improve the quality, scale, and reach
of their products, integrating them with the Micro, Small and Medium-scale
Enterprises (MSME) value chain.
Vishwakarma:
● For
centuries, traditional artisans and craftspeople who worked with their hands
using tools have brought renown to India and are generally referred to as
‘Vishwakarma’.
● Invoking
the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat,
the art and handicrafts created by the Vishwakarma represent the true spirit of
a self-reliant India.
Aim:
● The
PM VIKAS aims to unlock the potential of thousands of artists and craftspeople
around the nation, through the provision
of skills training, technology, and the opening of credit lines to them.
● The
"Vishwakarma" will contribute to India's growth story and grow into a
significant part of the country's growth as they seize the prospects for
progress.
Objectives:
The
scheme will achieve its objective:
● by
increasing the caliber of the artisans.
● by
increasing the reach of their goods.
Ministry: Ministry of MSME.
Components:
The
Minister highlighted some of the key components of the new scheme. These
include:
● Financial support
● Access
to advanced skill training
● Knowledge
of modern digital techniques and
efficient green technologies
● Brand promotion
● Linkage
with local and global markets
● Digital
payments
● Social
security.
Social inclusion:
● Ms.
Sitharman said that the PM-VIKAS scheme would greatly benefit women and people
belonging to the weaker sections of society, including Scheduled Castes,
Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Castes.