A revolutionary initiative

A never-seen-before outreach campaign under the banner of Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra (VBSY), launched last month in November, is first of its kind in the history of independent India. The campaign is a serious effort on part of the central government to inform and educate the common masses in every nook and corner of the country about its flagship welfare schemes tailored in the last one decade for various sectors.

In the past one decade, the Modi-led government has launched dozens of customized citizens welfare schemes for every section of the society. The beauty of these schemes has been the features customized strictly in accordance with the living structure and needs of the target group of the populations. Now the Viksit Bharat campaign has added more color to the schemes as it is taking the developmental initiatives to next level by making mass awareness about the benefits that can be derived through these schemes. The extensive details of the schemes like sanitation facilities, essential financial services, electricity connections, access to LPG cylinders, housing for the poor, food security, proper nutrition, reliable healthcare, clean drinking water, etc. are included in the campaign.

Specifically speaking, the publicity of the schemes like Ayushman Bharat ; PMJAY PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana; Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana - National Rural Livelihoods Mission ; PM Awas Yojana (Rural); PM Ujjwala Yojana; PM Vishwakarma; PM Kisan Saman ;Kisan Credit Card (KCC); PM Poshan Abhiyan; Har Ghar Jal - Jal Jeevan Mission; Survey of villages and mapping with improvised technology in village areas (SVAMITVA); Jan Dhan Yojana; Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana; Suraksha Bima Yojana; Atal Pension Yojana; PM PRANAM; Nano Fertilizer etc. using modern mass media channels is going a long way to transform the socio-economic landscape of varied societies and communities.

Remarkably, the Viksit Bharat Campaign, one of the largest ever outreach initiatives, has been designed to cover over 2.55 lakh Gram Panchayats and over 3,600 urban local bodies by January 25, 2024 and would be touching every district of the country. The structure of the initiative has rightly incorporated active participation and involvement of the State Governments, District authorities, Urban Local Bodies and Gram Panchayats. This whole-government element embedded in the campaign has left no scope for lackadaisical approach at any level and would ensure the awareness of right information to the general people.

Providing on the spot services like health camps, Aadhaar enrollment, and MY BHARAT volunteer enrollment; and live demonstrations regarding agriculture activities during the campaign are definitely peddling the yatra in a festival mode.

It is worth mentioning that the Jan Dhan Yojana has proved to be the world’s largest financial inclusion initiative which brought crores of people into the formal banking system. Now the mass awareness about the scheme through Viksit Bharat Campaign is going to extend its outreach and guide the masses to board the digital India platform and avail innumerable benefits of the scheme in a most secure way.

The Viksit Bharat initiative in the context of insurance schemes would prove a game changer as vast segments of the population can get benefitted by mitigating risks through need-based insurance schemes.

Taking a snippet of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speech on the occasion of launching the Viksit Bharat campaign on November 15, 2023. He stated, ”There are 4 pillars of developed India - First - Women of India, our women power Second - Indian farmers, our cattle rearers, fish farmers, our food providers. Third - Youth of India, our youth power Fourth - India’s middle class, India’s poor. The stronger we strengthen these 4 pillars, the higher the pillars of developed India will rise.”

If we look at the structure of the campaign and the intent behind it, the Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra (VBSY) is definitely going to empower the societies/communities with the power of information and turn them into a knowledge bank as far as government welfare schemes tailored in the past one decade are concerned. Needless to mention, this mass inclusiveness driven by the first of its kind Viksit Bharat campaign would especially be elevating the socio-economic status of the lower strata of the people.

As far as union territory of Jammu and Kashmir is concerned, the Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra (VBSY) is yet another central government initiative which has put the region on same page with rest of the regions of the country. Starting the campaign from Budhal and Gurez areas of Rajouri and Bandipora districts respectively on the launching day, braving cold winds, the inhabitants of these areas showed enthusiasm while being part of the yatra. Since its launch, the district administration in all districts of the union territory have been showing a proactive approach to apprise their public, especially the youth, about the benefits of the schemes in vogue for different activities.

Jammu and Kashmir is among the most suitable regions of the country where financial education, awareness of government welfare schemes and guidance to have ease of access to these schemes is of paramount importance.

The newly tailor-made employment generation schemes for various sectors of the economy will reach to the unreached through this campaign. Once aware about the features of these schemes, it would be easy for the aspirants to avail the benefits without hassles.

Since advanced information technology is making sweeping changes in every sector of the economy, the yatra would serve as a training institute on the move to train and equip people of the union territory to board and explore the digital India platform safely.

Meanwhile, generally speaking, at the end, the mass public awareness and participation in developmental and welfare schemes would prove a shot in the arm of India’s campaign towards becoming a developed country by 2047.

The author is a freelancer