Lok Sabha Question No. 2708 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-05-10
Subject: Economic Empowerment of SCs
Ministry: SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT
Asked by: KUNWAR HARIBANSH SINGH, SUDHEER GUPTA, GAJANAN CHANDRAKANT KIRTIKAR, SUNIL BALIRAM GAIKWAD, DHANANJAY BHIMRAO MAHADIK, SUPRIYA SADANAND SULE, BIDYUT BARAN MAHATO, RAJEEV SHANKARRAO SATAV, VIJAYSINH MOHITE PATIL, JAYAKUMAR JAYAVARDHAN, VIJAY KUMAR S.R.

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF SOCIAL JUSTICE & EMPOWERMENT LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2708

TO BE ANSWERED ON 10.05.2016

## 2708. ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT OF SCS

KUNWAR HARIBANSH SINGH:

SHRI SUDHEER GUPTA:

SHRI GAJANAN KIRTIKAR:

DR. SUNIL BALIRAM GAIKWAD:

SHRI DHANANJAY MAHADIK:

SHRIMATI SUPRIYA SULE:

SHRI BIDYUT BARAN MAHATO:

SHRI SATAV RAJEEV:

SHRI MOHITE PATIL VIJAYSINH SHANKARRAO:

DR. J. JAYAVARDHAN:

SHRI S.R. VIJAYAKUMAR:

## Will the Minister of SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has decided to commemorate the current financial year as the year Empowerment for SC entrepreneurs and if so, the details thereof along with t he initiatives being taken in t regard;
- (b) the number of SC entrepreneurs targeted to avail the benefits thereunder;
- (c) whether the Government proposes to constitute a National Scheduled Caste and Scheduled the Medium, Small and Micro Enterprises Sector and if so, the details thereof along with the tim is likely to be implemented; and
- (d) the other steps being taken by the Government for the economic empowerment of the Sched in the country?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERM ENT

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(SHRI VIJAY SAMPLA)

- (a) & (b) :A number of initiatives have been taken for the Economic Empowerment of Scheduled However,  there  is  no  decision  to  commemorate  the  current  financial  year  as  the  year Economic Empowerment for SC entrepreneurs.

(c)The  Finance  Minister  in  his  Budget  Speech  of  financial  year  2016 -17  has  announced  to  constitute National  Scheduled  Caste  and  Scheduled  Tribe  Hub  in  the  MSME  Ministry  in  partnership  with associations. This  Hub  will  provide  professional  support  to  Scheduled  caste  and  schedu entrepreneurs to fulfil the obligations under the Central Government procurement policy 2012 best practices and leverage the Stand Up initiative.

- (d) The detai ls are given in Annexure -I.

ANNEXURE -I  IN  REPLY  TO  PART(d)  OF  LOK  SABHA  UNSTARRED  QUESTION  NO.2708  TO  BE ANSWERED ON 10.05.2016 ASKED BY SHRI KUNWAR HARIBANSH SINGH, SHRI SUDHEER GUPTA, SHRI GAJANAN KIRTIKAR, DR.SUNIL BALRAM GAIKWAD, SHRI DHANANJAY MAHADIK, SHRIMATI SUPRIYA SULE, SHRI BIDYUT BARAN MAHATO, SHRI SATAV RAJEEV, SHRI MOHITE PATIL VIJAYSINH SHANKARRAO, DR.J.JAYAVARDHAN AND SHRI S.R.VIJAYAKUMAR REGARDING "ECONOMIC EMOWERMENT OF SCs"

The initiatives taken for Economic Empowerment f or SC entrepreneurs are as under -

- i . Government  has  initiated  a  "Stand - up  India  Scheme"  to  promote  entrepreneurship  among  SC/ST  a women Rs.500 crore has been provided for this purpose. The Scheme will facilitate at le projects  per  bank  branch,  o ne  for  each  category  of  entrepreneur.  This  will  benefit  at  least entrepreneurs.
- ii . Government has launched a scheme named 'Venture Capital Fund for Scheduled Castes' with investment of Rs. 200 Crores to promote entrepreneurship among the Scheduled Castes. It is a Social Sector Initi to promote entrepreneurship among the scheduled caste by way of concessional finance to ena inclusion for SC entrepreneurs and to motivate them for further growth of SC communities. T is  als o  to  develop  SC  entrepreneurs  economically  and  to  enhance  direct  and  indirect  e generation for SC population in India. Companies having at least 60% stake holding by Sche entrepreneurs for the past 12 months with management control are eligible for the Scheme.

No fixed number of beneficiaries may be given as the scheme lasts till the funds are uti

- iii . Government has launched a Credit Enhancement Guarantee Scheme for Scheduled Castes with inv of Rs. 200 Crore towards credit enha ncement facility for young and start - up entrepreneurs, belonging to Scheduled Castes, who aspire to be part of neo middle class category with an objective entrepreneurship in the lower strata of the society resulting in job creation besides cr eating confidence in Schedule Castes. The scheme is implemented by supporting the Banks and Financial Institut form  of  Credit  Enhancement  Guarantee,  who  shall  be  providing  financial  assistance  to  th Caste Entrepreneurs. The spirit of the above mentioned fund is to support those entrepreneurs wh create wealth, value for the society, create jobs and in turn will develop confidence and promote profitable businesses.

Estimated SC Entrepreneurs :As per Census, 2011, the SC population is 20.13 crore, constitutes 16.63% of the total population, in India. There is a huge potential in such a l ours for such schemes out of which SC population can prosper and get opportunities to progress into the main stream. Although, there is no reliable data on the profile of SC Entrepreneurs, but rough estimates of various stake holders such as Dalit Indian Chamber of Commerce and Indus etc. there are around 1000 D alit entrepreneurs with combined turnover of Rupees Sixty thousand There are around 50 companies with turnover of Rs. 10 Crore or more. Hence, the Credit En Guarantee  Scheme  has  the  potential  not  only  to  significantly  uplift  the  businesses of  the  existing  SC entrepreneurs but also the first generation SC entrepreneurs, who aspire to be part of n category.

- (iv ) National Scheduled Castes Finance and Development Corporation (NSFDC)  provides concessional persons belonging to Scheduled Caste living below Double the Poverty Line limit [presently annu income of Rs.98,000/ - for rural areas and Rs.1,20,000/ - for urban areas] under its loan Schemes  thro State Channelising Agencies (SCAs) nominated by respective State G overnments / UT Administration and other channel partners.

NSFDC  has  targeted  to  provide  concessional  loan  under  its  schemes  to  64,000  eli entrepreneurs in 2016 - 17.

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