Lok Sabha Question No. 480 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-03
Subject: Nai Roshni Scheme
Ministry: MINORITY AFFAIRS
Asked by: Shri Bunty Vivek Sahu, Smt. Vijaylakshmi Devi, Shri Jaswantsinh Sumanbhai Bhabhor

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF MINORITY AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 480

ANSWERED ON 03.12.2025

## NAI ROSHNI SCHEME

## † 480. SHRI JASWANTSINH SUMANBHAI BHABHOR:

SMT. VIJAYALAKSHMI DEVI:

SHRI BUNTY VIVEK SAHU:

Will the Minister of MINORITY AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

- (a)  the  names  of  the  new  vocational  training  courses  launched  specifically  for  minority women under the Nai Roshni Scheme;
- (b)  the  manner  in  which  the  Government  is  providing  encouragement  to  provide  access  to credit and marketing links for women Self-Help Groups (SHGs);
- (c)  whether  a  dedicated  portal  has  been  launched  to  showcase  products  manufactured  by minority women entrepreneurs and if so, the details thereof; and
- (d) the various steps taken/being taken by the Government to remove social barriers to ensure participation of minority women in economic activities?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF MINORITY AFFAIRS

## (SHRI KIREN RIJIJU)

(a): The Nai Roshni Scheme, a Leadership Development Programme for Minority Women was  launched  in  2012-13  with  an  objective  to  empower  and  instill  confidence  among minority women  by  providing  knowledge,  tools  and  techniques  for interacting with Government systems, banks and other institutions at all levels. The said scheme has now been discontinued  and  accordingly,  no  new  vocational  training  courses  have  been  launched specifically for minority women under the Nai Roshni Scheme.

However,  the  scheme  has  now  been  converged  as  a  Women  Leadership  and Entrepreneurship  component  into  an  integrated  scheme  viz.  Pradhan  Mantri  Virasat  Ka Samvardhan  (PM  VIKAS),  wherein  under  the  Women  leadership  and  entrepreneurship component, training in following three courses are provided to minority women:-

- i. Leadership and Basic Entrepreneurship Development
- ii. Entrepreneurial Development
- iii. Business Mentorship/ Business Correspondents (Biz Sakhis/ Udyami Mitra)

Till now, an allocation of a target of 3380 candidates has been made under Women leadership and entrepreneurship component of the PM VIKAS scheme.

(b) and (c): A key deliverable in the Women Leadership and Entrepreneurship component of the  PM  VIKAS  scheme  is  to  promote  development  of  individual  or  group  enterprises amongst  30  percent  of  the  beneficiaries  trained  under  the  Entrepreneurship  Development module  to  setup  enterprises/  selfemployment  ventures  in  line  with  the  vision  of  'Atma

Nirbhar Bharat', by establishing linkages with financial institutions such as NMDFC, Banks, NBFCs.

Besides,  the  Ministry  of  Minority  Affairs  organises  Minority  community  specific events  viz.  Lok  Samvardan  Parvs  to  provide  an  effective  marketing  platform,  wherein opportunity is given to minority artisans/ craft persons/ culinary experts  (including Minority women)  from  across  the  country  to  display  and  market  their  handcrafted,  indigenous  and artisanal products. These events help in generating employment and livelihood opportunities, besides exposing them to business opportunities and a wider market presence.

As  such,  the  Ministry  has  not  launched  a  dedicated  portal  to  showcase  artisanal products manufactured by minority women entrepreneurs yet.

(d): To ensure participation of minority women, a certain percentage of total candidates to be trained are earmarked for women beneficiaries under PM VIKAS Scheme:

- i. At  least  33  percent  of  the  total  target  is  reserved  for  women  beneficiaries  in  the Traditional Training and Non-traditional Skilling sub components
- ii. At  least  50  percent  of  the  total  target  is  reserved  for  women  beneficiaries  in  the Education component
- iii. Women Leadership and Entrepreneurship Component (earlier Nai Roshni Scheme) is exclusively for women beneficiaries.

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