VISHWAKARMA
SCHEME – GOVERNMENT SCHEME
News:
PM inaugurates
Vishwakarma Scheme, says government is committed to the uplift of the
marginalised
What's
in the news?
●
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that his
government was committed to the uplift of artisans and craftspeople, and that
the ₹13,000 crore Pradhan Mantri
Vishwakarma Yojana (PMVY), launched for them, would equip craftspeople with the
technology to augment their skills for the modern market.
Key
takeaways:
●
Mr. Modi also inaugurated the first phase
of the ₹5,400 crore state-of-the-art India International Convention and Expo
Centre, named ‘Yashobhoomi’, at Dwarka in New Delhi.
Pradhan
Mantri Vishwakarma Scheme:
●
PM Vishwakarma, a Central Sector Scheme, was launched on 17th September, 2023 by the
Prime Minister with an initial outlay of Rs 13,000 crore to provide end-to-end support to artisans and
craftspeople who work with their hands and tools.
Implementation:
●
The Scheme will be jointly implemented by
the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium
Enterprises (MoMSME), the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship
(MSDE) and the Department of Financial Services (DFS), Ministry of Finance
(MoF), Government of India.
●
PM Vishwakarma will be initially implemented
for five years up to 2027-28.
Coverage:
The Scheme covers
artisans and craftspeople engaged in 18
trades, viz.(i) Carpenter (Suthar/Badhai); (ii) Boat Maker; (iii) Armourer;
(iv) Blacksmith (Lohar); (v) Hammer and Tool Kit Maker; (vi) Locksmith; (vii)
Goldsmith (Sonar); (viii) Potter (Kumhaar); (ix) Sculptor (Moortikar, stone
carver), Stone breaker; (x) Cobbler (Charmkar)/ Shoesmith/Footwear artisan;
(xi) Mason (Rajmistri); (xii) Basket/Mat/Broom Maker/Coir Weaver; (xiii) Doll
& Toy Maker (Traditional); (xiv) Barber (Naai); (xv) Garland maker
(Malakaar); (xvi) Washerman (Dhobi); (xvii) Tailor (Darzi); and (xviii) Fishing
Net Maker.
Features:
The Scheme envisages
provisioning of the following benefits to the artisans and craftspersons:
1.
Recognition:
●
Recognition of artisans and craftspeople
through PM Vishwakarma certificate and ID card.
2.
Skill Upgradation:
●
Basic Training of 5-7 days and Advanced
Training of 15 days or more, with a stipend of Rs. 500 per day;
3.
Toolkit Incentive:
●
A toolkit incentive of up to Rs. 15,000 in
the form of e-vouchers at the beginning of Basic Skill Training.
4.
Credit Support:
●
Collateral free ‘Enterprise Development
Loans’ of up to Rs.3 lakh in two tranches of Rs.1 lakh and Rs.2 lakh with
tenures of 18 months and 30 months, respectively, at a concessional rate of
interest fixed at 5%, with Government of India subvention to the extent of 8%.
●
Beneficiaries who have completed Basic
Training will be eligible to avail the first tranche of credit support of up to
Rs.1 lakh. The second loan tranche will be available to beneficiaries who have
availed the 1st tranche and maintained a standard loan account and have adopted
digital transactions in their business or have undergone Advanced Training.
5.
Incentive for Digital Transaction:
●
An amount of Rs. 1 per digital
transaction, up to maximum 100 transactions monthly will be credited to the
beneficiary’s account for each digital pay-out or receipt.
6.
Marketing Support:
●
Marketing support will be provided to the
artisans and craftspeople in the form of quality certification, branding,
onboarding on e-commerce platforms such as GeM, advertising, publicity and
other marketing activities to improve linkage to value chain.
Eligibility:
●
An
artisan or craftsperson working with hands and tools
and engaged in one of the family-based traditional trades specified, in the
unorganised or informal sector, on a self-employment basis, shall be eligible
for registration under PM Vishwakarma.
●
The minimum
age of the beneficiary should be 18
years on the date of registration.
●
A person in government service and his/her
family members shall not be eligible
under the Scheme.