Sangathan Se Samriddhi Scheme - Objectives and Importance of Empowering Women

The Sangathan Se Samriddhi Scheme is a programme under the Ministry of Rural Development's Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM). It aims at empowering women and marginalized rural households by bringing all eligible women under the fold of Self Help Groups (SHGs).

What is Sangathan Se Samriddhi Scheme?

The government launched the national campaign ‘Sangathan Se Samridhhi - Leaving no Rural Woman Behind’ under Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav Samaveshi Vikaas. This scheme or campaign is aimed at mobilising 10 crore women from eligible rural households into SHG groups. The campaign will include all vulnerable and marginalised rural households within the SHG framework, enabling them to benefit from the DAY-NRLM programme.

This campaign will be organised in all states to form more than 1.1 lakh SHGs through interventions like organising general body meetings of village organisations, sharing experiences by SHG champions to encourage left-out households to join SHGs, mobilising eligible women from PMAY-G beneficiary households, training new SHG members, revive defunct SHGs, opening SHG bank accounts, and creating a common database of SHGs promoted by other stakeholders.\

Objectives of Sangathan Se Samriddhi Scheme

The Sangathan Se Samriddhi Scheme’s primary objective is to engage and inform marginalised rural communities about the advantages offered by the DAY-NRLM programme. It will also aim to organise rural poor women into Self Help Groups (SHGs) and continuously nurture and support them. 

The support for the women will continue till they attain an appreciable income increase over time, improve their quality of life and come out of poverty. Creating institutional platforms for rural women, where at least one member from an eligible household is in the SHG fold, will enable SHGs to increase the household income of these women.

Sangathan Se Samriddhi Scheme Launch Date

The Sangathan Se Samriddhi Scheme campaign was launched on 18 April 2023. It was initially scheduled to run until 30 June 2023, but it was extended until 15 August 2023. During this period, 53,78,764 households were mobilised into 3,94,490 SHGs.

Sangathan Se Samriddhi Scheme Importance

The Sangathan Se Samriddhi Scheme will mobilise women into SHGs and help them come out of poverty by creating livelihood opportunities that will lead to their economic independence and social empowerment. Since the rural population accounts for 65% of India’s total population, it is essential that women from these areas are accorded opportunities to enable them to contribute significantly to improving our economy. 

Expanding the Reach of SHGs

Self-Help Groups (SHGs) are informal groups of 10-20 people with similar economic and social backgrounds. The members of SHGs are mostly women who come together to form a group for mutual help and support. SHGs encourage savings and then pool these savings to provide loans to each other. These loans can be used for various purposes, such as starting a small business, paying for children’s education, or covering medical expenses. 

The major targets of the Sangathan Se Samriddhi Scheme are as follows:

Enhancing Women's Earning Potential

The government has set a target for every woman involved with SHGs to earn Rs. 1 lakh per year, and the Rural Development Ministry has urged women to grow millets to reach this goal. SHGs support women entrepreneurs by providing micro-loans to help them maintain their businesses and create an environment where they can develop better agency and decision-making skills.

Empowerment of Rural Women through SHGs

Self-Help Groups (SHGs) empower women in rural India by providing them with financial support and livelihood opportunities. The SHG women pool their savings to meet their credit requirements. These groups enable women to access financial resources, such as loans on reasonable terms to start a new business or support their existing businesses. 

SHGs also offer information, training and technical support to help women become more self-reliant. SHGs also deliver services, such as entrepreneurial training, community development and livelihood promotion for women entrepreneurs.

SHGs also provide capacity-building and training to their members. Women can learn new skills, such as handicrafts, tailoring, or farming techniques, which helps them improve their earning potential and enhance their self-confidence and self-esteem.

Self-Help Groups (SHGs) empower women to come together and share their experiences. This supportive environment breaks down social barriers and creates a sense of solidarity among women. It enables women’s participation in household and community decision-making. Consequently, women gain greater control over their lives and a stronger community voice.

The ‘Sangathan Se Samriddhi’ campaign is an important campaign to empower rural women in India and promote their financial independence. It will group women into Self-Help Groups (SHGs) and provide them with the tools and resources they need to succeed in their businesses and improve their livelihoods. Currently, the ‘Sangathan Se Samriddhi’ scheme has concluded. However, the broader objectives of this scheme continue under the DAY-NRLM, which persistently works towards organising poor rural women into SHGs to enhance their livelihoods and eliminate poverty.