NATIONAL SCHEMES

ASPIRE Scheme

• Context : India’s ASPIRE scheme is helping transform rural livelihoods by supporting aspiring entrepreneurs with training, incubation and business development assistance

About Aspire scheme

• Launched in 2015.
• Implemented by the Ministry of MSME.
• Aims to promote entrepreneurship, innovation, and job creation, especially in rural and agro-based sectors.
• Provides financial, technical, and mentoring support through incubation centres and cluster development.

Key Features

• Promotes rural entrepreneurship through incubation support.
• Sets up Livelihood Business Incubators (LBIs) in rural and underdeveloped areas.
• Encourages agro-based and rural enterprises with high job potential.
• Supports Technology Business Incubators (TBIs) for innovation and start-ups.
• Provides capital grants to establish incubation centres.
• Government institutions and PSUs can receive up to ₹1 crore support.
• Private or PPP incubators can receive up to ₹75 lakh support.
• Offers up to ₹1 crore operational assistance for incubators.
• Provides seed funding for early-stage entrepreneurs.
• Supports cluster-based development to improve productivity and market access.

 

Bharat Taxi

• • Context: The ‘Bharat Taxi’ service was launched in Delhi under the Union Ministry of Cooperation—a first-of-its-kind initiative in the country.

• This ride-hailing service was introduced to challenge the dominance of corporate entities like Ola and Uber.

• • The Union Home Minister inaugurated the Bharat Taxi service at an event held yesterday in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.

• Private ride-hailing companies currently in the market systematically exploit their workers. To counter corporate dominance, the government has established a cooperative framework modeled after the ‘Amul’ milk cooperative.

• This new alternative model ensures a fair system where neither the customer nor the service provider (driver) faces any form of exploitation.

Kisan Sarathi 

• Context: Kisan Sarathi, launched in July 2021, is India’s largest integrated digital agro-advisory platform. 
• It provides timely, authentic, and multilingual agricultural advisories along with weather updates, government scheme information, and expert consultations. 

Implementing Agencies

• A joint initiative of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. 

• Implemented by the Indian Agricultural Statistics Research Institute (IASRI) and the Digital India Corporation. 

Interactive Information Dissemination System (IIDS)

• Kisan Sarathi operates through the Interactive Information Dissemination System (IIDS). 

• Enables two-way communication between farmers and agricultural experts. 
• Facilitates the lab-to-land transfer of agricultural knowledge. 

Integrated Digital Platforms

• • Kisan Sarathi brings together several national digital platforms on a single interface:

• Kisan Call Centre 

• Common Service Centre (CSC) 

• India Meteorological Department (IMD) 

• MyScheme 

• BHASHINI 

• Kisan Sarathi Helps Farmers

• • • Connects farmers directly with agricultural experts. 

• Provides region-specific, real-time advisories on: Weather, Market prices, Crop management 

• Helps farmers identify suitable government schemes and track benefits such as PM-KISAN. 
• Covers both Central and State/UT Government schemes. 

Key Features

• • Personalized advisories based on farmer and farm profiles. 

• Live interaction with agricultural experts in 13 regional languages. 

• Call and conferencing facilities as per farmers’ requirements. 
• Access to a comprehensive agricultural knowledge database. 
• Location-specific push alerts and advisory messages. 
• Simple registration through a toll-free mobile number or the web portal. 

Significance

• Strengthens digital agriculture by integrating multiple advisory services on a single platform. 

 

Samagra Shishu Bal Swasthya Karyakram (SSBSK)

• Context: Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda will launch the Samagra Shishu Bal Swasthya Karyakram (SSBSK) during the 16th Conference of the Central Council of Health and Family Welfare (CCHFW) at Vigyan Bhawan. 

• The programme aims to provide comprehensive, accessible, and quality healthcare for children from birth to 36 months. 

About SSBSK

• A unified national programme providing a continuum of home- and community-based care for children from birth to three years. 
• Based on the vision of “Comprehensive care for the first three years”, recognizing the importance of early childhood for survival, nutrition, growth, and brain development. 

Integration of Existing Programmes

• • Merges two flagship initiatives into a single framework: 

• Home-Based Newborn Care (HBNC) 

• Home-Based Care for Young Child (HBYC) 

• Ensures uninterrupted care from birth to 36 months. 

Risk-Stratified Care

• • Introduces a risk-based approach for the first time. 

• ‘At-risk’ newborns will receive up to 9 home visits during the first 42 days. 

• ‘At-risk’ children will receive up to 8 home visits up to 36 months. 

Community-Based Healthcare

• • Joint home visits by: 

• Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) 

• Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANMs) 

• Community Health Officers (CHOs) 

• Anganwadi Workers (AWWs) 

• • Introduces: 

• Well-Baby Sessions during every Village Health, Sanitation and Nutrition Day (VHSND). 

• • Monthly Shishu Shivir at Ayushman Arogya Mandirs for early identification and management of at-risk children. 

Maternal and Early Childhood Care

• • Includes post-partum maternal mental health screening. 

• Integrates Nurturing Care for Early Childhood Development (ECD) by promoting: Responsive caregiving, Early learning, Age-appropriate play, Child safety, Family participation. 

Use of Digital Technology

• Utilizes: Decision Support Systems (DSS), Child tracking applications, Referral and alert mechanisms. 
• Integrated with: JANANI Portal, U-WIN Portal, MPCDSR Portal, RBSK 2.0 Portal, POSHAN Tracker. 
• Ensures seamless data exchange using ABHA and Baal-ABHA IDs. 

Urban and Digital-Era Focus

• Includes special strategies for: Urban slums, Migrant families, Underserved populations. 
• Addresses challenges of the digital age by: 
  • Promoting physical activity and age-appropriate play. 
  • Discouraging excessive screen time to support healthy brain, emotional, and social development. 

Significance

• Strengthens child survival, nutrition, growth, and early childhood development through an integrated approach. 
• Ensures early identification and management of high-risk children. 
• Improves coordination among frontline health workers. 
• Enhances digital monitoring and continuity of care. 
• Reinforces the Government’s commitment to equitable maternal and child healthcare and the vision of Viksit Bharat.

 

Anaemia Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan (AMB) 

• Context: The Union Health Ministry is set to launch revised operational guidelines for the Anaemia Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan (AMB), expanding the national programme’s strategy to include a new beneficiary group, greater emphasis on dietary interventions, and digital tracking of beneficiaries.

Key Changes

• • Added low birth weight babies (0–6 months) as the 7th beneficiary group.
  • Introduced “Eating Right” as the 7th intervention to promote iron-rich and diverse diets.
  • Strengthened digital tracking for monitoring and evaluation.

• Replaced T3 Strategy with T4 Strategy: Test, Treat, Talk,Track

Objectives of T4 Strategy

• Routine haemoglobin testing.
• Treatment as per national protocols.
• Track beneficiaries for referral and follow-up.
• Counsel on healthy and iron-rich diets.

NFHS-5 Anaemia Data

• Children (6–59 months): 67.1%
• Women (15–49 years): 57%
• Pregnant women: 52.2%
• Adolescent girls (15–19 years): 59.1%.

About Anaemia Mukt Bharat (AMB) Abhiyaan

• It was officially launched in 2018 .
• It is an intensified public health initiative by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) and POSHAN Abhiyaan to combat widespread anemia in India. 
• It targets children, adolescents, pregnant women, and lactating mothers.

Anemia Mukt Bharat: 6x6x6 Strategy

• The Anemia Mukt Bharat strategy is designed to reduce the prevalence of Anemia by 3% points per year between the years 2018 and 2022 with 6 beneficiaries, 6 interventions, and 6 institutional mechanisms.

6 Beneficiaries

• Children (6-59 months), Adolescent boys (15-19 years), Adolescent girls (15-19 years), Women of reproductive age, Pregnant women, Lactating women.

6 Interventions

• Prophylactic Iron and Folic Acid supplementation
• Deworming
• Year-round awareness campaign “Solid Body, Smart Mind” and delayed cord clamping (3 minutes after birth) to improve the baby’s iron levels.
• Use digital and quick blood tests for anaemia, with special focus on pregnant women and school-going adolescents.
• Provide iron- and folic acid-fortified foods through government programmes, including staple foods like rice, milk, and salt.
• Increase screening and treatment for anaemia caused by diseases, with focus on malaria, genetic blood disorders (hemoglobinopathies), and fluorosis.

6 Institutional Mechanisms

• National Anemia Mukt Bharat Unit
• Intra Ministerial Coordination
• Strengthening Supply Chain and Logistics
• Convergence with other ministries
• National Centre of Excellence and Advanced Research on Anemia Control
• Anemia Mukt Bharat Dashboard and Digital Portal- One-stop Shop for Anemia.

 

Corporate Mitra Scheme

• Context : The Corporate Affairs Ministry announced that the Corporate Mitra Scheme will commence with 2,000 participants, including 200 candidates from the North East region.

Objective

• To support MSMEs through trained and certified Corporate Mitras.
• Helps MSMEs handle compliance and focus on growth and innovation.
• Improves ease of doing business.

Role of Corporate Mitras

• Provide affordable support in:
  • GST and tax compliance
  • Accounting and financial advisory
  • Cost accounting
  • Company secretarial services

Focus Area

• Mainly targets Tier-II and Tier-III cities to expand professional support beyond metros.

Implementation

• Jointly implemented with: ICAI, ICSI, ICMAI

• Training structure: 6 months academic training, 6 months practical training

• • Includes:

• 144 hours of online learning

• Webinars/physical sessions

• Real-world exposure through firms and LLPs.
• Managed through SWAYAM Plus Portal.

Eligibility

• Age limit: Up to 30 years.
• Graduates from recognized universities and final-year students eligible.
• On-the-job training in ICAI/ICSI/ICMAI-recognized firms/LLPs.

Eligibility

• Government bodies, PSUs, and private/PPP institutions can set up incubators.
• MSMEs with valid registration are eligible for support.
• Open to individual entrepreneurs, innovators, and start-ups.
• Priority given to rural, agro-based, and tech-driven sectors.
• Institutions must have required infrastructure and capacity to run incubation centres.