NATIONAL SCHEMES

DISHA Scheme

  • Context: Regional Workshop under Tele-Law Initiative of Designing Innovative Solutions for Holistic Access to Justice (DISHA) Scheme and ‘Reforms Utsav’ to be held on 15th June 2026 at Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh.

About DISHA Scheme 

  • The DISHA Scheme is designed to improve access to justice for citizens while also supporting early identification and intervention for children with developmental disabilities. 
  • It promotes inclusion, empowerment, and overall development across society in India.

Objectives

  • To offer free legal aid and pre-litigation advice to economically or socially marginalized citizens.
  • To raise awareness about legal rights and encourage active participation in the justice system.
  • To enable early detection of developmental disabilities in children.
  • To provide timely therapeutic and developmental support for affected children.
  • To equip parents and caregivers with training and counseling for home-based support.
  • To ensure physical, emotional, cognitive, and social development of children with disabilities.
  • To reduce the gap between marginalized groups and mainstream society.
  • To improve independence and quality of life for beneficiaries.

Key Features

    • The scheme targets children aged 0–10 years with developmental disabilities and citizens requiring legal assistance.
  • Legal Support Services
  • provides tele-law consultation through video calls at Common Service Centres (Common Service Centres).
  • Offers support via the Tele-Law Mobile App.
  • Connects beneficiaries with pro bono lawyers under the Nyaya Bandhu programme for free legal aid.
  • Early Intervention Support
      • Includes therapies such as physiotherapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy, and behavioural interventions.
      • Helps prepare children for mainstream schooling through school-readiness programmes.
  • Parental & Community Support
    • Provides counselling and training for parents and caregivers.
    • Encourages active involvement of families in child development.
  • Individualised Care
      • Offers customised intervention plans based on each child’s specific needs.
      • Focuses on improving long-term developmental outcomes.
  • Awareness & Inclusion
    • Conducts legal awareness programmes to educate citizens about their rights.
    • Promotes social inclusion and community participation.
  • Delivery Mechanism
      • Implemented through CSCs, DISHA centres, and organisations under the National Trust framework.
      • Uses ICT tools such as mobile apps, e-courts, and digital platforms for efficient service delivery.
  • Capacity Building
    • Strengthens independence, adaptability, and social integration for beneficiaries through structured support systems.

 

DigiDukaan

  • Context: The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade in partnership with the Open Network for Digital Commerce , recently held a Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) roundtable where the DigiDukaan initiative was discussed.

About DigiDukaan 

    • DigiDukaan is a digital initiative launched in 2026.
  • It is an ONDC-led programme aimed at digitising kirana stores for B2B procurement.
  • The initiative focuses on improving overall efficiency in the retail supply chain.

Purpose

  • The platform is designed to help small retailers transition into digital commerce systems.
  • It streamlines procurement processes and strengthens supply chain transparency.

Benefits for Kirana Stores

  • Helps local grocery shops improve profit margins through direct procurement.
  • Provides better visibility of discounts, schemes, and offers.
  • Improves stock availability and working capital management.

Benefits for Distributors

  • Expands market access without increasing field sales expenses.
  • Enables digital order placement and payment collection.
  • Enhances retailer reach and coverage efficiency.

Benefits for Brands

  • Offers direct insights into retailer demand patterns.
  • Improves visibility of retail outlets and consumer demand signals.
  • Enables better planning, execution, and monitoring of promotional schemes.

Early Adoption

  • DigiDukaan has already seen early implementation in Hyderabad.
  • More than 10,000 retailers in the city have begun using the system.

 

SHE-MART Initiative

  • Context: The government will establish 700 SHE-MARTs and 1,000 district fulfilment centres to strengthen market access for women-led enterprises and support the goal of creating six crore “Lakhpati Didis”, the Ministry of Rural Development .

About SHE-MART Initiative 

    • SHE-MART (Self Help Entrepreneurs – Marketing Avenues for Rural Transformation) is a Government of India programme designed to empower women entrepreneurs.
  • It promotes community-managed retail spaces within cluster-level federations of Self Help Groups (Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission).
  • The initiative strengthens market access, improves product visibility, and supports the growth of women-led enterprises.

Purpose

  • To build stronger market linkages for rural women entrepreneurs.
  • To enhance visibility and reach of locally produced goods.
  • To strengthen Self Help Group (SHG) institutions and support business expansion.
  • To help women transition from income earners to business owners.

Product Scope

  • SHE-MART focuses on products made by SHGs, including: Handicrafts, Textiles, Food items, Agricultural produce, Processed and value-added goods.

Nodal Ministry

  • The initiative is led by the Ministry of Rural Development and implemented under the National Rural Livelihoods Mission framework.

Key Features

  • Community Ownership
  • Retail outlets are owned and managed by women’s SHG federations.
  • Ensures local control and collective decision-making.
  • Direct Market Access
    • Provides structured retail platforms for women entrepreneurs.
    • Eliminates middlemen and enables direct sales to consumers.
  • Economic Empowerment
      • Helps women move up the economic ladder from self-employment to entrepreneurship.
      • Encourages sustainable income generation and financial independence.
  • Permanent Retail Infrastructure
    • Establishes long-term retail outlets for SHG products.
    • Supports value addition and consistent product availability.
  • Social & Economic Empowerment
    • Enhances women’s control over marketing, branding, and income streams.
    • Strengthens both economic independence and social status in rural communities.

 

The Prime Minister said that India has the world’s largest health insurance scheme (Ayushman Bharat)

Ayushman Bharat

  • To achieve the goal of health coverage for all, the ‘Ayushman Bharat’ scheme was launched based on the recommendations of the ‘National Health Policy 2017’.
  • The scheme is aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals and their guiding principle of “Leaving No One Behind”.

Objective

    • The scheme is designed to transform the healthcare sector by providing primary, secondary and tertiary health services, with emphasis on disease prevention, health promotion and outpatient care.
  • It also incorporates existing centrally funded schemes such as the Health Insurance Scheme for the Elderly and the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana.

Framework

    • Ayushman Bharat follows the ‘Continuum of Medical Care’ model; It has two interrelated key features:
  • Health and Wellness Centres (HWCs)
  • Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY)

Key Features of PM-JAY

  • It is the world’s largest government-sponsored health insurance scheme.
  • The scheme provides health insurance coverage of up to ₹5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary care in government and recognized private hospitals across the country.
  • Over 10.74 crore economically weaker sections of the population (around 50 crore beneficiaries) are eligible under the scheme.
  • Beneficiaries can avail cashless treatment at the point of treatment.

Importance and Benefits

  • The scheme helps in reducing the burden of high medical expenses that push about 6 crore people into poverty every year.
  • It provides financial protection against unexpected and costly health emergencies.

Eligibility and Coverage

  • There are no restrictions on family size, age or gender.
  • Pre-existing conditions are covered from the first day of registration.
  • The scheme covers expenses including medicines and diagnostic tests incurred for three days before hospitalization and up to fifteen days after discharge from the hospital.
  • Beneficiaries can avail treatment in any part of the country, making these benefits portable.
  • Around 1,393 medical procedures are covered, including medicines, consumables, diagnostic tests, doctor’s fees, room rent, operating theatre fees, intensive care unit (ICU) expenses and surgeon fees.
  • Government hospitals provide reimbursement for services at par with private hospitals.

About Pradhan Mantri Bharatiya Jan Aushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP)

    • Pradhan Mantri Bharatiya Jan Aushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP) is a flagship scheme of the Government of India
  • The objective of the scheme is to make quality generic medicines available at affordable prices, especially for the economically weaker and marginalized sections of the society.

Objectives

  • To ensure availability of quality generic medicines at affordable prices to all citizens.
  • To improve availability of essential medicines, especially in rural and remote areas.
  • To create awareness among the people about the benefits and efficacy of generic medicines.
  • To create employment opportunities by encouraging individuals to set up ‘Jan Aushadhi Kendras’ under the scheme.
  • Under various initiatives including the Pradhan Mantri Jan Aushadhi (People’s Pharmacy), medicines, stents, artificial limbs etc. have been made available at affordable prices.