Nai Roshni Scheme

Ministry of Minority Affairs

About:

• Nai Roshni is a scheme for Leadership Development of Minority Women
•  implemented across India with an aim to empower and instill confidence in women by providing knowledge, tools and techniques for interacting with Government systems, banks and other institutions at all levels
• This includes empowerment of the trainee women so that they become independent and confident members of the society.
•  The overall objective of the scheme is to embolden the minority women to move out of the confines of their homes and community and assume leadership roles in society.
• The scheme provides for six days training programme followed by handholding for a period of one year.
• The training is provided on various pre-designed Training modules covering issues relating to women viz. Leadership of Women through participation in decision making, Educational Programmes for women, Health and Hygiene, Legal rights of women, Financial Literacy, Digital Literacy, Swachh Bharat, Life Skills, and Advocacy for Social and Behaviourial change.  The number of minority women benefitted State wise /UT wise under the scheme.
• The Scheme is being implemented through Non-Governmental Organisations empanelled under the  Nai Roshni Scheme as per scheme guidelines in force.
• While NaiRoshni scheme targets women beneficiaries specifically, other schemes of the Ministry also lay lot of emphasis on minority women. In SeekhoAurKamao (Learn & Earn) Scheme, 33% of the total beneficiaries are women. Similarly in Nai Manzilscheme , 30% of the total beneficiaries are women. These schemes help in economic empowerment of the Minority women.

For women empowerment, Ministry started “Nai Roshni”, a Leadership Development Programme for Minority Women in 2012-13. The objective of the scheme is to empower and instill confidence among minority women, including their neighbours from other communities living in the same village/locality, by providing knowledge, tools and techniques for interacting with Government systems, banks and other institutions at all levels.

Empowerment of women per se is not only essential for equity, but also constitutes a critical element in our fight for poverty reduction, economic growth and strengthening of civil society. Women and children are always the worst sufferers in a poverty stricken family and need support. Empowering women, especially mothers, is even more important as it is in homes that she nourishes, nurture and moulds the character of her offspring.

The effort would embolden minority women to move out of the confines of their home and community and assume leadership roles and assert their rights, collectively or individually, in accessing services, facilities, skills, and opportunities besides claiming their due share of development benefits of the Government for improving their lives and living conditions.

“Nai Roshni” programme is run with the help of NGOs, Civil societies and Government Institutions all over the country. It includes various training modules like Leadership of women, Educational Programmes, Health and Hygiene, Swachch Bharat, Financial Literacy, Life Skills, Legal Rights of Women, Digital Literacy and Advocacy for Social and behavioural change.