Chandigarh, Apr 26 (PTI) A three-day national ‘Chintan Shivir’ concluded here on Sunday, with states and Union territories agreeing on a set of time-bound, actionable recommendations to strengthen last-mile delivery of social justice schemes.
The ‘Shivir’ progressed from an inaugural focus on vision, dignity and accessibility, to intensive theme-wise deliberations on the second and third days, culminating in a concluding session that consolidated the outcomes into a forward-looking roadmap, according to an official release.
Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Virendra Kumar said it provided a result-oriented platform for the Centre and states to reflect on how social justice delivery can be made more accessible.
He further said that deliberations were anchored in the larger national resolve of “Antyodaya ka Sankalp, Amrit Kaal ka Pratibimb – Viksit Bharat@2047” and reaffirmed that social justice must remain rooted in dignity, accessibility and continuity for the last person in the queue.
The Union minister observed that the discussions during the ‘Shivir’ went beyond broad policy intent and focused on practical solutions in areas such as scholarship delivery, de-addiction, senior citizens’ welfare, accessibility, certification for persons with disabilities, and inclusion-linked support systems for vulnerable communities.
Referring to the ministry’s ongoing digital and institutional initiatives, including platforms and applications launched during the inaugural session, he underlined the importance of technology-enabled governance, process simplification, better monitoring and stronger coordination between the Centre and states/UTs to ensure that benefits reach eligible beneficiaries without delay.
The minister expressed confidence that the recommendations emerging from the thematic meals, breakout sessions and group presentations would help shape a more effective implementation framework in the social justice sector.
He said the ministry would take forward the outcomes of the ‘Chintan Shivir’ in close partnership with states and Union territories, with continued emphasis on inclusion, empowerment and measurable ground-level outcomes for the poor, disadvantaged and vulnerable sections of society.
The third day began with a yoga session, followed by a thematic breakfast on “Jagrukta se Sulabhata – Awareness to Accessibility”, where participants discussed the need to move from scheme-centric thinking to a rights-based, universal design approach that treats accessibility as integral to all public infrastructure, services and digital platforms, said the release.
In the morning breakout session, five thematic groups took up their second set of themes for detailed discussion and presentation under the Viksit Bharat 2047 framework.
The group I focused on ‘Antyodaya se Aatmanirbharata – accelerating socio-economic development through area-based interventions’, discussing issues such as convergence under PM-AJAY, village development plans, skilling and livelihood support for the Scheduled Caste communities, and the need for outcome-oriented monitoring at village, district and state levels.
The group II deliberated on ‘Samaveshan, Pehchan aur Ekikaran’, with a special focus on the SEED scheme for economic empowerment of de-notified, nomadic and semi-nomadic tribes (DNTs/NTs/SNTs) and the importance of accurate enumeration, certification and sensitive administrative outreach to historically marginalised communities.
The group III discussed ‘Arthik Sashaktikaran: Democratising Credit Access and Financial Empowerment’, examining ways to improve access to credit, skilling, entrepreneurship support and financial inclusion for SCs, OBCs and other disadvantaged sections, including better convergence with existing financial and livelihood schemes.
The group IV took up ‘Sugamyata se Samaveshan: Accessibility”, building on the accessibility breakout presentation to call for non-negotiable accessibility standards, state-level schemes mirroring central barrier-free efforts, earmarked funds, empanelled accessibility auditors and systematic capacity building by 2027-28.
The group V focused on ‘Pehchan se Samman: Certification for PwDs’, highlighting the need for timely, technology-enabled disability certification, hassle-free access to benefits and better integration of data across departments.
Across the groups, participants also discussed specific issues such as inclusion of DNT communities in Census-2027, strengthening implementation of the SEED scheme, enhancing livelihood and social security measures under PM-AJAY and other SC/OBC programmes, and comprehensive rehabilitation for transgenders under the SMILE-TG sub-scheme.
States and UTs presented best practices and success stories on DNT land rights, scholarship delivery, transgender welfare (including Garima Grehs, protection cells and welfare boards), community-based support for senior citizens and innovations in accessibility, with a view to replication and scale-up.
A thematic lunch on ‘Simplification of Processes in DoSJE Schemes (Prakriya Saralikaran)’ was held to distil concrete steps for easing procedures, rationalising documentation, strengthening grievance redressal and improving fund flow and utilisation.
The discussions emphasised that process simplification, digital platforms and clear timelines are essential to ensure that scholarships, pensions, rehabilitation support, accessibility grants and other benefits reach eligible beneficiaries without delay or procedural barriers.
The ‘Shivir’ concluded with a shared understanding that the ministry, in close partnership with states and Union territories, will take forward the outcomes of the deliberations in a structured manner through revised guidelines, strengthened monitoring, wider outreach and sustained capacity building.
The three-day exercise reinforced the collective resolve that social justice must go beyond intent and translate into measurable improvements in the lives of the poorest and most vulnerable, thereby contributing to the vision of an inclusive, empowered and equitable Viksit Bharat by 2047, it said. PTI CHS — MNK MNK
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