SMILE-75 initiative

In news- The Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment has launched the “SMILE-75 Initiative” recently.

What is the SMILE-75 Initiative?

“SMILE” stands for Support for Marginalised Individuals for Livelihood and Enterprise.
In the spirit of Azadika Amrit Mahotsav, the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment has launched the “SMILE-75 Initiative”.
Under the SMILE-75 initiative, 75 Municipal Corporations in collaboration with NGOs and other stakeholders will cover several comprehensive welfare measures for persons who are engaged in the act of begging with focus extensively on rehabilitation, provision of medical facilities, counselling, awareness, education, skill development, economic linkages and convergence with other Government welfare programmes etc.
The Ministry has allocated a total budget of Rs.100 crore for the SMILE project for coming years till 2025-26.
Through this project, the Ministry envisions to develop a support mechanism for holistic rehabilitation of those engaged in the act of begging and build an India where no person is forced to beg in order to survive and fulfil their basic needs.
The objective of SMILE- 75 is to make our cities/town and municipal areas begging-free and make a strategy for comprehensive rehabilitation of the persons engaged in the act of begging through the coordinated action of various stakeholders.
The Government of India has recognised the persistent problem of destitution and beggary and formulated a comprehensive scheme of SMILE (Support for Marginalised Individuals for Livelihood and Enterprise) which includes a sub-scheme of comprehensive rehabilitation for persons engaged in begging which covers identification, rehabilitation, provision of medical facilities, counselling, and education, skill development for decent job and self-employment / entrepreneurship.