Uttarakhand Expands Women Self Help Group Initiatives
Source:aninews ↗
Why It Matters
Highlights key state-specific policies for women in Uttarakhand, including the target for Lakhpati Didis, the 30% horizontal reservation for women, the Uniform Civil Code, and the Mukhyamantri Sashakt Bahna Utsav Yojana. These are highly relevant for UKPSC Prelims state-specific current affairs and GS questions on women's empowerment.
Summary
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami inaugurated women-led SHG stalls under the 'Mukhyamantri Sashakt Bahna Utsav Yojana' and announced its expansion into a 15-day annual event from next year. Highlighting the state's efforts toward women's empowerment, he emphasized the target of creating 1.25 lakh 'Lakhpati Didis' by 2025 and the introduction of a 30% horizontal reservation for women in government jobs. He also noted Uttarakhand's pioneering role in passing the Uniform Civil Code and the broader impact of central welfare schemes on rural livelihoods and local branding, such as the 'House of Himalayas'.
Key Points
- Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami inaugurated stalls by women SHGs under the Uttarakhand State Rural Livelihood Mission for the 'Mukhyamantri Sashakt Bahna Utsav Yojana'.
- CM Dhami announced that the 'Sashakt Bahna Utsav' will be a 15-day event starting next year, held ahead of Raksha Bandhan.
- The state aims to make 1.25 lakh women 'Lakhpati Didis' by the year 2025.
- Uttarakhand provides a 30% horizontal reservation for women in state government services.
- Uttarakhand was highlighted as the first state in India to pass the Uniform Civil Code, alongside various women-centric central schemes like Jal Jeevan Mission and Ujjwala Yojana.
Important Terms
Mukhyamantri Sashakt Bahna Utsav Yojana
A state initiative allowing women self-help groups to showcase and sell local products through block-level exhibitions. Upgraded to a 15-day annual event, it provides crucial market access to empower rural women economically.
UPSC context
Highly relevant for Uttarakhand Current Affairs and State Schemes. Frequently cited in answers regarding women's empowerment.
Lakhpati Didi Yojana
A rural livelihood initiative aimed at training and assisting women in self-help groups to earn an annual income exceeding ₹1 lakh. Uttarakhand has targeted creating 1.25 lakh 'Lakhpati Didis' by 2025.
UPSC context
Core scheme for UKPSC Rural Development and Welfare topics. Highlights state-level socio-economic targets and SHG capacity building.
Uniform Civil Code (UCC)
A unified framework establishing common personal laws—covering marriage, divorce, and inheritance—for all citizens regardless of religion. Uttarakhand is the first Indian state to implement the UCC post-independence.
UPSC context
Extremely high-yield for UKPSC Polity and Current Affairs. Tests knowledge of state legislative achievements and Article 44.
House of Himalayas
An umbrella brand launched by the Uttarakhand government to market authentic, high-quality agricultural and handcrafted products made by local women SHGs and rural entrepreneurs to national and global markets.
UPSC context
Crucial for Uttarakhand Economy and Rural Development topics. Demonstrates the state's "Vocal for Local" and export strategies.
Self Help Groups (SHGs)
Informal, community-based collectives—predominantly of women—who pool savings to start micro-enterprises. In Uttarakhand, they are the primary engines for grassroots poverty alleviation and executing state rural schemes.
UPSC context
Foundational concept in UKPSC Social Justice and Rural Livelihoods sections. Central to answering questions on decentralized economic development.
Prelims Trap
The Uttarakhand Uniform Civil Code applies uniformly to all state residents including indigenous tribes.
The Uttarakhand UCC explicitly exempts Scheduled Tribes (STs) to protect their customary laws under Part XXI of the Constitution. It does not apply to the entire population.
Static Concepts Connected
What is Horizontal Reservation in the context of Uttarakhand's state employment?
- Definition: It is an interlocking reservation applied across vertical categories (SC, ST, OBC, UR) rather than creating separate distinct quotas.
- State Provision: Under the Uttarakhand Public Services (Horizontal Reservation for Women) Act, 2022, the state provides a 30% quota for women domiciled in Uttarakhand.
- Constitutional Backing: It draws validity from Article 15(3) of the Constitution, which empowers the state to make special provisions for women and children.
What are the key targets of the Lakhpati Didi Yojana in Uttarakhand?
- Income Goal: To skill women in Self Help Groups (SHGs) so they achieve an annual household income of at least ₹1 lakh.
- State Target: The Uttarakhand Rural Development Department has set a firm target to create 1.25 lakh 'Lakhpati Didis' by the year 2025.
- Mission Convergence: It operates under the wider umbrella of the National/State Rural Livelihood Mission to boost micro-enterprises.
Cross-Topic Patterns
SHG Branding + GI Tags & ODOP
The 'House of Himalayas' brand synergizes with the state's One District One Product (ODOP) and recent GI tags for hill-agri products, shifting SHGs from informal production to premium national marketing.
Horizontal Reservation + Domicile Debates
Uttarakhand's 30% horizontal reservation for women often links to debates on domicile-based quotas versus Article 16 (equality of opportunity), a frequent theme in polity and state governance exams.
Expect a multi-statement question combining the UCC's tribal exemption, the 1.25 lakh Lakhpati Didi 2025 target, and 30% women's quota.
Linked PYQs · 1
Linked PYQs · 1
- 2024UKPSC_PRELIMSGS1
How many of the following women M.L.A.s were there in the first Legislative Assembly of Uttarakhand ?
