Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Lakhpati Didi’ initiative, announced during last year’s Independence Day speech, aimed to provide skill development training to 20 million women in rural areas. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, in her interim budget speech, revealed that the government has increased the target for ‘Lakhpati Didis,’ referring to self-help group workers earning at least one lakh rupees annually. The initial target of 2 crore has been raised to 3 crore.
Sitharaman acknowledged the transformative impact of 83 lakh self-help groups (SHGs) with nine crore women, empowering them and fostering self-reliance. Nearly 1 crore women have already achieved the ‘Lakhpati Didi’ status. The scheme involves training women in various skills, such as plumbing, LED bulb making, and drone operation and repair.
Other notable budget announcements for women included extending healthcare insurance coverage under the Ayushman Bharat scheme to all anganwadi and ASHA workers. Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri-Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY), the world’s largest publicly funded health insurance scheme, offers ₹5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization.
Regarding women’s empowerment, Sitharaman highlighted a 28% increase in female enrollment in higher education over ten years, with girls and women constituting 43% of STEM course enrollment. The minister emphasized the rising participation of women in the workforce, complemented by legislative measures such as making triple talaq illegal, reserving 1/3 seats for women in Parliament and state assemblies, and ensuring over 70% of houses under PM Awas Yojana are allocated to women, enhancing their dignity.
