The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) is implementing Pradhan Mantri YUVA (PM YUVA) Yojana,a pilot scheme, for creating an enabling ecosystem through entrepreneurship education, training, advocacy and easy access to entrepreneurship network.The scheme covers 10 States and 2 Union Territories (viz. i.e. Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Bihar, West Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Kerala, Delhi and Puducherry). State-wise details (including West Bengal) of beneficiaries (Men and Women separately) covered under Entrepreneurship Development Programme (EDP) and Mentoring Camps organised under the project, are as per details at Annexure-I. In Kalimpong district of West Bengal, a three day Mentoring Camp was organised with 36 flower nursery nanopreneurs (including 24 women participants) towards creation of a Farmer Producers Organisation (FPO) with the local support from Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Darjeeling.

To encourage women entrepreneurship within the Country, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) is implementing the pilot project, ‘Economic Empowerment of Women Entrepreneurs and Startups by Women’ in collaboration with Deutsche Gesellschaftfür Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) Germany. The project pilots incubation and acceleration programmes for women micro entrepreneurs to start new businesses and scale up existing enterprises in Assam, Rajasthan and Telangana. The project has the target to pilot the incubation programme with 250 women and the acceleration programme with 100 women. The first cohort of the support programme ended in April-May, 2020 and the second cohort has commenced in July, 2020.

Further, Govt. of India through Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) is implementing the Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP), which has the target to generate self-employment opportunities through establishment of micro enterprises for non-farm sector. The maximum cost of projects covered under the Scheme is Rs. 25 lakh in the manufacturing sector and Rs. 10 lakh in the service sector. Benefit can be availed under PMEGP for setting up of new units only. For beneficiaries belonging to special categories (such as Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe/OBC /minorities/women, ex-serviceman, physically handicapped, NER, Hill and Border areas, etc.), the margin money subsidy is 35% in rural areas and 25% in urban areas. The State-wise break-up (including West Bengal) of micro units established by women under PMEGP, during the period from 2018-19 to 2019-20, is given in Annexure-II. The details about the beneficiaries covered in the districts of Darjeeling, Kalimpong and North Dinajpur of West Bengal for the last three years (i.e. 2017-18 to 2019-20) are as under:-:

Furthermore, Ministry of Rural Development is implementing Skill development program through Rural Self Employment Training Institutes (RSETIs) enabling a trainee to take Bank credit and start his/her own Micro-enterprise. RSETIs is a Bank led initiative of Ministry of Rural Development, set up with dedicated infrastructure in each district of the country sponsored, managed and run by Banks with active co-operation from the Government of India and State Government. Presently 585 RSETIs are functional in 27 states (except Goa) and 6 UTs (except Delhi, Chandigarh and Daman & Diu). The scheme is applicable to all the categories including women. Any unemployed youth in the age group of 18-45 years, irrespective of caste, creed, religion, gender and economic status, having aptitude to take up self-employment or wage employment and having some basic knowledge in the related field can undergo training under RSETI. The State/UT-wise total and women candidates trained and settled during the last three years (i.e. 2018-19 to 2020-21) is given in Annnexure-III.

The physical achievement of women (no. of women candidates trained and settled) in Darjeeling and North Dinajpur under the Scheme during the last three years and current year is given below:-

In addition to the above, Ministry of Rural Development is also implementing Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana - National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) which aims at eliminating rural poverty through promotion of multiple livelihoods for each rural poor household. Out of the SHG beneficiaries of 60,18,886 covered under NRLM Pan-India, 5,54,200 are from West Bengal (Darjeeling GT Area including Kalimpong – 5315 and Uttar Darjeeling – 7,898). Under the Sub-scheme i.e. Start-up Village Entrepreneurship Programme (SVEP) covered under DAY-NRLM, a total of 194,144 enterprises have been set-up ( up to 31st January, 2021) Pan-India including 5953 in West Bengal (Darjeeling GT Area including Kalimpong – 195 and Uttar Darjeeling – 3). This information was given by the Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Raj Kumar Singh in a written reply in Rajya Sabha.

BN/MR

Annexure-I referred in reply to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No 2083 to be answered on 08.03.2021

Annexure-II referred in reply to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No 2083 to be answered on 08.03.2021

State-wise break-up (including West Bengal) of micro units established by women under PMEGP

*Including Daman & Diu, **Including Dadra & Nagar Haveli

Annexure-III referred in reply to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No 2083 to be answered on 08.03.2021

State/UT wise Progress of Women under RSETI (as on 31.01.2021)

****