Prime Minister Launches PM Vishwakarma Yojana Know Objectives Benefits And Registration Process Of Scheme

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched the new ‘PM Vishwakarma Yojana’ on his birthday, which also coincides with Vishwakarma Jayanti. What is this scheme about and what are its key points, know everything.

New Delhi: The Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi has turned 73 today and is inaugurating some important projects in the capital, including a new Delhi Airport Express Line and ‘YashoBhoomi’, the first phase of the India International Convention and Expo Centre (IICC) in Dwarka, Delhi. Along with this, on his birthday, PM Modi has formally launched the ‘PM Vishwakarma Yojana’ aimed at supporting local artisans belonging to the OBC Category. The programme was first announced during the PM Modi Independence Day Speech 2023; it has been launched today, on the occasion of Vishwakarma Jayanti and is aimed at providing support to artisans who keep alive the traditional crafts of India. Know the objectives, benefits and application process of PM Vishwakarma Yojana..

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Launches ‘PM Vishwakarma Yojana’

The Prime Minister has launched the government’s latest ambitious scheme, ‘PM Vishwakarma Yojana’ on PM Narendra Modi’s birthday which coincides with Vishwakarma Jayanti. The PM Vishwakarma Yojana will be completely funded by the Centre and is expected to have an outlay of Rs. 13,000 crore. This programme will cover about 18 handicrafts and their artisans, namely, carpenter, boat maker, armourer, blacksmith, hammer and toolkit maker, locksmith, sculptor and stone-breaker, goldsmith, porter, cobbler, mason, basket/mat/broom-maker and coir weaver, doll and toy maker, barber, garland maker, washerman, tailor and fishing net maker.

Eighteen stamp sheets, representing the different artisans involved in this scheme, have also been issued to commemorate the beginning of the PM Vishwakarma Yojana. The ‘PM Vishwakarma Yojana: Complete Guidelines For Implementation’ as issued by the Government of India, can be read here.

PM Vishwakarma Yojana: Objectives

Take a look at the key objectives of the newly launched PM Vishwakarma Yojana as given in the official guidelines by the government..

1. To enable the recognition of artisans and craftspeople as Vishwakarma, making them eligible to avail all the benefits under the Scheme.
2. To provide skill upgradation to hone their skills and make relevant and suitable training opportunities available to them.
3. To provide support for better and modern tools to enhance their capability, productivity, and quality of products and services.
4. To provide the beneficiaries an easy access to collateral free credit and reduce the cost of credit by providing interest subvention.
5. To provide incentives for digital transactions to encourage digital empowerment of Vishwakarmas.
6. To provide a platform for brand promotion and market linkages to help them access new opportunities for growth.

PM Vishwakarma Yojana: Benefits

Know the benefits of the PM Vishwakarma Yojana, launched by the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi..

1. The artisans will receive a PM Vishwakarma Certificate and PM Vishwakarma ID Card; a unique digital number shall be created and shall enable the applicant’s recognition as a Vishwakarma and shall make him/her eligible to avail all the benefits under the Scheme.
2. The Skill Intervention under the scheme consists of 3 components: Skill Assessment, Basic Training and Advanced Training. The Skill Upgradation will embed modern tools, design elements and integration with the sector value chain as its key components of domain skilling. Skill Assessment for all registered beneficiaries will be done to ascertain their existing skill levels and it will be the first significant activity in the skill upgradation process and by assessing the current levels of skills, future path of skill upgradation in PM Vishwakarma will be charted in an informed manner. Basic Training is considered essential for improving the skills of all registered Vishwakarmas, and an eligibility condition for drawing the first tranche of loan. Each beneficiary will be eligible to receive a training stipend of Rs. 500 per day while undergoing the Basic and Advanced Training programmes.
3. A Toolkit Incentive of upto Rs. 15,000 will be provided to the beneficiary after Skill Assessment at the start of Basic Training. The incentive will be disbursed to the beneficiaries through e-RUPI/e-vouchers which can be utilized at designated centres to procure improved toolkits.
4. To enhance and support the capabilities of traditional artisans and craftspeople, access to Affordable Credit under this Scheme will be facilitated; financial support will be provided to the targeted beneficiaries in the form of collateral free ‘Enterprise Development Loans’. The total amount of loan assistance would be Rs. 3,00,000/- wherein, the beneficiaries can avail the first loan tranche upto Rs. 1,00,000/- (term of repayment is 18 months) and second loan tranche upto Rs 2,00,000/- (term of repayment is 30 months). Concessional rate of interest chargeable to
   beneficiaries for loan will be fixed at 5% and the interest subvention by the Government of India will be to an extent of 8% and provided upfront to the banks.
5. The Scheme aims to digitally empower the beneficiaries by facilitating them to adopt digital
    transactions. An amount of Re. 1 per eligible digital transaction (upto maximum 100 eligible transactions monthly) will be credited to the beneficiary’s bank account in DBT mode through Aadhaar Payment Bridge System (APBS). Here, eligible transaction means a digital pay-out or receipt in the bank account of the beneficiary.
6. Creating market linkages for the Vishwakarmas is a critical step in improving their livelihood and quality of life. The National Committee for Marketing (NCM) will provide marketing and branding support for the products of the artisans and craftspeople registered under the Scheme.

PM Vishwakarma Yojana: Eligibility

Check Eligibility for the PM Vishwakarma Yojana, as mentioned in the official guidelines issued by the Government of India..

1. An artisan or craftsperson working with hands and tools and engaged in one of the family-based traditional trades specified in Para 2.3, in the unorganized or informal sector, on self-employment basis, shall be eligible for registration under PM Vishwakarma.
2. The minimum age of the beneficiary should be 18 years on the date of registration.
3. The beneficiary should be engaged in the trades concerned on the date of registration and should not have availed loans under similar credit-based schemes of Central Government or State Government for self-employment/ business development, e.g. PMEGP, PM SVANidhi, MUDRA, in the past 5 years. However, the beneficiaries of MUDRA and SVANidhi who have fully repaid their loan, will be eligible under PM Vishwakarma. This period of 5 years will be calculated from the date of sanction of the loan.
4. The registration and benefits under the Scheme shall be restricted to one member of the family. For availing benefits under the Scheme, a ‘family’ is defined as consisting of the husband, wife and unmarried children.
5. A person in government service and his/her family members shall not be eligible under the Scheme.

PM Vishwakarma Yojana: Registration Process

According to the official guidelines of this scheme, here’s how interested and eligible artisans can register for the Scheme..

1. MoMSME in association with CSCs (Common Service Centres) shall enroll the beneficiary families. Further, an Aadhaar authenticated and centralized PM Vishwakarma portal shall act as the facilitator for this exercise along with a PM Vishwakarma mobile app for enabling smooth operations of the Scheme.
2. The enrolment of beneficiaries shall be done by seeking applications through CSCs under MeitY at the Gram Panchayat and Urban Local Body level or by online application through the portal.
3. There shall be no fee or charge for enrolment under PM Vishwakarma. The entire cost of enrolment through CSC, registration and issue of certificate/ID card under the Scheme shall be borne by the Government.
4. Submission and approval process of application by the beneficiary shall be followed by a three-step verification which, if successfully completed will lead to registration under PM Vishwakarma.
5. All registrations under PM Vishwakarma will be Aadhaar-based and the authentication will be through biometric. Notification to beneficiaries on disbursement of incentives will be done through SMS.

PM Narendra Modi Offers Flowers To Lord Vishwakarma

Before launching the ‘PM Vishwakarma Scheme’, PM Narendra Modi was also seen offering flowers and seeking blessings from Lord Vishwakarma, inside the India International Convention and Expo Centre (IICC). The Prime Minister’s video of paying a floral tribute to Lord Vishwakarma, can be seen here.

PM Modi’s Interaction With Artisans In IICC

A video of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been circulating on social media, where he is seen interacting with the local artisans present in the India International Convention and Expo Centre (IICC) in Dwarka, Delhi. PM Modi is seen discussing with the artisans, their craft, products and how they work; the Prime Minister can be seen understanding the work that is put in daily, by the artisans, to keep alive the beauty and importance of Indian handicrafts and culture.