Dr Seema Dwivedi
NEW DELHI: The Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra, spearheaded by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has emerged as a transformative campaign for India’s path towards comprehensive development and sustainable growth.
Flagged off in November 2023 from Khunti, Jharkhand, the yatra is an ambitious undertaking with an aim to spread awareness and ensure the saturation of various welfare schemes across the nation.
Covering over 2.60 lakh Gram Panchayats and more than 4,000 Urban Local Bodies by January 2024, the yatra has reached the farthest corners of the country, creating awareness about the Government’s welfare schemes.
The initiative is pivotal in ensuring that these social welfare programs reach every individual in the nation, even in the most remote areas.
One of the significant achievements of the yatra has been the distribution of over 1.64 crore Ayushman Bharat health cards, providing comprehensive health coverage of Rs. 5 lakhs per family per year. The move has been instrumental in offering a safety net to millions of Indian families, thereby enhancing the nation’s health security.
Additionally, the yatra has been pivotal in enrolling over 9.47 lakh people under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, liberating families from smokefilled kitchens and promoting cleaner, healthier living environments.
The yatra also focuses on financial inclusion, with more than 18.15 lakh citizens receiving accident insurance under the Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana. Furthermore, the Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana has benefited over 10.86 lakh individuals by providing life insurance.
More than 6.79 lakh street vendors have been given working capital loans under the Prime Minister Street Vendor’s AtmaNirbhar Nidhi during the yatra. Additionally, over 27.31 lakh youth have registered in the ‘MY Bharat’ initiative, marking a substantial new wave of engagement within the framework of the Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra.
While a direct connection between the Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is not explicitly established, the initiatives and schemes promoted by the yatra contribute to Sthese goals indirectly. The yatra’s focus on poverty alleviation, health security, clean energy, and economic growth aligns with several of the SDGs.
The Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra is more than just a campaign; it is a nationwide movement towards realising the dream of a vibrant, inclusive, and developed India. It showcases the Government’s efforts to ensure that every citizen, irrespective of their geographic or social standing, is included in India’s growth narrative.
As the yatra continues to make strides across the nation, it stands as a testament to Prime Minister Modi’s vision of a developed India by 2047, paving the way for an empowered and sustainable future.
Maharashtra Governor Ramesh Bais presented Jan Gaurav Purashkar to eminent persons from various walks of life, at Raj Bhavan in Mumbai on January 6. The above picture shows Dr Mukesh Batra receiving the award as a recognition of his work to popularise homeopathy across the globe.
