‘Stand Up India’, to empower SCs, STs & women

The Dollar Business Bureau

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the ‘Stand Up India’ initiative on Tuesday in Noida to encourage entrepreneurship among women, Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST) communities, by facilitating loans for them ranging from Rs.10 lakh to Rs.1 crore.

Under the initiative, the target is to create 2.5 lakh entrepreneurs all over the country, in which, 1.25 lakh branches of banks will provide loans of up to Rs.1 crore to the SC & ST communities and women. Each bank branch will have to give two loans for setting up a new enterprise, without any collateral.

The Stand Up India initiative is aimed to empower every citizen of India and make them capable of standing on their feet. “For the government it is not possible to provide jobs to every person. This scheme will convert "job-seekers” into “job creators" and transform the lives of people of SC and ST communities," Modi said.

The occasion marked the birth anniversary of Babu Jagjivan Ram, former Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister. Paying tribute to the leader, Modi said, “Babu Jagjivan Ram has always been a respected and inspirational leader but his contributions were forgotten over a period of time. At the time of the first Green Revolution, he was the Agriculture Minister of India. And during the war of 1971, he was the Defence Minister of our country.”

Modi handed over keys of 5,100 e-rickshaws to the poor families, under the Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojna. He also had a conversation over ‘chai pe charcha’ with these families.

Briefing that the entire initiative is totally environment friendly, Modi said, “Energy banks have been established for these e-rickshaws, where the drivers can charge batteries with solar energy.”

Modi said that under the Jan Dhan Yojana, the Government had encouraged people to open zero-balance account but our poor have big hearts. “We asked them to open zero balance accounts in banks but they said they will also contribute something. They deposited amount of Rs 50, 100 or 200 into their accounts. This way, the deposits crossed over Rs 35,000 crore.

The Prime Minister prodded the gathering to educate their children so that they can have a good future.

He said, “India’s development story will be stronger when it is written by the poor.”