Steps taken by the government to remove poverty in India?

National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) 2005

was passed in September 2005. The Act provides 100 days assured employment

every year to every rural household in 200 districts. Later, the scheme will be

extended to 600 districts. One third of the proposed jobs would be reserved for

women. The central government will also establish National Employment Guarantee

Funds. Similarly state governments will establish State Employment Guarantee

Funds for implementation of the scheme. Under the programme if an applicant is not

provided employment within fifteen days s/he will be entitled to a daily

unemployment allowance.

National Food for Work Programme(NFWP),

was launched in 2004 in 150 most backward districts of the country. The programme

is open to all rural poor who are in need of wage employment and desire to do

manual unskilled work. It is implemented as a 100 per cent centrally sponsored

scheme and foodgrains are provided free of cost to the states. Once the NREGA is in

force, the NFWP will be subsumed within this programme.

Prime Minister Rozgar Yozana (PMRY)

was started in 1993. The aim of the programme is to create self employment

opportunities for educated unemployed youth in rural areas and small towns. They

are helped in setting up small business and industries.

Rural Employment Generation Programme(REGP)

was launched in 1995. The aim of the programme is to create selfemployment

opportunities in rural areas and small towns. A target for creating 25 lakh new jobs

has been set for the programme under the Tenth Five Year plan.

Swarnajayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY)

was launched in 1999. The programme aims at bringing the assisted poor families

above the poverty line by organising them into self help groups through a mix of

bank credit and government subsidy.

Pradhan Mantri Gramodaya Yozana (PMGY)

launched in 2000, additional central assistance is given to states for basic services

such as primary health, primary education, rural shelter, rural drinking water and

rural electrification.