SMILE stands for Support for Marginalized Individuals for Livelihood and Enterprise. Read on to know more about the SMILE scheme, UPSC has the potential to ask questions from.
According to PIB, the Union Government of India has formulated a scheme covering comprehensive measures for the welfare of beggars.
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About SMILE Scheme
Launched on 20th July 2021, the SMILE scheme has the following components:
- It includes “Central Sector Scheme for Comprehensive Rehabilitation of persons engaged in the act of Begging” as a subscheme.
- The scheme focuses primarily upon:
- Rehabilitation,
- Provision of medical facilities,
- Counselling,
- Basic documentation,
- Education,
- Skill Development,
- Economic linkages, etc.
- Pilot projects have been initiated in the ten major Indian cities as follows:
- Delhi,
- Bangalore,
- Chennai,
- Hyderabad,
- Indore,
- Lucknow,
- Mumbai,
- Nagpur,
- Patna,
- and Ahmedabad.
- It is formulated by the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment and executed with the help of the respective State/UT governments, Community Based Organizations (CBOs), Voluntary Organizations, Local Urban Bodies, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), Institutions, and others.
- For rehabilitation purposes, new dedicated shelter homes are to be constructed by the implementing agency if there are no existing shelter homes available.
How many beggars are in India?
According to the Census 2011 data, there are more than 4,13,670 beggars in India, the figure comprises 2,21,673 males and 1,91,997 females. The numbers are increasing after each census report and are a testament to the growing rich and poor divide or economic inequality in India.
The highest number of beggars are in the state of West Bengal, while the second and third position is held by Uttar Pradesh and Bihar respectively. Among Union Territories, New Delhi tops the list and is followed by Chandigarh.
Assam has the maximum number of beggars of the northeastern states, while Mizoram has the minimum number of beggars.
Also read: Income Inequality in India
Anti-Beggary Laws in India
According to PIB dated 29th November 2010, there are as many as 19 States and 3 Union Territories which have made “being poor” a crime, with their anti-beggary laws categorizing it as a criminal activity. Following is the list of States which have such laws:
- Andhra Pradesh
- Assam
- Bihar
- Chhattisgarh
- Daman & Diu
- Delhi
- Goa
- Gujarat
- Haryana
- Himachal Pradesh
- Jammu & Kashmir
- Jharkhand
- Karnataka
- Kerala
- Madhya Pradesh
- Maharashtra
- Punjab
- Sikkim
- Tamil Nadu
- Uttar Pradesh
- Uttarakhand
- West Bengal
Latest News about Anti-Beggary Laws in India
- In 2018, the Delhi High Court has decriminalised begging in the National Capital Region (NCR) terming the provisions relating to begging in Delhi Prevention of Begging Rules, 1960, formulated under the Bombay Prevention of Begging Act 1959, as unconstitutional. The court held that the provisions were in gross violation of Article 14 (Equality Before Law and Equal Protection of Law) and Article 21 (Right to Life and Personal Liberty).
- The Delhi High Court also noted that it is the state’s responsibility to provide the required necessities for survival (shelter, clothing, food, etc.), to all the citizens in need. Poverty is due to the state’s failure in discharging its duties and obligations.
- The Supreme Court of India has recently accepted a plea for decriminalising begging throughout India.
Is begging a failure on part of the State?
Although the States are not legally bound by the Directive Principles of State Policy (DPSP) as they are not legally enforceable by the Courts of Law due to their non-justiciable nature, rather the DPSPs act as an instrument of instruction for the state in formulating their policies and rules. Following DPSP make the State responsible for eradicating poverty:
- Article 38 – Promote the welfare of the people by securing a social order through justice – social, economic, and political, and to minimise inequalities in income, status, facilities, and opportunities.
- Article 39 – Secure citizens:
- Right to adequate means of livelihood for all citizens
- Equitable distribution of material resources of the community for the common good
- Prevention of concentration of wealth and means of production
- Equal pay for equal work for men and women
- Preservation of the health and strength of workers and children against forcible abuse
- Opportunities for the healthy development of children
- Article 41 – In cases of unemployment, old age, sickness and disablement, secure citizens:
- Right to work
- Right to education
- Right to public assistance
- Article 43 – Secure a living wage, a decent standard of living and social and cultural opportunities for all workers.
- Article 47 – Raise the level of nutrition and the standard of living of people and improve public health.
Due to the above legal provisions, it is highly unjust for the states to punish the people for doing things which they are forced to, due to that very state’s failure to adhere to the above DPSPs.
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