PM VIKAS

Let us begin with a fundamental thought — Development isn’t just about GDP or skyscrapers; it’s also about preserving what we’ve inherited — our cultural legacy — while enabling those who carry it forward to live with dignity.

In that spirit, the PM VIKAS Scheme emerges as a holistic livelihood and heritage empowerment program, especially for India’s minority communities and traditional artisans.

Overview and Purpose

PM VIKAS, short for Pradhan Mantri Virasat Ka Samvardhan, literally means Prime Minister’s Scheme for Heritage Conservation — but its scope goes well beyond conservation. It was launched in December 2022.  It is about:

✅ Reviving traditional livelihoods
✅ Skilling communities for modern markets
✅ Empowering women and youth, and
✅ Giving artisans cultural recognition and economic upliftment.

🕰️ Tenure: Extended up to 2025–26
🧭 Type: Central Sector Scheme — directly funded and implemented by the Central Government

Who Benefits?

The scheme targets Minority Communities notified under the National Commission for Minorities Act, 1992, namely:

• Muslims
• Christians
• Sikhs
• Buddhists
• Jains
• Parsis (Zoroastrians)

Within these groups, PM VIKAS gives special focus to:

• Artisan families
• Women
• Youth
• Persons with Disabilities

Integration of Earlier Schemes

PM VIKAS is not an entirely new invention. It is a convergence of five earlier standalone schemes that were fragmented in design but similar in purpose.

These are now integrated for a streamlined and impactful approach:

Earlier Scheme	Now Part of
Seekho aur Kamao	Non-Traditional Skilling
USTTAD	Traditional Training
Hamari Dharohar	Traditional Training & Cultural Support
Nai Roshni	Leadership & Entrepreneurship for Women
Nai Manzil	Education Bridge Program

This consolidation helps reduce duplication and allows better monitoring and convergence at the grassroots level.

Components of the Scheme

Let’s now break the scheme into its core components for better clarity:

A. Skilling and Training

The heart of PM VIKAS lies in skill development, both traditional and modern:

i. Traditional Training Sub-Component

• Integrates USTTAD and Hamari Dharohar
• Focuses on artisans engaged in heritage-based work like weaving, pottery, metal crafts, embroidery, etc.
• Offers upskilling aligned with market needs while preserving their art

ii. Non-Traditional Skilling

• Derived from Seekho aur Kamao
• Focuses on modern NSQF-compliant job roles (e.g., digital marketing for artisans, e-commerce packaging, etc.)
• These skills complement their existing trade

🎯 Reservation for Women: 33% of training seats are reserved for minority women

B. Leadership and Entrepreneurship Development

This is where PM VIKAS stands out. It doesn’t stop at training — it creates leaders.

• Incorporates the Nai Roshni scheme
• Develops leadership skills, financial literacy, and basic entrepreneurship among women
• Trained women become “Biz Sakhis” — business mentors and facilitators
• They are hand-held to start their own enterprises or assist others

🎯 Reservation: 100% seats in this component are for minority women

C. Education Bridge Programme

This is designed for school dropouts — a critical issue among underprivileged communities.

• Based on the Nai Manzil framework
• Offers a chance to complete education via open schooling in:
  • Class 8th
  • Class 10th
  • Class 12th

🎯 50% of seats are reserved for minority women, ensuring second chances are inclusive.

D. Infrastructure Development: The Vishwakarma Vision

PM VIKAS brings an innovative “Hub and Spoke” model to infrastructure:

• Central hubs known as Vishwakarma Villages are developed
• These villages are model art-and-craft clusters that:
  • Showcase cultural vibrancy
  • Provide common facilities for artisans (training rooms, raw material banks, display areas)
  • Offer artisans a dignified workspace and cultural identity

🧵 These hubs act as centres of pride, not just for production but also for tourism, branding, and cultural diplomacy.

🛠️ Convergence with Other Ministries is used to develop these hubs — ensuring efficient use of resources.

✅ Why PM VIKAS is Important (From UPSC Lens)

1. It converges culture with commerce — preserving traditional arts while enhancing economic opportunity.
2. Empowers women and youth through targeted support — a classic example of inclusive development.
3. Promotes education and skilling for the marginalised — contributing to India’s demographic dividend.
4. Aims to create dignified identities for artisans — bridging the gap between the past and the future.
5. Operational across India — wherever artisan/minority clusters exist.

📝 Conclusion: Cultural Legacy as Livelihood

The PM VIKAS scheme tells us that heritage is not just to be preserved in museums — it must live in villages, grow in homes, and empower its bearers. The scheme embodies the idea that development, to be meaningful, must be rooted in identity and inclusive by design.