Poverty alleviation has been a major concern for India since independence. Over the years, the government of India has launched several poverty alleviation programs to improve the standard of living of the poor and marginalized sections of the society. Some of the major poverty alleviation programs launched by the government of India are:
- National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA): This program was launched in 2005 with the aim of providing employment to the rural poor. Under this program, every rural household is guaranteed 100 days of employment in a year at a minimum wage.
- Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY): This program was launched in 2000 with the aim of providing all-weather road connectivity to rural areas. The program has been successful in improving the accessibility of rural areas to markets and other basic amenities.
- National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM): This program was launched in 2010 with the aim of reducing poverty by promoting self-employment and entrepreneurship among the rural poor. The program provides training, credit, and marketing support to rural entrepreneurs.
- Swarnajayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY): This program was launched in 1999 with the aim of promoting self-employment among the rural poor. The program provides financial assistance and training to rural entrepreneurs.
- Jan Dhan Yojana: This program was launched in 2014 with the aim of providing financial inclusion to all households. Under this program, every household is provided with a bank account and other financial services such as insurance and pension.
- Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY): This program was launched in 2016 with the aim of providing clean cooking fuel to poor households. Under this program, poor households are provided with free LPG connections.
- National Food Security Act (NFSA): This program was launched in 2013 with the aim of providing food security to the poor. Under this program, poor households are provided with subsidized food grains.
Apart from these programs, the government of India has also launched several other poverty alleviation programs such as the National Urban Livelihood Mission, the Integrated Child Development Services, and the Mid-Day Meal Scheme. Despite the progress made in poverty alleviation, India still has a large population living below the poverty line. Therefore, more efforts are needed to address the issue of poverty in India.