On 18th December 2019, Chief minister Ashok Gehlot launched the Indira Mahila Shakti (IM Shakti) fund, for which Rs 1,000 Crore has been allocated. This fund would help in giving loans up to Rs 1 crore to women self-help groups (SHGs) or self-dependent women to start their own businesses or set up enterprises and make them “self-reliant”.
The objective of IM Shakti fund is to strengthen women self-help groups and make women self-reliant and financially empowered.
Salient features
- The government has made a provision of granting Rs. 200 crore per year for this and during five years, a total of Rs. 1000 crore will be provided.
Different Schemes under IM Shakti Fund
Five different schemes started through the IM Shakti Fund include:
- Indira Mahila Shakti Udhyam Prohatsahan Yojana:
- Individual women or women SHGs could get loans up to Rs. 1 crore.
- Indira Mahila Shakti Prashikshan evum Kaushal Sanvardhan Yojana:
- 75,000 women or girls would be given free computer training
- Indira Mahila Shakti Lekha Prashikshan Yojana
- 5,000 women will be trained in accounting
- Indira Mahila Shakti Shiksha Setu Yojana
- Dropout girls and women deprived of education could be reimbursed the fees for studying through Rajasthan State Open School.
- This would benefit 50,000 girls and women.
- Indira Mahila Shakti Kaushal Samarth Yojana
- 10,000 women would be imparted skill training.
The CM said the state government will take all possible steps for empowering the women through this fund and it could be increased further, if needed.
