Bihar
Chief Minister Women’s Employment Scheme
- 04 Sep 2025
- 3 min read
Why in News?
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar launched the Chief Minister Women’s Employment Scheme, offering ₹10,000 to women in Bihar to start businesses, provided they join Jeevika Self-Help Groups.
- This was complemented by the Prime Minister’s launch of the Bihar Rajya Jeevika Nidhi Saakh Sahkari Sangh, aimed at providing affordable loans to Jeevika members.
Key Features of Scheme
- Objective: To provide one woman from each family in Bihar with an initial financial assistance of ₹10,000 to begin self-employment ventures.
- Implementation: Women wishing to start employment under the scheme must join the Jeevika Self-Help Group, which will provide the necessary funds. The application form format for the scheme has been finalized, and women will start receiving funds in September.
- The Rural Development Department will act as the nodal agency for the scheme, while the Urban Development and Housing Department will offer necessary support for its implementation.
- Future Prospects: After six months, an evaluation of the scheme's impact will be carried out. Depending on the success of the initiative, beneficiaries could receive up to ₹2 lakh in additional support.
- Role of Local Markets: The scheme will also encourage the establishment of local markets or ‘haat bazaars’, where women can sell products made by them, boosting their economic independence.
- Impact: This initiative aims to curb the outflow of people from Bihar in search of employment, ensuring better job opportunities within the state.
Bihar Rajya Jeevika Nidhi Saakh Sahkari Sangh Limited
- Objective: The Jeevika Nidhi has been conceived as an alternative financial system to reduce dependence on Microfinance Institutions (MFIs) and ensure the timely availability of larger loan amounts at lower interest rates.
- Membership: All registered cluster-level federations of Jeevika will become members of the Society.
- Funding: For the operation of this institution, the Government of Bihar, as well as the Central government, will contribute funds.
- Transparency: The system will function solely on a digital platform, enabling faster, more transparent fund transfers directly to Jeevika Didis' bank accounts, with 12,000 community cadres receiving tablets to support this process.
