State PCS - Madhya Pradesh (MP PCS)

• 13 May 2025

India's First Beggar-Free City

Why in News? 

Indore has become the country’s first beggar-free city after authorities rehabilitated beggars by providing them with employment opportunities and enrolled children involved in begging into schools. 

Key Points 

• Multi-Phase Campaign Strategy:  
  • In February 2024, the city launched an anti-begging campaign under the Women and Child Development Department. 
    • At the time, officials identified around 5,000 beggars, including 500 children, living on the streets of Indore. 
  • The campaign was conducted in two major phases: 
    • Phase 1: Awareness drives to inform the public and engage stakeholders. 
    • Phase 2: Rehabilitation of beggars through employment assistance and school enrolment for children. 
  • Many beggars were found to have migrated from Rajasthan, highlighting inter-state dimensions of urban begging. 
• National and International Recognition: 
  • The initiative has been recognised as a model project by the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. 
    • Indore is among 10 cities selected for a pilot project to eliminate begging in urban areas. 
  • A World Bank team has also acknowledged the campaign’s impact. 

Legal Framework Regarding Begging 

• Colonial Law: The Criminal Tribes Act of 1871 criminalised nomadic tribes, associating them with vagrancy and begging.   
• Current Legal Framework:  The Constitution of India allows both the Union and state governments to enact laws on vagrancy (includes beggary), nomadic, and migratory tribes under the Concurrent List (List III, Entry 15).  
  • There is no central Act on beggary. Instead, many states and Union Territories have based their laws on the Bombay Prevention of Begging Act, 1959.   
    • The Act defines a beggar as anyone soliciting alms, performing or offering articles for sale, or appearing destitute without visible means of subsistence. 
• Jurisprudence: The Delhi High Court, in 2018, ruled that the Bombay Act (criminalising begging) was arbitrary and violated the right to live with dignity, underscoring the importance of addressing poverty without criminalizing it.  
  • The Supreme Court of India in 2021 rejected a Public Interest Litigation seeking to remove beggars from public spaces, emphasizing that begging is a socio-economic problem rather than a criminal issue.  
• SMILE: Launched in 2022, Support for Marginalised Individuals for Livelihood and Enterprise (SMILE) by Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, aims to rehabilitate beggars by providing medical care, education, and skills training, working toward a "beggar-free" India by 2026.  
  • As of 2024, 970 individuals have rehabilitated under SMILE, including 352 children. 

Irrigation Projects in MP

Why in News? 

The Deputy Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh reviewed the Sitapur-Hanumana Lift Irrigation, Bansagar Project, and other pending schemes in Rewa, urging timely completion of construction work. 

Key Points 

• About Sitapur-Hanumana Lift Irrigation Project: 
  • This project is helpful in strengthening the irrigation system of Mauganj, Sidhi and Singrauli districts. 
  • Through this project, 1 lakh 20 thousand hectares of agricultural land in a total of 653 villages will be connected with irrigation facilities. 
  • Administrative approval of Rs 4,167 crore has been given by the state government for this project . 
  • Challenges: 
    • The dam proposed in this project is to be built on the Son River in Amiliya area of Sidhi district . 
    • The area falls under the Son Gharial Sanctuary, making environmental and wildlife clearance mandatory. 
    • Emphasizing environmental protection, officials were instructed to ensure that no harm is caused to gharial conservation efforts. 
• Bansagar Dam: 
  • Bansagar Dam is located on the Son River in Rewa district of Madhya Pradesh . 
  • It is a multi-purpose project, aimed at ensuring irrigation, hydropower generation and water supply. 
  • Authorities have been directed to accelerate the construction of the 18 km Bela Minor Canal, tunnel lining in Chuhiya Valley, aqueduct development, and canal lining. 
    • Bela Minor Canal is a tributary canal of the Bansagar Project. 
    • The total length of this canal is 51 km, out of which only 21 km of work has been completed so far. 
  • Benefits: 
    • On completion of the dam and canal project, irrigation facilities will be ensured in lakhs of hectares of area in Rewa, Mauganj, Sidhi and Singrauli districts. 
    • This project will provide sustainable irrigation facilities to millions of farmers, leading to crop diversification, increased productivity, and improved income. 

 Son Gharial Sanctuary  

• It is an important sanctuary located in the Son River area of Madhya Pradesh, which was established in 1981 with the aim of conserving gharials and increasing their numbers.  
• Under this sanctuary, a total area of 210 km has been protected including 161 km of Son River, 23 km of Banas River and 26 km of Gopad River. 
• This sanctuary comes under Project Crocodile, the main attraction of the sanctuary is the sandy habitats, which mainly include gharial, Indian soft shell turtle (Chitra Indica) and Indian skimmer (Rynchops albicollis).  
  • These areas provide protection to various endangered species.