State PCS - Madhya Pradesh (MP PCS)

• 15 Jul 2025

Pradhan Mantri Rozgar Mela Held in Bhopal

Why in News? 

Union Minister of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare and Rural Development distributed appointment letters to newly selected candidates at the Pradhan Mantri Rozgar Mela held in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.  

• As part of this nationwide employment drive, over 51,000 candidates across India received government job appointment letters.

Key Points

• Pradhan Mantri Rozgar Mela: 
  • About:  
    • The Government of India launched the first Rozgar Mela on October 22, 2022, distributing over 75,000 appointment letters to new recruits. 
      • So far, the government has conducted 16 editions of the Rozgar Mela across the country, issuing over 10 lakh recruitment letters. 
    • It is part of the government’s broader strategy to expand job opportunities and build a robust, future-ready workforce. 
    • To supplement government recruitment, the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC)—under the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship—has been conducting Rozgar Melas to link unemployed youth with jobs in the private sector. 
  • This initiative aims to: 
    • Empower youth with career opportunities 
    • Enable youth participation in nation-building 
    • Accelerate job matching between employers and seekers 
    • Uphold the vision of equitable and inclusive development. 
  • Sector-Wide Induction of Recruits: 
    • Newly recruited individuals have joined key ministries and departments such as the Ministry of Railways, Ministry of Home Affairs, Department of Posts, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Labour and Employment. 
    • This reflects the comprehensive strengthening of human resources in public administration. 

National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC)  

• NSDC functions under the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE) and plays a central role in India’s skill development agenda. 
• Established on 31 July 2008, NSDC is a not-for-profit public limited company incorporated under Section 25 of the Companies Act, 1956. 
• It operates as a Public Private Partnership (PPP), aiming to foster collaboration between the government and the private sector for expanding vocational training opportunities. 
• Its core responsibility is to enhance, support, and coordinate private sector-led vocational training initiatives. The organization focuses on improving the quality and reach of skill training under the Skill India Mission. 
• NSDC seeks to empower India’s youth by making them employable through industry-relevant skill training and building an efficient vocational training ecosystem. 

National Workshop on SMILE-B

Why in News?

The Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MoSJE) organized a National Workshop and Orientation Programme in Indore, focusing on the SMILE-B sub-scheme aimed at the comprehensive rehabilitation of persons engaged in begging.

Key Points

About SMILE-B 

• It is a sub-scheme of the SMILE initiative and aims to build a ‘Bhiksha Vritti Mukt Bharat’ by facilitating the reintegration of persons engaged in begging into mainstream society with dignity and sustainable support. 
  • As of December 2024, the scheme has been implemented in 81 cities/towns, including major pilgrimage, historical, and tourist locations. 
    • The next phase aims to expand coverage to 50 additional cities. 
  • As of April 2025, in India, 9,958 individuals have been identified as engaged in begging. 
    • 970 individuals successfully rehabilitated through various scheme interventions. 

 

About National Workshop and Orientation Programme 

• The event focused on rescue operations, primary rehabilitation, and livelihood convergence for persons engaged in begging. 
• The workshop brought together a diverse group of participants, including State nodal officers, urban local body (ULB) representatives, NGOs, and Civil Society Groups. 
  • They engaged in focused discussions on challenges and best practices in implementing the SMILE-B scheme.

About SMILE Scheme 

• Launched in October 2023, the SMILE Scheme (Support for Marginalized Individuals for Livelihood and Enterprise) aims to create a ‘Bhiksha Vritti Mukt Bharat’ (Begging-Free India). 
• Rehabilitation Strategy:  
  • It involves coordination with local bodies for identification, outreach, and resettlement, with empathetic engagement and profiling through photo/video documentation.  
  • District administrations, NGOs, SHGs, and Temple Trusts provide services like counselling, education, and reintegration support. 

Begging 

• About: Begging involves soliciting alms through various acts like singing, selling items, or displaying deformities.   
  • Indore, Madhya Pradesh, has been declared India’s first beggar-free city under the Bhiksha Vriti Mukta Bharat (begging-free India) initiative. 
• Status: Census 2011 reports 4.13 lakh beggars in India, with the highest numbers in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh.  
  • SECC 2011 estimates 6.62 lakh rural households depend on begging.   
• Constitutional Basis: Vagrancy (includes beggary) is in the Concurrent List (Entry 15, List III), where both the Centre and the states can legislate.  
• No Central Law: India lacks a uniform central law on begging, and the Bombay Prevention of Begging Act, 1959, acts as the main law that criminalizes begging and defines beggars broadly.