Why in news?
The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment recently highlighted progress under the Support for Marginalised Individuals for Livelihood and Enterprise (SMILE) scheme. Launched on 12 February 2022, SMILE addresses the needs of transgender persons and individuals engaged in begging. As of March 2026, the government had identified over 31,000 beneficiaries and rehabilitated nearly 10,000 people from begging.
Background
Marginalised communities often lack access to education, healthcare, housing and jobs. The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act 2019 recognised transgender people’s rights but implementation remained slow. Begging, meanwhile, is both a symptom and a cause of extreme poverty. SMILE consolidates various welfare measures into two sub‑schemes: one for transgender persons and another for people engaged in begging.
Main features
- Comprehensive care: The scheme provides health coverage through Ayushman Bharat TG Plus, which offers up to ₹5 lakh per person per year and includes gender‑affirming surgeries and hormone therapies. Garima Greh shelter homes in 17 states provide safe housing, counselling and skill training.
- Education and skilling: Scholarships support transgender students from class IX to postgraduate level. Skill development is offered through programmes like PM‑DAKSH, and self‑employment is encouraged via micro‑credit.
- Rehabilitation of begging: Outreach teams identify people engaged in begging, link them to welfare schemes and facilitate their rehabilitation. As of early 2026, 9,935 individuals had been moved towards dignified livelihoods.
- Legal protection: The scheme enforces the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act by establishing Transgender Protection Cells in each state to handle grievances and ensure sensitive policing.
- Funding: The government allocated ₹390 crore for SMILE from 2021 to 2026. Budget support covers health insurance premiums, shelter maintenance and awareness campaigns.
Impact and significance
- Social inclusion: By providing shelter, healthcare and training, SMILE helps transgender persons and people who beg to reclaim dignity and participate in mainstream society.
- Alignment with rights: The scheme operationalises constitutional and statutory guarantees, ensuring that marginalised citizens can access fundamental rights such as education, health and livelihood.
- Model for future programmes: SMILE demonstrates how integrated welfare schemes can serve vulnerable groups. Its successes may inform policies for other marginalised communities.
Sources: Press Information Bureau
