Why in news?
The programme has rehabilitated over 10,200 persons engaged in begging. Its beggary component now operates across 216 cities. The Government targets 295 cities and 35,000 rehabilitations by 2030–31.
Background
Support for Marginalized Individuals for Livelihood and Enterprise forms the short name SMILE.
The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment launched this umbrella scheme on 12 February 2022.
This umbrella scheme places related interventions under one framework focused on dignity and sustainable livelihoods.
What is a Central Sector Scheme?
SMILE is a Central Sector Scheme funded by the Union Government from its own budget.
States still implement it, unlike centrally sponsored schemes where governments formally share costs.
Which groups does the umbrella scheme cover?
- One provides comprehensive rehabilitation and welfare support for transgender persons.
- The other supports comprehensive rehabilitation for persons engaged in begging.
These components serve different groups but both use welfare, healthcare, skills and economic linkages.
Why use “persons engaged in begging”?
This wording describes a present activity without reducing someone to that identity.
People may enter begging through poverty, homelessness, disability, displacement or family breakdown.
Mental illness, substance dependence, trafficking and lost documents can add further barriers.
A lasting response must address these causes rather than move people temporarily.
How does the rehabilitation process work?
- Survey and outreach teams identify people, build trust and assess their circumstances.
- Protective care and shelters provide immediate safety, food, clothing and basic services.
- Health teams and counsellors assess needs before preparing individual rehabilitation plans.
- Education, skills and follow-up support later work, stable livelihoods and dignified reintegration.
Core idea: SMILE is a rehabilitation programme. Its aim is not merely removal, detention or punishment of vulnerable persons.
What support can beneficiaries receive?
- Temporary shelters provide safety, while healthcare links residents with continuing medical services.
- Counselling addresses trauma, while education assists people who left learning early.
- Skills and economic linkages connect eligible adults with work, credit and welfare schemes.
How is the scheme implemented?
The Union Ministry funds the framework, while state and Union Territory administrations coordinate implementation.
District administrations organise services, while urban local bodies manage many city-level operations.
Community organisations provide expertise within this combined, convergence-based approach.
Current scale and future target
| Indicator | Reported position or target |
|---|---|
| Current city coverage | 216 cities across India. |
| People rehabilitated | More than 10,200 persons so far. |
| Target city coverage | 295 cities by financial year 2030–31. |
| Approved rehabilitation target | 35,000 persons during the 2026–31 implementation period. |
| Priority locations | Metropolitan, religious, tourist and historical centres. |
The current rehabilitation figure forms part of the target, not the number identified through every survey.
What is the national beggary portal?
The Ministry’s national portal registers participating centres and records implementation information for digital monitoring.
Officials can track centres and shelters through one system, improving oversight, reporting and coordination.
Digital tracking must still protect personal data and individual dignity.
What does “Begging-Free India” mean?
The “Bhiksha Vritti Mukt Bharat” vision requires fewer people depending upon begging for survival.
Clearing a location proves little; long-term indicators must include housing, health, work and social support.
Implementation challenges
- Missing documents and unsafe family situations can block welfare access and support.
- Shelter stays can fail without suitable livelihoods and continuing mental-health care.
- Migration complicates follow-up, while officials must avoid coercive displacement disguised as support.
Conclusion
SMILE treats begging as a livelihood challenge, whose success requires durable reintegration beyond rescue numbers.