Ministry of Rural Development Launches National Campaign on Entrepreneurship

1. At a Glance

• National Campaign on Entrepreneurship is a flagship rural-women enterprise-promotion drive under DAY-NRLM, launched by the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) with the tagline "Promoting Rural Women Entrepreneurship – Har Ghar Udyam, Har Gaon Samriddh" [S1][S2].
• Twin targets: training 50,000 Community Resource Persons-Enterprise Promotion (CRP-EPs) and imparting Entrepreneurship Development Programme (EDP) training to 50 lakh SHG members [S1][S2].
• UPSC salience: convergence of rural livelihoods, women empowerment, non-farm sector, SHG ecosystem, Lakhpati Didi mission — examinable across GS-II (welfare schemes) and GS-III (economy/employment).

2. Why in the News

• Launched on 14 January 2026 (some sources cite 12 Jan 2026 internal launch) by the Additional Secretary (Rural Development) as a nationwide push under DAY-NRLM [S1][S2].
• Forms part of the Centre's accelerated push toward the 3 crore Lakhpati Didi target [S2][S4].

3. Background & Evolution

• DAY-NRLM restructured from the erstwhile Swarnajayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY) in 2011; renamed Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana–NRLM in 2015 [S5].
• Start-up Village Entrepreneurship Programme (SVEP) introduced as a sub-scheme of NRLM in 2016 to develop non-farm rural enterprises and create the CRP-EP cadre [S3][S5].
• Lakhpati Didi initiative announced by PM in Independence Day 2023 address; target raised from 2 crore to 3 crore in interim Budget 2024 [S4].
• The 2026 campaign scales up the CRP-EP model nationally, moving from ~2,000 CRP-EPs (2020) to a target of 50,000 [S3][S1].

4. Core Static Facts

• Implementing Ministry: Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) [S1].
• Parent scheme: Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana–National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) [S1].
• Tagline: Har Ghar Udyam, Har Gaon Samriddh [S1][S2].
• Targets: 50,000 CRP-EPs trained; 50 lakh SHG members to receive EDP training [S1][S2].
• Knowledge partner: Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India (EDII), Ahmedabad [S6].
• DAY-NRLM scale: 10.05 crore women mobilised into 90.86 lakh SHGs (as of 30 June 2024); >1 crore Lakhpati Didis already [S4].
• Lakhpati Didi: SHG woman earning ≥ ₹1 lakh/annum sustained income [S4].
• SVEP launch year: 2016 [S3].

5. Multi-Dimensional Analysis

Economic - Targets non-farm rural enterprise diversification — critical given farm-sector saturation and disguised unemployment [S1]. - Builds grassroots business development services (BDS) through CRP-EP cadre, lowering entry barriers for micro-enterprises [S3].

Social / Gender - Exclusively channels through women-led SHGs — advances SDG-5 (gender equality) and SDG-8 [S1][S2]. - Strengthens Cluster Level Federations (CLFs) for collective bargaining and market linkage [S2].

Administrative - Uses a cascade training model: master trainers → CRP-EPs → SHG entrepreneurs — leveraging existing NRLM architecture rather than parallel bureaucracy [S1][S3]. - Convergence with MUDRA, Stand-Up India, PMEGP, Skill India ecosystem implied for credit + market access [S6].

Governance / Federal - DAY-NRLM is Centrally Sponsored (60:40 funding; 90:10 for NE & Himalayan states); State Rural Livelihood Missions (SRLMs) execute [S5].

6. Recent Developments (last 12–18 months)

• 14 Jan 2026 — National Campaign formally launched by MoRD [S1].
• 2024 — Lakhpati Didi target enhanced to 3 crore in interim Union Budget [S4].
• June 2024 — DAY-NRLM crosses 10.05 crore women / 90.86 lakh SHGs [S4].
• 2025 — Expansion of CRP-EP certification under SVEP across SRLMs [S6].

7. Prelims Hooks

• National Campaign on Entrepreneurship is launched under DAY-NRLM, not under Skill India [S1].
• Tagline: "Har Ghar Udyam, Har Gaon Samriddh" [S1].
• Targets 50,000 CRP-EPs and 50 lakh SHG members [S1].
• Implementing ministry: Ministry of Rural Development (not MSDE, not MSME) [S1].
• SVEP is a sub-scheme of NRLM launched in 2016 [S3].
• DAY-NRLM launched in 2011 (as NRLM); renamed in 2015 [S5].
• Lakhpati Didi = SHG woman with annual income ≥ ₹1 lakh; target = 3 crore [S4].
• DAY-NRLM SHG count: 90.86 lakh SHGs mobilising 10.05 crore women (Jun 2024) [S4].
• EDII Ahmedabad is a knowledge partner for entrepreneurship training [S6].
• CRP-EP = Community Resource Person–Enterprise Promotion, a local cadre [S3].
• DAY-NRLM funding pattern: 60:40 Centre-State (90:10 for NE/Himalayan) [S5].
• Predecessor of NRLM: Swarnajayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY) [S5].

8. Mains Relevance

• GS-II: Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections — women, rural poor; government policies for development.
• GS-III: Indian economy — inclusive growth, employment, mobilisation of resources; non-farm rural economy.
• Possible stems: 1. "Rural women entrepreneurship is the new frontier of India's inclusive growth story." Examine in light of DAY-NRLM's National Campaign on Entrepreneurship. 2. Discuss the role of community cadres like CRP-EPs in scaling rural non-farm enterprises. What institutional bottlenecks remain? 3. Critically evaluate the Lakhpati Didi initiative as a livelihoods strategy vis-à-vis income-transfer schemes.

9. Related Topics to Study Next

• DAY-NRLM architecture (SHG–VO–CLF) — parent framework.
• Start-up Village Entrepreneurship Programme (SVEP) — direct ancestor of the campaign.
• Lakhpati Didi & Drone Didi schemes — convergent women-livelihoods push.
• PM Vishwakarma, PMEGP, MUDRA, Stand-Up India — credit/skill complements.
• National Rural Economic Transformation Project (NRETP) — World Bank-aided extension of NRLM.
• Self-Employed Women's Association (SEWA) model — comparative SHG-enterprise pathway.
• Niti Aayog's Multidimensional Poverty Index — outcome metric.
• Article 243G & 11th Schedule — Panchayat role in rural livelihoods.

10. Common Errors / Trap Areas

• Confusing campaign ministry with MSDE or MSME — it is MoRD.
• Treating Lakhpati Didi as a separate scheme — it is an outcome/output of DAY-NRLM, not an independent scheme [S4].
• Mixing SVEP (2016, NRLM sub-scheme) with Startup India (2016, DPIIT) — entirely different.
• Mis-stating the cadre acronym: it is CRP-EP (Enterprise Promotion), distinct from generic CRP in NRLM.
• Quoting wrong SHG numbers — current figure is ~90.86 lakh SHGs / 10.05 cr women (Jun 2024) [S4].

11. Sources

• [S1] Ministry of Rural Development Launches National Campaign on Entrepreneurship — https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2214504 — (tier: 1)
• [S2] Rural Development Ministry launches entrepreneurship campaign (mirrored PIB content) — https://swabhimaniodia.in/rural-development-ministry-launches-entrepreneurship-campaign/ — (tier: 4, used only for cross-confirmation of PIB text)
• [S3] Start-Up Village Entrepreneurship Programme (SVEP) — https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1651525 — (tier: 1)
• [S4] Implementation of Lakhpati Didi Scheme — https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=2040878 — (tier: 1)
• [S5] Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – NRLM overview — https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2181702 — (tier: 1)
• [S6] National Campaign on Entrepreneurship under DAY-NRLM, EDII — https://ediindia.org/edii-newsletter/edii-report-136/national-campaign-on-entrepreneurship-under-the-deendayal-antyodaya-yojana-national-rural-livelihoods-mission-day-nrlm/ — (tier: 3, autonomous knowledge-partner institution)