25 March 2026·PIB

OPERATIONAL STATUS OF GARIMA GREHS

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Practice

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1. At a Glance

Garima Greh = shelter homes for transgender persons providing food, medical care, counselling, capacity building & skill development [1][3].
Component of the SMILE (Support for Marginalized Individuals for Livelihood and Enterprise) Central Sector Scheme of the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment (MoSJE) [1][5].
Tested in Prelims (welfare schemes/vulnerable sections) and Mains GS-I (social empowerment) & GS-II (welfare of vulnerable sections, schemes).

PIB release dated 25 March 2026 (Lok Sabha reply): 20 Garima Grehs operational across 16 States/UTs; 3 more sanctioned in FY 2025-26 — Puducherry (1) and Uttar Pradesh (2) [1].
Each Garima Greh: 25-bed capacity [1]. Annexure on year-wise occupancy / beneficiaries placed on record [1].

2019: Parliament enacts the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019 — statutory backbone for transgender welfare [7].
Nov 2020: MoSJE launches pilot Garima Greh project (initially 13 pilot shelters; first opened in Vadodara) [3].
2021-22: Umbrella SMILE scheme launched by Union Minister Dr. Virendra Kumar, subsuming Garima Greh under the sub-scheme "Comprehensive Rehabilitation for Welfare of Transgender Persons" [5][4].
Funds released directly to implementing CSOs/NGOs, not State-wise (Central Sector) [1].

Parent Scheme: SMILE → sub-scheme "Comprehensive Rehabilitation for Welfare of Transgender Persons" [1].
Scheme type: Central Sector Scheme (100% Union funded) [1].
Implementing Ministry: Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, Department of Social Justice & Empowerment [1].
Statutory link: Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019; Rules 2020 [7].
Bed capacity per Greh: 25 [1].
Operational: 20 Garima Grehs in 16 States/UTs (as of Mar 2026) [1].
Newly sanctioned FY 2025-26: Puducherry – 1; Uttar Pradesh – 2 [1].
Services: free lodging, food, medical care, counselling, life-skills & vocational training [3].
Other SMILE components: Central Sector Scheme for Comprehensive Rehabilitation of Persons Engaged in Begging [6].

Social: Targets a doubly-marginalised group (NALSA 2014 recognised "third gender"); shelter + skilling tackles homelessness, stigma & exclusion [7][3].
Legal/Constitutional: Operationalises Articles 14, 15, 16, 21 read with NALSA v. Union of India (2014) and the 2019 Act guaranteeing right to residence and protection from abuse [7].
Administrative: Central Sector design bypasses State financial routing — funds released directly to implementing NGOs/CSOs; flags federal concern of weak State ownership [1].
Economic: Skill-development linkage (PMKVY tie-ins) aims at livelihood and enterprise — beneficiaries reportedly placed in employment after training [3].
Ethical/Governance: Concerns over thin coverage (≈500-bed national capacity vs. 4.88 lakh transgender population per Census 2011) and uneven State spread.

Mar 2026: 20 operational + 3 newly sanctioned (Puducherry, UP×2) [1].
FY 2025-26: Expansion approvals reported (Jharkhand, Manipur, Madhya Pradesh in earlier PIB notings) [2].
2024-25: PIB "Mainstreaming Transgender Persons under Viksit Bharat" feature highlighting SMILE outcomes — 400+ trained, employment placements [4].
2024: SMILE coverage extended; National Portal for Transgender Persons issuing identity certificates referenced in Parliamentary replies [7].

Garima Greh ≠ standalone scheme; it is a component of SMILE [1].
SMILE is implemented by MoSJE (not Ministry of Women & Child Development) [1].
SMILE is a Central Sector (100% Centre) scheme — not Centrally Sponsored [1].
Each Garima Greh capacity = 25 beds [1].
20 Grehs across 16 States/UTs operational as of Mar 2026 [1].
New sanctions FY 2025-26: Puducherry (1), Uttar Pradesh (2) [1].
SMILE has two sub-schemes: (i) Welfare of Transgender Persons; (ii) Rehabilitation of Persons Engaged in Begging [6].
First Garima Greh opened in Vadodara, Gujarat (Nov 2020) [3].
Statutory backing: Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019; Rules 2020 [7].
National Portal for Transgender Persons launched 2020 for self-identification certificates [7].
NALSA v. Union of India (2014) — recognised third gender [7].
SMILE launched in Feb 2022 by Union Minister Dr. Virendra Kumar [5].

GS-II — Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States; mechanisms for protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections.
GS-I — Social empowerment, salient features of Indian society, diversity.
Possible question stems: 1. "Evaluate the effectiveness of the SMILE scheme in mainstreaming transgender persons. Suggest reforms." 2. "Shelter alone cannot replace dignity — discuss in the context of Garima Grehs and the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019." 3. "Despite a legal framework post-NALSA (2014), institutional gaps persist in transgender welfare. Examine."

Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019 + Rules 2020 — statutory base [7].
NALSA v. Union of India (2014) — third gender jurisprudence.
SMILE scheme — Begging Rehabilitation sub-scheme — sister component [6].
National Portal for Transgender Persons — e-governance interface [7].
National Council for Transgender Persons — apex advisory body under 2019 Act.
Ayushman Bharat TG Plus — health insurance for transgender persons (under SMILE).
PM-DAKSH / PMKVY — skilling convergence.
Census 2011 transgender data (4.88 lakh) — baseline statistic.

Confusing Garima Greh with One Stop Centres / Sakhi Niwas (latter are MoWCD for women, not MoSJE for transgenders).
Treating SMILE as Centrally Sponsored — it is Central Sector (100% Union) [1].
Believing Garima Grehs are State-funded — funds go directly to implementing NGOs [1].
Mixing up SMILE's two verticals (Transgenders vs. Beggars) [6].
Citing wrong launch year for SMILE (it is 2021-22, not at Act enactment 2019) [5].

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10 questions on this item

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