Social Justice department brainstorms issues affecting beggars, homeless
The Department of Social Justice and Empowerment (DoSJE) has hosted a seminar to understand and deliberate on strategies and share knowledge regarding rehabilitating beggars
- NEW DELHI — The Department of Social Justice and Empowerment (DoSJE) has
hosted a seminar to understand and deliberate on strategies and share knowledge
regarding rehabilitating beggars, the homeless, and the destitute in the
country.
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- The seminar in collaboration with the World Bank, was
held with the theme ‘Hard to Reach Population – SMILE (Beggary)’ in the
national capital.
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- The event, witnessing participation from both national
and international experts, formed part of an ongoing knowledge seminar series
aimed at deepening dialogue and action to strengthen social protection systems
for the most vulnerable sections of society in India.
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- “We need to hear directly from real stakeholders -- those
who have transitioned out of begging -- to understand the root causes and
impact of support systems,” said Rajesh Aggarwal, Secretary, DEPwD, Ministry of
Social Justice and Empowerment, while sharing his vision on inclusive
development and disability-friendly outreach.
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- He also acknowledged the complexity of the issue,
touching upon its social, religious, and economic dimensions.
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- “It is important for individuals to have foundational
documentation -- such as having a registered address, a bank account, and
access to healthcare -- to enable identification and support in vulnerable
conditions,” said Benedicte Leroy De La Briere, Lead Economist, World Bank,
while bringing a global lens to the discussion on beggary rehabilitation.
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- Noting that such events provide valuable grassroots
insights and authentic data from the field, La Briere stressed the need to
focus discussion on targeted interventions and actionable solutions.
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- The seminar also featured compelling presentations by
nodal officers and grassroots organisations from various states who shared
on-the-ground realities, challenges, and success stories in engaging with
hard-to-reach populations.
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- “Approximately 18,000 individuals have been identified
under the SMILE initiative, of which 1,612 have already been rehabilitated,”
said Ajay Srivastava, Economic Advisor (MoSJ&E). He assured that
efforts are underway to accelerate the rehabilitation of the remaining
individuals.
