The National Chintan Shivir organized by the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment wrapped up in Chandigarh after three days of discussions. Union Minister Virendra Kumar highlighted the importance of enhancing the delivery of social justice schemes to ensure accessibility and efficiency. The event aimed to strengthen the last-mile implementation of social justice programs in alignment with the vision of “Antyodaya ka Sankalp, Amrit Kaal ka Pratibimb – Viksit Bharat@2047.”
The discussions at the Shivir emphasized practical solutions for issues like scholarship distribution, de-addiction programs, senior citizen welfare, and support systems for vulnerable communities. Minister Virendra Kumar stressed the need for technology-driven governance, simplified processes, and improved coordination between the Centre and states/UTs to expedite the delivery of benefits to eligible recipients. The event also focused on the significance of dignity, accessibility, and continuity in social justice initiatives for the most marginalized individuals.
The participants deliberated on transitioning from scheme-centric approaches to a rights-based, universally accessible framework. They underscored the importance of awareness, capacity building, technology utilization, and local governance in ensuring accessibility across public services and infrastructure. The event showcased best practices and success stories from various states and UTs, covering areas such as DNT land rights, transgender welfare, senior citizen support, and innovations in accessibility, with an emphasis on scalability and replication.
