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September 2026

The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has formulated an umbrella scheme "SMILE - Support for Marginalized Individuals for Livelihood and Enterprise", which includes two sub-schemes - 'Central Sector Scheme for Comprehensive Rehabilitation for Welfare of Transgender Persons' and 'Central Sector Scheme for Comprehensive Rehabilitation of persons engaged in the act of Begging'. This umbrella scheme would cover several comprehensive measures including welfare measures for both transgender persons and persons who are engaged in the act of begging with focus extensively on rehabilitation, provision of medical facilities, counseling, education, skill development, economic linkages etc with the support of State Governments/UTs/Local Urban Bodies, Voluntary Organizations, Community Based Organizations (CBOs) and institutions and others. The SMILE Scheme seeks to promote an inclusive society by enabling marginalised individuals to access welfare services, develop skills and livelihood capabilities and reintegrate into mainstream society with dignity and self-confidence. The Government's approach places emphasis on coordinated action and convergence among different stakeholders to ensure that rehabilitation extends beyond immediate support and contributes towards sustainable social and economic reintegration.