Context: Recently,Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment is exploring the possibilities of a scheme for persons engaged in the act of begging which would cover identification, rehabilitation, provision of medical facilities, counselling, education, skill development with the support of State Governments/UTs/Local Urban Bodies and Voluntary Organizations, institutions etc.
Key Findings

• The Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment is exploring the possibilities of a scheme for persons engaged in the act of begging.
• The Scheme would cover identification, rehabilitation, provision of medical facilities, counselling, education, skill development with the support of State Governments/UTs and Voluntary Organizations, etc.
• The Ministry also provides funds to the National Backward Classes Finance & Development Corporation (NBCFDC) and the National Institute of Social Defence (NISD) for the development of members of beggars’ community.

About National Backward Classes Finance & Development Corporation

• It is a Government of India Undertaking under the aegis of Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.
• It was incorporated under Section 25 of the Companies Act 1956 on 13th January 1992 as a Company not for profit.
• Its objective is to promote economic and developmental activities for the benefit of Backward Classes and to assist the poorer section of these classes in skill development and self-employment ventures.

About National Institute of Social Defence

• It is an Autonomous Body and is registered under Societies Act XXI of 1860 with the Government of National Capital Territory (NCT), Delhi.
• It is a central advisory body for the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.
• It is the nodal training and research institute in the field of social defence.
• The institute currently focuses on human resource development in the areas of drug abuse prevention, welfare of senior citizens, beggary prevention, transgender and other social defence issues.
• The mandate of the institute is to provide inputs for the social defence programmes of the Government of India through training, research & documentation.