Introduction The Nai Roshni Scheme, launched by the Ministry of Minority Affairs, is a policy in progress since 2012-13 to support the marginalised women in Indian society. The main objective behind this scheme was to produce leaders who can contribute to the national growth and break the socio-cultural barriers followed through generations. By keeping an age bracket between 18 and 65, the scheme attempted to cater to both the youth and the ageing population, breaking the generational difference for employment. Nai Roshni, as the name suggests, was committed to spreading the ray of light on the category of society that struggles in the darkest spaces due to differences in treatment and deprivation from benefits and schemes. Assuming the demographics, the central government targets to provide aid to certain categories of women belonging to minority religions, such as Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, Buddhists, Jains, and Parsis. Taking NGOs as the medium of implementation, it prioritises individuals, especially women from the backward sections, including the Scheduled Castes (SCs), the Scheduled Tribes (STs), Other Backward Classes (OBCs), or women with disabilities. Historical Background The position of marginalised women continues to face discrimination due to ignorance and alienation, deeply rooted in the patriarchal norms, through “culture” and “traditions” followed in India. Inequality against girls, irrespective of age, is initiated right from birth and persists till their death. Physiological needs such as shelter, education, food, healthcare, and the freedom of choice become optional to them as institutions such as marriage and childbirth push them to deprivation and dependency on family. Rural women shoulder a disproportionate burden of labour with unpaid responsibilities such as cooking, fetching water, childcare, caring for livestock, and agrarian activities, an unfortunate phenomenon which we term as service rather than a valuable job. Often termed as a “marginalised majority”, they are excluded from any social gatherings and decision-making processes, creating a structural limitation for empowerment and community progress. Women's empowerment, here, remains a symbolic gesture rather than questioning the inequitable system followed for generations. It is important to question the system that leads to poverty, economic decline, and the fragmentation of a civil society. Women and children, being the worst targets, pay the price through impoverishment and dominance. Therefore, it becomes crucial to start learning from home, where values are part of education, health and sanitation are maintained, and future capabilities are nourished. Addressing these issues, the Sachar Committee report drew attention to one of the most disadvantaged sections of society, i.e., the Muslim women. As the report highlighted, Muslim women are doubly disadvantaged, numbering approximately 13.83 crore. This created a sense of urgency among the government institutions to intervene and provide solutions. In response, the Ministry of Minority Affairs reformulated and launched the “Nai Roshni Scheme for Leadership Development of Minority Women” (2011-12), with implementation in 2012-13. After getting approved by the Standing Committee on 6th March, 2013, the scheme was refined and implemented during the twelfth Five-Year Plan and later continued under the fourteenth Finance Commission (2017-2020). In 2025, the scheme has been integrated under the Pradhan Mantri Virasat Ka Samvardhan (PM VIKAS), focusing on women's empowerment through leadership and basic entrepreneurship development, and the provisions of ‘Sakhis’ or ‘Udyami Mitras’ for business mentorship for localised women's empowerment. The main purpose behind this integration is to align with the “Atma Nirbhar Vision” and create a participatory governance system through leadership and skill development. Key Features The following are the features that made Nai Roshni one of the crucial schemes for women's empowerment in India. These are as follows: Training Structure: The scheme offered two formats, i.e., a six-day non-residential rural training programme and a five-day residential training conducted in a batch of 25 women learners to ensure equal weightage and participatory learning. Curriculum Structure: The modules included skill-based programmes tailored for women, such as hygiene, legal rights, financial literacy for account maintenance, Swachh Bharat for sanitation, life skills, and advocacy for social and behavioural change, culminating in a pragmatic leadership-driven course, along with economic autonomy. Implementing Agencies: The programme was designed to be implemented through state-wise distribution of NGOs to bridge the gap between the state agencies and beneficiaries by creating accessibility at ease and a nationwide outreach. These NGOs were also responsible for providing support for one year after completion of training, ensuring continuity and sustained impact. Eligibility for NGOs: NGOs with a registered office, prior experience of at least one development project for women empowerment, and qualifications approved by the Sanctioning Committee supervised by the Ministry were considered to be eligible for this scheme. This strengthened the system through a proper structure and procedure. Target Group Preference: The scheme was preferably provided to women from low-income households with an annual income below 2.5 Lakh INR, which in a way aligned it with inclusive welfare objectives. Why integration with the PM VIKAS Policy? Addressing the policy gaps of Nai Roshni, the Ministry of Minority Affairs decided to discontinue the scheme in 2025. It is now incorporated under Pradhan Mantri Virasat Samvardhan (PM VIKAS) for applying an outcome-based approach towards the minority communities. PM VIKAS, as a policy, is a culmination of five schemes. They are “Seekho aur Kamao”, “Nai Manzil”, “Nai Roshni”, “USTTAD”, and “Hamari Dharohar”, combining skilling, leadership, education, and heritage-based education under one framework. Under PM VIKAS, Nai Roshni has been redesigned as the “Leadership and Entrepreneurship” unit of the policy, maintaining the original essence of the scheme. Now it sharply emphasizes the leadership linkage with economic opportunities and enterprise creation. The Ministry now attempts to create awareness, capacity for training providers, scaling, and upgradation in the delivery system through multiple stakeholders. The newly modelled architecture also allows minority women to become leaders through skill-based training, NIOS-linked education, and infrastructure support. This creates an attempt to strengthen the system from a soft empowerment scheme to a visible, economically transformative policy. Conclusion Nai Roshni undoubtedly attempted to expand minority women’s confidence and employability opportunities through skill-based capacity building programmes and ethical leadership. With its special focus on leadership and entrepreneurship after its incorporation into PM VIKAS, it attempts to transform the notion of soft empowerment into an outcome-based model of employability for sustainable livelihoods. References Draft Final report: Impact and Evaluation of “Nai Roshni Scheme” (2021), Ministry of Minority Affairs, Government of India, pp. 7-8. Nai Roshni Scheme for Leadership Development of Minority Women, Ministry of Minority Affairs, Press Information Bureau Delhi, 21st March 2022, 4:43 PM (Accessed on 18th December 2025).