Droupadi Murmu, the 15th President of India (since 2022) and first tribal woman to hold the office, launched four major women-centric welfare initiatives of the Delhi Government in New Delhi.
The initiatives were introduced under the programme “Sashakt Nari, Samriddh Delhi”, aimed at strengthening women’s mobility, financial security, social empowerment, and welfare delivery.
Key Highlights
| Scheme / Initiative | Objective |
| Saheli Pink Smart Card / Pink National Common Mobility Card | Free and seamless public transport access for women |
| Free LPG Cylinders Scheme | Provide clean cooking fuel support to eligible families |
| Delhi Lakhpati Bitiya Yojana | Financial empowerment of girl children |
| Meri Punji Mera Adhikaar | Ensuring citizens receive pending government financial benefits |
These initiatives reflect the government’s focus on gender-inclusive governance and women-led development.
1. Saheli Pink Smart Card / Pink National Common Mobility Card (NCMC)
The Pink National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) enables women to access public transport systems seamlessly.
Key Features
| Feature | Details |
| Purpose | Cashless and integrated public transport access |
| Transport Coverage | Delhi buses (initially) |
| Future Integration | Delhi Metro and RRTS networks |
| Benefit | Free travel for women in DTC buses |
The card supports digital ticketing and unified mobility across multiple transport modes.
National Common Mobility Card (NCMC)
The NCMC is part of the One Nation One Card initiative, enabling interoperable payments across transport systems nationwide.
Impact
- Improves women’s mobility and safety
- Supports work and education access
- Encourages greater female workforce participation.
2. Free LPG Cylinders Support Scheme
The Delhi government also launched a scheme to provide two free LPG cylinders annually to eligible households.
Key Features
| Feature | Details |
| Beneficiaries | Ration card holders in Delhi |
| Benefit | Two free LPG cylinders every year |
| Distribution Period | During festivals such as Holi and Diwali |
Objectives
- Reduce household fuel expenses
- Encourage clean cooking fuel adoption
- Improve women’s health by reducing indoor air pollution.
National Context
The initiative complements the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, launched in 2016, which provides LPG connections to women from poor households.
3. Delhi Lakhpati Bitiya Yojana
This scheme focuses on the financial empowerment and educational support of girl children.
Financial Structure
| Component | Details |
| Initial Deposit | ₹56,000 deposited in stages |
| Expected Maturity | Over ₹1 lakh at age 21 |
| Payment Mode | Aadhaar-linked bank account |
Eligibility Criteria
- Annual family income below ₹1.20 lakh
- Family must be Delhi residents for at least three years
- Girl child must be born in Delhi
- Maximum two girl children per family
Conditions
The maturity amount is released when the beneficiary:
- completes graduation or vocational training
- reaches 21 years of age.
This scheme aims to promote education, gender equality, and financial security for girls.
4. Meri Punji Mera Adhikaar Initiative
This initiative focuses on ensuring that beneficiaries receive their pending government financial entitlements.
Key Objectives
- Strengthen transparency in welfare distribution
- Improve administrative accountability
- Ensure timely transfer of benefits.
DBT Transfer Under Ladli Scheme
As part of this initiative:
- ₹100.25 crore was transferred through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT)
- Beneficiaries: 40,642 girls
- Scheme: Delhi Ladli Scheme.
Funds were credited directly into beneficiaries’ bank accounts.
Programme Vision: “Sashakt Nari, Samriddh Delhi”
The programme represents a broader policy vision of empowering women socially and economically.
Focus Areas
| Sector | Objective |
| Mobility | Safe and affordable public transport |
| Financial Security | Savings schemes for girls |
| Clean Energy | LPG support for households |
| Welfare Governance | Transparent benefit delivery |
Together, these initiatives aim to enhance women’s independence and participation in urban development.
Significance
- Strengthens women’s economic and social empowerment.
- Improves mobility and safety in urban transport systems.
- Promotes girl child education and financial security.
- Enhances transparency in welfare distribution through DBT.
- Reflects India’s growing emphasis on women-led development policies.