Key Details
Delhi’s expanded coverage forms part of the Support for Marginalized Individuals for Livelihood and Enterprise (SMILE)–Beggary Scheme, which connects people engaged in begging with care, services and livelihood support.
National reach: The scheme operates in 216 cities across 33 states and Union Territories. Of 45,073 people identified, 13,134 have received rehabilitation support.
Delhi’s reach: Delhi was selected for the pilot phase in 2021–22; the Ministry says implementation now covers all 14 districts/cities of Delhi.
Support: Outreach, counselling, shelter, healthcare, education, skills, livelihood assistance and access to social-security schemes.
Next phase: A Begging-Free City Framework, measurable indicators and performance-based incentives support the goal of 100 cities attaining “Begging-Free” status by 2031.
Rehabilitation Extends Beyond Moving People off Streets
The scheme treats begging as connected to social and economic vulnerability, rather than solely as a matter of managing public spaces. Its services run from identification and outreach through shelter, healthcare and counselling to skills, livelihoods and social-security access. The aim is for people to be able to live with greater independence and participate in community life.
The national figures distinguish two stages of that work: 45,073 people have been identified, while 13,134 have received support. The latter is a measure of assistance provided, not a count of people who have completed rehabilitation or secured lasting livelihoods.
Delhi’s Programme Will Bring Service Providers Together
The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment and Delhi’s Department of Social Welfare will convene government bodies, local authorities, implementing organisations, civil society and beneficiaries on 14 October. They are expected to discuss delivery of the existing scheme and ways to sustain rehabilitation. Beneficiaries will also be given skill-building and rehabilitation kits.
Delhi’s move from a pilot location to coverage across its 14 districts/cities makes coordination between outreach teams, care facilities, welfare services and livelihood providers more important. The October programme is a discussion and support event, not the launch of a new scheme.
Cities Will Be Assessed Against a Wider Goal
The Centre has introduced a Begging-Free City Framework with measurable indicators and incentives for progress. A survey app and monitoring portal are intended to improve records of people identified and services delivered. Model guidelines also seek to turn traditional beggars’ homes into dignified rehabilitation and care facilities.
The 216 cities where the scheme operates and the target of 100 cities attaining “Begging-Free” status by 2031describe different things: programme coverage and a future outcome.
Policy Relevance
Delhi’s expansion creates an opportunity to make rehabilitation a connected service pathway, rather than a series of short interventions. That calls for coordination among district authorities, urban local bodies, care providers and agencies responsible for welfare benefits and livelihoods.
The city framework could make progress more visible, provided its measures distinguish people reached, support received and sustained reintegration. Those differences matter to people seeking stable housing and income—and to governments assessing whether assistance continues after the first intervention.
Relevant Question for Policy Stakeholders: What evidence of sustained housing, access to services and livelihoods will cities need to demonstrate before being counted as “Begging-Free”?
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