New Delhi, April 5 (IANS). The Department of Social Justice and Empowerment has recorded the highest ever expenditure of Rs 11,810.82 crore during the financial year 2025-26.
According to the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, this represents an increase of about 14 per cent over the expenditure of Rs 10,409.00 crore incurred in FY 2024-25, reflecting the department’s strong focus on timely utilization of funds for welfare schemes.
“The highest ever expenditure on welfare schemes for Scheduled Castes and Other Backward Classes has been recorded during the financial year 2025-26,” the department said in the statement.
The government said it has similarly made record expenditure in schemes related to drug demand reduction, welfare of sanitation workers, welfare of senior citizens, welfare of transgender persons and welfare of persons engaged in begging.
The record expenditure achieved in FY 2025-26 underlines the government’s commitment towards social justice, empowerment and inclusive growth for the deprived and vulnerable communities across the country.
Meanwhile, 349 disability-friendly training centers located across the country provided skill training and certified 1,883 people during 2025-26.
Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Virendra Kumar, while sharing the data in reply to a question in Parliament last month, said that in the financial year 2025-26, 2,395 Divyangjan (persons with different abilities) were trained by these centers and 1,883 of them were provided certificates.
The data revealed that during this period, Madhya Pradesh topped all the states by providing training to 947 persons with disabilities, of whom 761 ultimately received certificates.
Union Minister Virendra Kumar said that the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities is providing skill training to persons with disabilities through government organizations and NGOs listed under the National Action Plan for Skill Development of Persons with Disabilities so that they can get gainful employment and become self-reliant.
— IANS
SAK/PM
