A three-day national ‘Chintan Shivir’ of Union ministry of social justice and empowerment concluded in Chandigarh on Sunday, with states and Union territories agreeing on a set of time-bound, actionable recommendations to strengthen last-mile delivery of social justice schemes.
Organised over three days from April 24 to 26, the ‘Shivir’ progressed from an inaugural focus on vision, dignity and accessibility, to intensive theme-wise deliberations on the second and third days, culminating in a concluding session that consolidated the outcomes into a forward-looking roadmap.
Union minister for social justice and empowerment Virendra Kumar said it provided a result-oriented platform for the Centre and states to reflect on how social justice delivery can be made more accessible.
He noted that the deliberations were anchored in the larger national resolve of “Antyodaya ka Sankalp, Amrit Kaal ka Pratibimb – Viksit Bharat@2047” and reaffirmed that social justice must remain rooted in dignity, accessibility and continuity for the last person in the queue.
The Union minister observed that the discussions during the ‘Shivir’ went beyond broad policy intent and focused on practical solutions in areas such as scholarship delivery, de-addiction, senior citizens’ welfare, accessibility, certification for persons with disabilities, and inclusion-linked support systems for vulnerable communities.
Referring to the ministry’s ongoing digital and institutional initiatives, including platforms and applications launched during the inaugural session, he underlined the importance of technology-enabled governance, process simplification, better monitoring and stronger coordination between the Centre and states/UTs to ensure that benefits reach eligible beneficiaries without delay.
{{/usCountry}}Referring to the ministry’s ongoing digital and institutional initiatives, including platforms and applications launched during the inaugural session, he underlined the importance of technology-enabled governance, process simplification, better monitoring and stronger coordination between the Centre and states/UTs to ensure that benefits reach eligible beneficiaries without delay.
{{/usCountry}}The minister expressed confidence that the recommendations emerging from the thematic meals, breakout sessions and group presentations would help shape a more effective implementation framework in the social justice sector.
He said the ministry would take forward the outcomes of the ‘Chintan Shivir’ in close partnership with states and Union territories, with continued emphasis on inclusion, empowerment and measurable ground-level outcomes for the poor, disadvantaged and vulnerable sections of society.