Context:
Recently, the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) launched the fourth edition of the national campaign under Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY‑NRLM), called Nayi Chetna – “Initiative for Change” (4.0). The campaign began on 25 November 2025, coinciding with the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and aims to eradicate gender‑based violence (GBV) and promote gender equality in rural India.
Key stakeholders in Nayi Chetna 4.0:
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- Inter-Ministerial Collaboration: 11 central Ministries/Departments including Women & Child Development, Home Affairs, Panchayati Raj, Agriculture, Justice, Health, Education, Youth Affairs, MSMEs, and Information & Broadcasting.
- Tripartite MoU: Between Women & Child Development, Law & Justice, and Rural Development Ministries for Violence-Free Village Initiative.
- Grassroots Actors: 10 crore rural women through SHGs, Anganwadi workers, State Rural Livelihood Missions, civil society organisations, and community leaders.
- Inter-Ministerial Collaboration: 11 central Ministries/Departments including Women & Child Development, Home Affairs, Panchayati Raj, Agriculture, Justice, Health, Education, Youth Affairs, MSMEs, and Information & Broadcasting.
Objectives of the Campaign:
Nayi Chetna 4.0 is envisioned as a month‑long mass movement aimed at strengthening women’s safety, dignity, and socio-economic participation in rural areas.
Key goals include:
Nayi Chetna 4.0 focuses on:
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- Strengthening community action against gender-based violence.
- Promoting women’s safety, dignity, and economic participation, including safe mobility and recognition as economic contributors.
- Economic empowerment: Access to assets, credit, skills, and markets to enable livelihoods and entrepreneurship.
- Shared responsibility for unpaid care work and advocating gender-responsive policies and budgets.
- Creating model villages under the Violence-Free Village Initiative to ensure safety, rights, and opportunities for girls and women in rural India.
- Strengthening community action against gender-based violence.
Why This Program Was Launched:
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- Nayi Chetna 4.0 was launched to address persistent gender-based violence, discrimination, and inequality in rural India. Using the extensive SHG network under DAY‑NRLM, the campaign mobilizes women for collective empowerment.
- Inter-ministerial collaboration ensures coordinated action across sectors, while the campaign also aims to shift social norms around women’s roles, safety, and dignity.
- Nayi Chetna 4.0 was launched to address persistent gender-based violence, discrimination, and inequality in rural India. Using the extensive SHG network under DAY‑NRLM, the campaign mobilizes women for collective empowerment.
Way Forward:
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- NCRB reports still reflect a worrying trend of crimes against women. Campaigns like "Nayi Chetna" are important in this direction, but full success requires sustained community awareness and a well-functioning institutional support system.
- The success of this campaign will depend on maintaining the spirit of a "people's movement" and incorporating the voices of rural women at every level of the decision-making process.
- NCRB reports still reflect a worrying trend of crimes against women. Campaigns like "Nayi Chetna" are important in this direction, but full success requires sustained community awareness and a well-functioning institutional support system.
Conclusion:
Nayi Chetna 4.0 is a comprehensive and coordinated effort to address the age-old problem of gender inequality in rural India. It is not just a government program, but a people's movement, driven by the collective power of over 100 million rural women, a significant step towards building a safe, dignified, and equal society.
