In the Union Budget 2023, 6 crore rupees were allocated to the SMILE program of the Ministry of Social Justice and Equality. Under this program, the government works for the transgender community in our country. The most well-known initiative under the SMILE program is perhaps Garima Greh, with 12 shelter homes in 9 states. However, two of the Garima Grehas in Kolkata and Delhi that we spoke to say they haven’t had funding for a year and are struggling to survive.
In this episode of Pride and Prejudice, reporter Suryatapa Mukherjee speaks to Avinaba, a public policy researcher, about the hits and misses of the Union Budget 2023.
STATEMENT 13 GENDER BUDGET MINISTRY/DEPARTMENT 2022-2023 Budget
Support for Marginalized Individuals for Livelihood and Enterprise (SMILE) GUIDELINES
National Portal For Transgender Persons
Union Budget 2023: Transgender persons remain an afterthought in India – The Leaflet
PM Daksh | NBCFDC
No proposal to bring quota for transgender persons: Government in LS - The Hindu.