Over 10.40 lakh ASHAs, 10.58 lakh Anganwadi workers strengthening rural institutions
New Delhi, Sep 20 (IANS) More than 10.40 lakh accredited social health activists (ASHAs) and 10.58 lakh trained Anganwadi workers are strengthening community healthcare and early childhood services, enabling convergence and strengthening local institutions, according to a government factsheet on Sunday.
A network of trained grassroots workers forms the backbone of decentralised service delivery. These workers support the implementation of government programmes, mobilise communities, and provide timely assistance at the village level.
Over 9 lakh Community Resource Persons (CRPs) are active at the grassroots, serving areas such as agriculture, banking and insurance, etc.
Of these, nearly 4.08 lakh CRPs work on livelihoods in agriculture and allied activities and rural enterprises, and are variously known as Krishi Sakhis, Pashu Sakhis, Matsya Sakhis, and Van Sakhis.
The remaining nearly 5 lakh CRPs work as Bank Sakhis, Business Correspondent Sakhis, Financial Literacy CRPs, Bima Sakhis, and Gender Champions, providing essential support across other specialised areas, like financial inclusion, financial literacy, insurance, gender awareness, and community development.
In addition, there are frontline workers like Swachhagrahis, providing sanitation support, said the factsheet.
Notably, Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) is central to this approach.
It has established one of the country’s largest networks of women-led community institutions, mobilizing more than 10 crore rural households into around 92 lakh Self-Help Groups (SHGs) across the country.
With nearly 48,785 Udyog Sakhis supporting non-farm livelihoods and CRP-EPs providing specialized support under the Start-up Village Entrepreneurship Programme (SVEP), a strong institutional network has been established to promote rural entrepreneurship.
As of June 2026, 4.32 lakh enterprises have been supported under SVEP.
Additionally, building on this institutional network, the Government is implementing the National Campaign on Entrepreneurship to train 50,000 CRPs on enterprise promotion and provide enterprise development training to 50 lakh SHG members, said the factsheet.
Moreover, Business Correspondent (BC) Sakhis and Bank Sakhis are trained women community cadres promoted under the DAY-NRLM who function as grassroots financial intermediaries.
Over 1.48 lakh BC Sakhis provide a range of digital, doorstep financial services in villages, including account opening, deposits, withdrawals, fund transfers, and balance inquiries over 50,548 branch-level Bank Sakhis facilitate credit linkage.
Till date, Bank Sakhis have helped SHGs access rs 13.41 lakh crore in bank credit since 2013-14. This ecosystem is further supported by 56,727 Financial Literacy CRPs, who conduct village-level awareness campaigns.
—IANS
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