Development of Women and Children

The Ministry of Women & Child Development implements following schemes to promote the development of women and children across the country:

1. Anganwadi Services: Anganwadi Services under Umbrella Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Scheme is a centrally sponsored scheme, aiming at holistic development of children below 6 years of age and pregnant women & lactating mothers, by providing a package of six services comprising (i) Supplementary nutrition; (ii) Pre-school non-formal education; (iii) Nutrition and health Education; (iv) Immunization; (v) Health check-up; and (vi) Referral services through Anganwadi Centres at grassroots level. Three of the six services viz., immunization, health check-up and referral services are related to health and are provided by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare through NRHM & Public Health Infrastructure.

As Anganwadi Services is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme, the overall management and monitoring regarding implementation of the ICDS Scheme are being done by the concerned State Government/UT Administration.

2. POSHAN Abhiyaan: POSHAN Abhiyaan was launched in March 2018, to comprehensively address the problem of malnutrition in the Country. The goals of POSHAN Abhiyaan are to achieve improvement in nutritional status of Children from 0-6 years, Adolescent Girls, Pregnant Women and Lactating Mothers in a time bound manner and reduction in stunting, wasting in children (0-6 years) as well as reduction of anaemia in Women and children.

3. Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana: The Ministry of Women and Child Development implements Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY), a Centrally Sponsored Conditional Cash Transfer Scheme with effect from 01.01.2017. The maternity benefit under this scheme is available to eligible beneficiaries for first living child of the family and Rs.5,000/- is provided to the eligible beneficiary in three installments during pregnancy and lactation in response to individual fulfilling certain nutrition and health seeking conditions. The eligible beneficiary also receives the remaining cash incentive as per approved norms towards maternity benefit under Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) so that on an average, a woman gets Rs.6,000/-. An estimated 51.70 Lakhs beneficiaries per annum are covered under PMMVY throughout the Nation.

4. Scheme for Adolescent Girls: Under this scheme, out of school adolescent girls in the age group of 11-14 years are provided supplementary nutrition under ICDS containing 600 calories, 18-20 grams of protein and micronutrients for 300 days in a year. Under the non-nutrition component, the scheme aims at motivating out of school girls in the age group of 11-14 years to return to formal schooling or skill training and several services like IFA supplementation, health check-up and referral services are provided to the beneficiaries. The focus of the scheme is to mainstream out of school adolescent girls into formal education system

5. National Creche Scheme: National Crèche Scheme, a Centrally Sponsored Scheme, is implemented through the State Governments/UT Administrations with effect from 01.01.2017 to provide day care facilities to children (age group of 6 months- 6 years) of working mothers. The Scheme provides an integrated package of the following services:

1. Daycare Facilities including Sleeping Facilities.
2. Early Stimulation for children below 3 years and Pre-school Education for 3 to 6 years old children.
3. Supplementary Nutrition (to be locally sourced)
4. Growth Monitoring.
5. Health Check-up and Immunization.

6. One Stop Centre (OSC) Scheme: OSCs aim to facilitate women affected by violence with a range of integrated services under one roof such as police facilitation, medical aid, providing legal aid and legal counselling, psycho-social counselling, temporary shelter etc. So far, 733 OSCs have been approved to be set up in all States/UTs. Out of these, 684 OSCs have been already set up.

7. Scheme of Universalisation of Women Helpline: The Scheme of Women Helpline through the short code 181 provides 24 hours emergency and non-emergency response to women affected by violence, both in public and private spaces by linking them with appropriate authority such as Police, One Stop Centre, Hospital, Legal Services etc. WHL also supports women in distress with rescue van and counselling services in addition to providing information about women welfare schemes and programs across the country.

8. Mahila Police Volunteer: The Mahila Police Volunteers foster linkage for women needing assistance with law enforcement agencies and various government programmes and initiatives.

9. BetiBachaoBetiPadhao: BetiBachaoBetiPadhao (BBBP) scheme has been launched to address the declining Child Sex Ratio (CSR) and related issue of women empowerment. It is a tri-ministerial, convergent effort of Ministries of Women and Child Development, Health & Family Welfare and Human Resource Development. The key elements of the scheme include nation-wide awareness, advocacy campaign and multi-sectoral intervention.

10. SwadharGreh: The Ministry of Women and Child Development implements SwadharGreh Scheme, which targets women victims under unfortunate circumstances who are in need of institutional support for rehabilitation so that they can lead their life with dignity. The Scheme envisages providing shelter, food, clothing and health as well as economic and social security for these women.

11. Ujjawala: Ujjawala Scheme is for Prevention of trafficking and for Rescue, Rehabilitation, Re-integration and Repatriation of victims of trafficking. Under this scheme, funds are provided to implementing agencies for Rescue and Rehabilitation of victims of trafficking.

12. Working Women Hostel: Working Women’s Hostel scheme is to promote availability of safe and conveniently located accommodation for working women, with day care facility for their children, wherever possible, in urban, semi urban, and even rural areas where employment opportunity for women exist. The scheme supports projects for construction of new hostel buildings, expansion of existing hostel buildings and also for running hostel buildings in rented premises

13. Mahila Shakti Kendra: Mahila Shakti Kendra Scheme was approved in November, 2017 as a centrally sponsored scheme to empower rural women through community participation. The Scheme was envisaged to work at various levels. While, National level (domain-based knowledge support) and State level (State Resource Centre for women) structures will provide technical support to the respective governments on issues related to women, the districts and block level Centres will provide support to Mahila Shakti Kendra and also give foothold to women empowerment schemes including BBBP in 640 districts to be covered in a phased manner. Community engagement through student volunteers is envisioned in 115 most backward/aspirational districts as part of MSK block level initiatives. Student volunteers will play an instrumental role in awareness generation regarding various important government scheme s/programmes as well as social issues that have an impact on lives of women in a given block (or equivalent administrative unit, when such blocks are not in place).

The Ministry does not directly provide any grants to Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO’s).

This information was given in a written reply by the Union Minister of Women and Child Development, Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani in Lok Sabha today.

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APS/SG/RC