Parliament Question: Empowerment of Women and Childern's Development

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 942 TO BE ANSWERED ON 25.07.2025 EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN AND CHILDERN'S DEVELOPMENT †942. SHRI GANESH SINGH: Will the Minister of Women and Child Development be pleased to state: (a) the details of the key achievements of the Government in the field of women empowerment, protection of child rights, nutrition and adolescent girl development from 2014 to till date, State-wise, particularly in Satna district in Madhya Pradesh; (b) whether the Government has adopted any localised strategy with regard to women safety, adolescent girl child education, nutrition and empowerment in such a tribal and socially diverse State; (c) if so, the details of such schemes being implemented in the said district along with the categories directly benefited therefrom; (d) whether the Government is considering to replicate best practices in aspirational districts and tribal dominated areas (like Bundelkhand, Vindhyakshetra) of the State and if so, the details thereof; and (e) whether any MoU or result-based partnership has been initiated with the State for this purpose and if so, the details thereof? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT (SHRIMATI SAVITRI THAKUR) (a) to (e) : The Government gives utmost priority to the safety, security and empowerment of women in the country including Satna district and tribal dominated areas in Madhya Pradesh. To this end, the Government has adopted multi-pronged approach to address the issue of welfare of women on a life-cycle continuum basis for their educational, social, economic and political empowerment so that they become equal partners in the process of national development. This ‘women led development’ is essential for realising the goal of a developed India, or ‘Viksit Bharat’, by 2047.For better implementation and efficient monitoring, all Schemes implemented by the Ministry including those for economic empowerment and welfare of women and children have been clubbed into three umbrella missions viz. (1) Mission Shakti, for safety, protection and empowerment of women; (2) Saksham Anganwadi & Poshan 2.0 for improving nutrition & health indicators in the country; and (3) Mission Vatsalya, for protection and welfare of children/girls in difficult circumstances. The details of the schemes are as under: (i) Mission Shakti: The ‘Mission Shakti’ aims at strengthening interventions for women safety, security and empowerment. It seeks to focus on proposing strategies for improving convergence across Ministries/ Departments and at different levels of governance. Mission Shakti comprises of two verticals ‘Sambal’ and ‘Samarthya’ for safety and security of women and empowerment of women respectively. The “Sambal” vertical is for safety and security of women. It has the schemes of One Stop Centres (OSCs), Women Helpline (WHL), Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) and Nari Adalat. a. One Stop Centres (OSCs)- An institution located at district level offering under one roof immediate help to women in distress such as temporary shelter, medical & police assistance, counselling and legal support. b. Women Helpline (WHL)- The Women Helpline 181 provides toll-free 24-hours telecom service to women seeking support and information. It is also integrated with Emergency Response Support System (ERSS) 112 for all emergency services and its integration with all One Stop Centres is in progress. c. Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP)- BBBP is a mindset change program helping in generating awareness for valuing the girl child through multi-sectoral interventions. d. Nari Adalat- An experimental platform providing women with an alternative Grievance Redressal Mechanism at Gram Panchayat level by negotiation, mediation, and reconciliation with mutual consent for speedy, accessible, and affordable justice. The “Samarthya” vertical is for empowerment of women. It has the schemes of Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY), Shakti Sadan, Sakhi Niwas, Palna and SANKALP : Hub for Empowerment of Women (HEW). a. Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY)- PMMVY is a Centrally Sponsored Maternity Benefits Scheme under which cash incentive of ₹5,000/- is provided directly to the Bank/ Post Office account of the beneficiary in Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mode for first child. Cash incentive of ₹6,000/- is also provided under PMMVY to eligible beneficiaries for second child being a girl child. b. Shakti Sadan- Shakti Sadan is an Integrated Relief and Rehabilitation Home for the women in distress situations and difficult circumstances. c. Sakhi Niwas- The Sakhi Niwas Scheme (Working Women Hostel) is a demand driven centrally sponsored scheme, under which funds are released directly to the States/UTs and aims to promote availability of safe and conveniently locatedaccommodation for working women in urban, semi-urban and even rural areas where employment opportunity for women exist. d. Palna- Palna scheme through day-care créche facilities provides safe and secure place for the children. Creche services formalise the child care facilities hitherto considered as part of domestic work and uses Aanganwadi infrastructure for ensuring delivery of care facilities till the last mile. e. SANKALP: Hub for Empowerment of Women (HEW)- The SANKALP: HEW serves as a vehicle to bridge the information and knowledge gap regarding schemes and facilities available for women. It also serves as a Project Monitoring Unit (PMU) for all components under Mission Shakti. (ii) Saksham Anganwadi & Poshan 2.0 (Mission Poshan 2.0): Under this programme, Anganwadi Services Scheme, POSHAN Abhiyaan and Scheme for Adolescent Girls has been reorganized into 3 primary verticals: (i) Nutrition Support for children below the age of 6 years, Pregnant Women, Lactating Mothers and Adolescent Girls (14 -18 years); (ii) Early Childhood Care and Education [3-6 years] and (iii) Anganwadi Infrastructure including modern, upgraded Saksham Anganwadi, for better nutritional delivery to end beneficiaries. Directions have been issued to States/UTs to co-locate Anganwadi Centres, which are running on rent without sufficient infrastructure, at nearby Primary Schools, where space is available. Regular monitoring of growth parameters is essential for identifying children who may be malnourished and making timely interventions. Therefore, Anganwadi centres have been equipped with Growth Monitoring devices like infantometer, stadiometer, weighing scale- infant, weighing scale – Mother & Child. (iii) Mission Vatsalya: Mission Vatsalya (erstwhile Child Protection Services Scheme (ICPS)) is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) which is implemented through States/Union Territories (UTs) to deliver services for better outreach and protection for Children in Need of Care and Protection (CNCP) and Children in Conflict with Law (CCL) which include Institutional Care and Non-Institutional Care in a mission mode with the objective to: (i) Support and sustain Children in difficult circumstances (ii) Develop context- based solutions for holistic development of children from varied backgrounds (iii) Provide scope for green field projects for encouraging innovative solutions (iv) Cement convergent action by gap funding, if required. The scheme also provides for emergency outreach services (24x7) for children in difficult circumstances through Child Helpline (1098). The initiatives taken by the Ministry in the field of women empowerment, protection of child rights, nutrition and adolescent girl are as under: I. MISSION SHAKTI Women Helpline- "One Nation One Helpline": Women Helpline has been operationalized in 35 States/UTs (except West Bengal) and integrated with Emergency Response Support System (112) in all 35 States/UTs. Since inception in April, 2015, 88.24 lakhs women have been assisted till 31st May, 2025. Further, 574 One Stop Centres have been integrated with WHL till date for providing seamless helpline services to women and children.  Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY): Aadhar-based biometric authentication (using FRS) has been introduced and made mandatory for all new enrolments under PMMVY w.e.f. 21st May, 2025. This is being implemented by leveraging the Face Recognition System (FRS) module available on the Poshan Tracker. Additionally, PMMVY application now includes a UIDAI based facial authentication (FaceAuth) feature that enables Aadhar-based biometric authentication directly through UIDAI servers. Any beneficiary can be authenticated using either of the two methods: FRS or FaceAuth.  A dashboard was launched for SANKALP: HEW to record the real-time tracking of scheme implementation and to monitor various parameters of the scheme including the number of women assisted, beneficiary feedback, and impact assessment.  The Shakti Sadan component is specifically designed to cater to the destitute women and those in difficult circumstances. Under Shakti Sadan component, one of the services provided is vocational training to the residents of such homes. Further, the women helpline (181), which is a 24 hours emergency and non- emergency response system available to women affected by violence, both in public and private spaces by linking them with appropriate authorities, also provide information about women welfare schemes and programs across the country. II. MISSION SAKSHAM ANGANWADI & POSHAN 2.0  Anganwadi Protocol for Management of Malnutrition at the Community Level (CMAM Protocol): For the first time, a standardised national ‘Protocol for Management of Malnourished Children’ (CMAM Protocol) has been drafted by MoWCD with inputs from MoHFW, providing detailed steps for identification and management of malnourished children at the Anganwadi level, including decision- making for referral, nutritional management and follow-up care. The protocol was launched on 10th October, 2023.  Millets are included in the Supplementary Nutrition Programme: In Poshan Pakhwada 2023, one crore activities were carried out for awareness and popularisation of millets for health. Under the Poshan 2.0 Scheme guidelines, millets have to be mandatorily provided under Supplementary Nutrition once a week. Six region-wise diet charts have been developed for pregnant women, viz., North, North- East, West, South, East and Central.  Migration facility for beneficiaries from one AWC to another: In case the beneficiary is registered at another AWC, she/he shall be migrated to the new AWC during the period of stay through the migration facility in the Poshan Tracker. Migration facility for beneficiaries from one AWC to another within and outside a State has been facilitated under the Poshan Tracker. Migration facility from one category to another category of beneficiary is also available.  Poshan Bhi Padhai Bhi (PBPB), launched on 10th May, 2023, is a pathbreaking ECCE program to help India develop the world’s largest, universal, high-quality pre-school network at Anganwadi Centres, in alignment with the new National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.  MoU with Ministry of AYUSH: The Ministry signed an MoU with Ministry of AYUSH in February 2024 for the nutritional improvement in adolescent girls through Ayurveda interventions. Both the Ministries have entered into this MoU with the aim of nutritional improvement of approximately 77,225 adolescent girls in the Anaemia prone districts (where average prevalence of Anaemia is approx. 69.5%). This project will cover approximately 10,000 Anganwadi centres in the five districts.  PM JANMAN: A total number of 2500 Anganwadi Centres (AWCs) under PM- JANMAN has been sanctioned and out of which 2055 AWCs have been operationalized till date across the country. III. MISSION VATSALYA  Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012 to safeguard children against sexual abuse and sexual harassment, was amended in 2019 to introduce more stringent punishment including death penalty for committing sexual crimes on children, with a view to deter the perpetrators & prevent such crimes against children.  POCSO Rules, 2020 were notified by the Ministry to protect the children from exploitation/ violence and sexual exploitation. POCSO Rules under Rule-3 provides that any institution housing children or coming in regular contact with children including schools, creches, sports academies or any other facility for children must ensure a police verification and background check on periodic basis, of every staff, teaching or non-teaching, regular or contractual, or any other person being an employee of such Institution coming in contact with the child. Such Institution shall also ensure that periodic training is organized for sensitizing them on child safety and protection.  In 2023-2024, the Ministry has introduced a Centrally Funded Scheme namely “Scheme for Care and Support to Victims under Section 4 & 6 of the POCSO Act, 2012” under Nirbhaya Fund to address the challenges faced by the minor pregnant girl child victims for implementation by the State/ UT Governments.  Model Foster Care Guidelines 2024 were issued on 26.4.2024 and shared with the States/UTs. The guidelines have been revised in the light of amendment in the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection) Act 2015 and Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Model Amendment Rules, 2022.  The revised guidelines have been framed to ensure clarity, efficiency and compliance amongst stakeholders about Foster Care with an objective to facilitate stay of children in family-like settings instead of staying in Child Care Institutions for a long time. The guidelines provide procedural clarity, eligibility conditions and detailed steps for administering Foster Care and such Foster Care ultimately leading to Adoption by the same foster family who have kept the child in their care for a period of two years.Further, a number of schemes/ projects have been/ are being implemented by the Government under 'Nirbhaya Fund' for enhancing the safety and security for women and girls in the country:  827 Anti-Human Trafficking Units have been set up for prevention of human trafficking and support to the victims.  To ensure that the Police Stations are more women friendly and approachable, as they would be the first and single point of contact for any woman walking into a police station, 14,658 Women Help Desks (WHDs) have been set up, of which 13,743 are headed by women.  Cyber Forensic cum Training Labs have also been established in 33 States/UTs with 24,264 person trained in handling cyber related cases.  To ensure that justice is delivered to unfortunate women and young girls who are victims of heinous sexual offences, Government has been providing financial assistance to States/ UTs for setting up Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs) since 2019. As on 30.04.2025, 790 Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs) have been approved, out of which 746 including 405 exclusive POCSO (e-POCSO) courts are operational in 30 States/UTs, having disposed of a total of 3.25 lakhs cases of rape, and offences under POCSO Act across the country.  To ensure safety of public places where women work and live, sub-projects under the Safe City Projects have been implemented in 8 Cities (namely Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Lucknow and Mumbai).  To ensure safe transportation for women, rail and road transport projects like Integrated Emergency Response Management System (IERMS), Video Surveillance System at Konkan Railway, Artificial Intelligence (AI) based Facial Recognition System (FRS) integrated with Video surveillance Systems, including Command-and- Control Centre at 7 major railway stations and tabs for safety of lone woman passenger on board the train by Ministry of Railways, and projects like Vehicle Tracking Platform with command and control centre across States/ UTs, and some State specific projects like Uttar Pradesh Road transport Corporation (UPSRTC), Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC), Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC), etc. by Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, have been implemented. *****