Parliament Question: Implementation of welfare schemes in Himachal Pradesh

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT RAJYA SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. *283 TO BE ANSWERED ON 18.03.2026 IMPLEMENTATION OF WELFARE SCHEMES IN HIMACHAL PRADESH *283. SHRI HARSH MAHAJAN: Will the Minister of WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state: (a) the schemes currently being implemented by the Central Government across the country, particularly in Himachal Pradesh, for the welfare, nutrition, health and safety of women and children; (b) the year-wise amount allocated and expenditure incurred for Himachal Pradesh under these schemes during the last three years; (c) whether Government has undertaken any assessment of the effectiveness of schemes related to Anganwadi services, maternal nutrition, prevention of child malnutrition and women’s safety in the State; and (d) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor? ANSWER MINISTER OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT (SHRIMATI ANNPURNA DEVI) (a) to (d): A Statement is laid on the Table of the House. *****STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (A) TO (D) OF RAJYA SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO.283 TO BE ANSWERED ON 18.03.2026 BY SHRI HARSH MAHAJAN REGARDING ‘IMPLEMENTATION OF WELFARE SCHEMES IN HIMACHAL PRADESH’ (a) The Government gives utmost priority to the welfare, nutrition, health and safety of women and children. Government has adopted multi-pronged approach to address the needs of women and children on a life-cycle continuum basis for their educational, nutritional, social, economic and political empowerment so that they become equal partners in fast paced and sustainable national development. This ‘Women led development’ is essential for realising the goal of a developed India, or ‘Viksit Bharat’ by 2047. Various schemes implemented by the Ministry of Women & Child Development for the welfare, nutrition, health and safety of women and children all over the country, including in Himachal Pradesh, have been reviewed and clubbed into three Umbrella Missions, viz. (1) Mission Saksham Anganwadi & Poshan 2.0 for improving nutrition & health indicators (2) Mission Shakti, for safety, protection and empowerment of women; and (3) Mission Vatsalya, for protection, care and welfare of children in difficult circumstances. Details of the schemes are as under: (i) Saksham Anganwadi & Poshan 2.0 (Mission Poshan 2.0): In the 15th Finance Commission, components of nutritional support for children below the age of 6 years, pregnant women and lactating mothers, Adolescent Girls (14 – 18 years); Early Childhood Care and Education [3-6 years]; Anganwadi infrastructure including modern, upgraded Saksham Anganwadi, Poshan Abhiyaan and Scheme for Adolescent Girls have been reorganised under Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 (Mission Poshan 2.0). Under Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0, a package of six services are provided to the eligible beneficiaries i.e Supplementary Nutrition (SNP), Pre-school Non-Formal Education, Nutrition & Health Education, Immunization, Health Check-up, and Referral Services. Three of the six services, viz., Immunization, Health check-up and Referral Services are related to health and are provided through National Health Mission (NHM) & Public Health Infrastructure. Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 is a Centrally Sponsored scheme. Central Government is responsible for the overall planning and policy under the scheme whereas its day-to-day implementation falls under the ambit of State Government or UT administration. Further, SAG was revised from 01.04.2022 onwards and was subsumed under Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0. The Scheme aims at providing nutritional support to Adolescent Girls (AGs) [14-18 years] for improving their health and nutritional status under the nutrition component and providing them IFA supplementation, Health check-up and Referral Service, Nutrition & Health Education and Skilling etc. under non-nutrition component of the Scheme. The targeted beneficiaries under the Scheme are AGs in the age group of 14 to 18 years in Aspirational Districts and all North Eastern States. (ii) 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 oftwo sub-schemes ‘Sambal’ and ‘Samarthya’ for safety and security of women and empowerment of women respectively. The “Sambal” sub-scheme is for safety and security of women. It has the components of One Stop Centres (OSCs), Women Helpline (WHL), Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) and Nari Adalat. • One Stop Centres (OSCs)- One Stop Centre (OSC) provides integrated and immediate support and assistance under one roof to women affected by violence and those in distress, both in private and public spaces all across the country. It provides services like medical aid, legal aid and advice, temporary shelter, police assistance and psycho-social counselling to needy women. • Women Helpline (WHL)- Women Helpline (WHL-181) provides 24-hour toll-free telecommunication services to support women in both emergency and non-emergency situations. It offers assistance to women affected by violence and provides information about government schemes and services all across the country. • Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP)- Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) Scheme was launched on 22nd January 2015 to help address Child Sex Ratio (CSR) and related issues of empowerment of girls and women over a life cycle continuum. Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) scheme has transformed from policy initiative into national movement by mobilizing various stakeholders, including government agencies, media civil society and general public. • Nari Adalat- Nari Adalat scheme provides a platform for alternative grievance redressal for women at the gram panchayat level. The Adalats are mandated to help women in distress at the panchayat level in resolving smaller issues relating to domestic violence, and other gender-based violence by negotiation, mediation, and reconciliation with mutual consent for accessible justice. The “Samarthya” sub scheme is for empowerment of women. It has the components of Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY), Shakti Sadan, Sakhi Niwas, Palna and SANKALP: Hub for Empowerment of Women (HEW). • Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY)- The PMMVY is a Centrally Sponsored Maternity Benefit Scheme under which cash incentives of ₹5,000/- is provided directly to the Bank/Post Office account of the beneficiary in Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mode for first child. The eligible beneficiaries receive the remaining cash incentive, as per approved norms towards maternity benefit under Janani Suraksha Yojana after institutional delivery, so that on an average a woman gets ₹6,000/-. Cash incentive of ₹6,000/- is also provided under PMMVY to eligible beneficiaries for second child subject to the second child being a girl. • Shakti Sadan- Under the overarching ‘Mission Shakti’, erstwhile schemes of ‘Swadhar Greh’ for women in difficult circumstances and ‘Ujjawala Home’ for Prevention of Trafficking, have been merged w. e. f. 01.04.2022 and known as ‘Shakti Sadan Scheme’,which is an Integrated Relief and Rehabilitation Home-for women in distressful situations including trafficked women. It aims at creating a safe and enabling environment for the women in such difficult situations, to enable them to overcome the adverse circumstances. • 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 for implementation of the scheme and aims to promote availability of safe and conveniently located accommodation for working women in urban, semi-urban and even rural areas where employment opportunity for women exist. • Palna- Palna Scheme is implemented with the aim of expanding the outreach of crèches to ensure that women everywhere have the opportunity to work and do not drop out from workforce because of care responsibilities. Palna aims to provide day-care crèche facilities to the children (06 months – 06 years). • SANKALP: Hub for Empowerment of Women (HEW)- The SANKALP: HEW (Hub for Empowerment of Women) which functions as a Project Monitoring Unit (PMU) for all components of Mission Shakti. It serves as a single window system to bridge the information and knowledge gap regarding schemes and facilities available for women as well as guide them to avail the benefits and entitlements. (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). In addition to the above, the Government of India also implements several initiatives through various Ministries and Departments which contribute to the empowerment and welfare of women. One such initiative is the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY), implemented by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas. Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) was launched in May, 2016 to provide deposit free LPG connection to adult women from poor households. Use of LPG as a cooking fuel frees women from the drudgery of collecting firewood, reduces time spent on cooking and prevents deforestation. Under the Government of India’s Skill India Mission (SIM) , the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) delivers skill, re-skill and up-skill training through an extensive network of skill development centres under various schemes, viz. Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), Jan Shikshan Sansthan (JSS), National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme(NAPS) and Craftsman Training Scheme (CTS) through Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs), to all the sections of the society across the country including women. The SIM aims at enabling youth of India to get future ready and equipped with industry relevant skills. Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY- NRLM) launched in June 2011 under the Ministry of Rural Development, is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Government of India aims at mobilizing rural poor women households into Self Help Groups (SHGs) and provide them long-term support so that they diversify their livelihoods, improve their incomes and lead a better-quality life Additionally, the Department of Financial Services (DFS) under the Ministry of Finance implements key financial inclusion and enterprise-promotion schemes: • Stand-Up India (SUI) Scheme: Launched on 05 April 2016, this scheme facilitates loans ranging from ₹10 lakh to ₹1 crore through Scheduled Commercial Banks. Each bank branch is mandated to provide loans to at least one Scheduled Caste (SC) or Scheduled Tribe (ST) borrower and one woman borrower for setting up a greenfield enterprise in manufacturing, services, trading, or activities allied to agriculture. • Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY): Introduced on 08 April 2015, this scheme offers collateral-free institutional credit to non-corporate, non-farm small entrepreneurs through Scheduled Commercial Banks, Regional Rural Banks, Non-Banking Financial Companies, and Microfinance Institutions. Eligible individuals with a viable business plan can avail loans up to ₹20 lakh for income-generating activities in manufacturing, trading, services, and allied agricultural sectors. Loans are categorized into Shishu (up to ₹50,000), Kishor (₹50,000 to ₹5 lakh), Tarun (₹5 lakh to ₹10 lakh), and Tarun Plus (₹10 lakh to ₹20 lakh). The Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment is implementing the Atal Vayo Abhyuday Yojana (AVYAY) for welfare and well-being of senior citizens of the country. Under the Integrated Programme for Senior Citizens component, grant-in-aid is provided to the organisations for maintenance of senior citizen homes, continuous care homes, mobile medicare units and physiotherapy clinics. The scheme takes care of the needs of the senior citizens viz. shelter, food, health care and human interaction/ life of dignity. It also includes the facets of safety/ protection and general well being of the elderly. The Lakhpati Didi scheme is an initiative of Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihood Mission implemented by Ministry of Rural Development with the objective to empower and enable Self-Help Groups (SHG) rural women to earn a minimum income of Rupees one lakh per annum on a sustainable basis, for at least 4 agricultural seasons and/ or business cycles. Government has approved Central Sector Scheme ‘NAMO DRONE DIDI’ for providing drones to the Women Self Help Groups (SHGs) during the period of 3 years (2023-24 to 2025-26) with an outlay of Rs.1261 crores. The major objectives of the scheme is to promote advance technology in agriculture for improved efficiency, enhanced crop yield and reduced cost of operation and to empower Women Self Help Groups (SHGs) as drone service providers for increasing their incomeand providing livelihood support to them. 1094 drones have been distributed to SHGs by the Lead Fertilizer Companies (LFCs) in 2023-24 utilizing their internal resources. Out of these 1094 drones, 500 drones have been distributed to SHGs under Namo Drone Didi scheme. Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance has allocated Rs.5,000/- crores to 28 States under Part (X) (Construction of Working Women Hostels) of Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment (SASCI) Scheme for construction of working women hostels. Under SASCI Scheme, Department of Expenditure has approved construction of 254 working women hostels with total capacity of 52991 beds in 28 States at a total approved cost of Rs.4,826.31 crore. Out of this 1st instalment of Rs.3,148.28 crore has been released to the States during 2024-25. (b) The year-wise details of funds released/ utilized under the aforementioned Missions of the Ministry during the last three years are at Annexure. (c) & (d) NITI Aayog has got conducted a third-party evaluation of the schemes of the Ministry of Women and Child Development for Financial Years 2019 to 2024. The study found that the schemes of the Ministry are relevant. *****Annexure ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN PART (B) OF RAJYA SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO.283 FOR 18.03.2026 BY SHRI HARSH MAHAJAN REGARDING ‘IMPLEMENTATION OF WELFARE SCHEMES IN HIMACHAL PRADESH’ Details of funds released under the Missions of the Ministry to the State of Himachal Pradesh during the last three years (Rs. in crores) Mission Saksham Anganwadi & Mission Mission Sl. Financial Poshan 2.0 Vatsalya Shakti No. Year 1. 2022-23 270.24 30.92 17.17 2. 2023-24 301.09 21.15 19.84 3. 2024-25 313.07 37.68 31.98 *****