Parliament Question: Implementation of Women and Child Welfare Schemes

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3265 TO BE ANSWERED ON 07.08.2026 IMPLEMENTATION OF WOMEN AND CHILD WELFARE SCHEMES 3265. SHRI MANOJ TIWARI: Will the Minister of WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state: (a) whether the Government has reviewed the implementation of women and child welfare schemes, including Mission Shakti, Saksham Anganwadi and POSHAN 2.0, and PM CARES for Children in the National Capital Territory of Delhi, if so, the details thereof; (b) the details of beneficiaries, funds released and Anganwadi infrastructure strengthened in Delhi during the last three years; (c) the details of the steps taken to improve nutrition, maternal and child health, safety of women and early childhood care through convergence with other Ministries; and (d) whether the Government proposes to establish additional Anganwadi Centres, Creches, One Stop Centres and women empowerment facilities in North East Delhi in view of its dense population and growing demand, if so, the details thereof? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT (SHRIMATI SAVITRI THAKUR) (a) to (d) NITI Aayog had got conducted a third-party evaluation of the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) in 2020 and again a third party evaluation of all the schemes of the Ministry of Women and Child Development in 2025 for Financial Years 2019 to 2024. The study found that the schemes of the Ministry are relevant. In addition, the study found evidence indicating that in its current form, Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 represents the Government’s latest effort to holistically combat malnutrition and promote child development, by building on past programs with a converged and strengthened approach. The study also found that the SAMARTHYA vertical of Mission Shakti including Pradhan Mantri MatruVandana Yojana (PMMVY) is highly relevant and PMMVY Scheme has good awareness at grassroot level. The details of funds released under the schemes of the Ministry to National Capital Territory of Delhi during the last three years are at Annexure-I. The details of beneficiaries covered under the schemes of the Ministry in National Capital Territory of Delhi during the last three years are at Annexure-II. The details of Anganwadi infrastructure in National Capital Territory of Delhi are available on the Poshan Tracker public dashboard at the link: https://www.poshantracker.in/statistics. Further, following steps have been undertaken to improve the infrastructure facilities at Anganwadi Centres (AWCs): • During 15th Finance Commission cycle, 50,000 Anganwadi Centres are being constructed @10000 AWCs per year in convergence with MGNREGS wherein Rs.8.00 Lakh is provided under MGNREGS, Rs.2.00 Lakh under 15th Finance Commission (FC) (or any other untied funds) and Rs.2.00 Lakh by Ministry of Women and Child Development per AWC shared between Centre and States and UTs in the prescribed cost sharing ratio. • 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. Guidelines for Co-locating Anganwadi Centres within Government Primary Schools have been issued jointly with Ministry of Education. • Also, in order to improve the infrastructure facilities at AWCs various steps have been undertaken by the Ministry that, inter-alia, include increasing the funding for drinking water facilities and toilets at Anganwadi Centres from Rs.10,000/- to Rs.17,000/- and Rs.12,000/- to Rs.36,000/- respectively. • Various other initiatives have been undertaken for construction of AWCs under PM JANMAN and Dharti Abha Janjatiye Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan for the targeted development of Tribal population and VVP (Vibrant Village Programme) - Phase I, focusing on Northern border areas. The following steps have been taken to improve nutrition, maternal and child health, safety of women and early childhood care through convergence with other Ministries: (i) Samagra Shiksha: The Department of School Education and Literacy is implementing an integrated centrally sponsored scheme for School education- Samagra Shiksha which treats school education holistically, without segmentation from pre-primary to class XII and is in accordance with Sustainable Development Goal for Education (SDG-4). The Scheme is aligned with the recommendations of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and aims to ensurethat all children have access to quality education with an equitable and inclusive classroom environment which should take care of their diverse background, multilingual needs, different academic abilities and make them active participants in the learning process. (ii) PM SHRI Schools: PM SHRI schools are set up by strengthening the existing schools from amongst schools managed by Central Government/State Government /UT Government/local bodies. These schools are to showcase all the initiatives of National Education Policy 2020 and emerge as exemplar schools over a period of time, and also offer leadership to other schools in the neighbourhood. They provide leadership in their respective regions in providing high- quality education in an equitable, inclusive and joyful school environment that takes care of the diverse background, multilingual needs, and different academic abilities of children and makes them active participants in their own learning process as per the vision of NEP 2020. (iii) PM POSHAN: The Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman (PM POSHAN) Scheme is one of the foremost rights based Centrally Sponsored Schemes. Under the Scheme, one hot cooked meal is served to students studying in Bal Vatika and Classes l-VIII in Government and Government aided Schools on all school working days. The PM POSHAN Scheme aims to improve the nutritional status of children, to encourage poor children belonging to disadvantaged sections to attend school more regularly and help them concentrate on classroom activities and also to provide nutritional support to children of elementary stage in drought affected areas during summer vacation and during disaster times. (iv) Emergency Response Support System provides a pan-India, single recognisable number (112) based system for all emergencies with a location-based service/global positioning service for identifying location of distressed caller and facilitating dispatch of field resources to the location of distress. (v) The Government has launched the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (www.cybercrime.gov.in) to enable the public to report all types of cyber crimes, with special focus on cyber crimes against women and children. Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) provides financial assistance under the 'Cyber Crime Prevention against Women and Children (CCPWC) Scheme, to the States/UTs for their capacity building. (vi) Government has implemented projects for setting up and strengthening of Women Help Desks in Police Stations and Anti-Human Trafficking Units in all districts of the country. (vii) The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare implements Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, child, Adolescent Health and Nutrition (RMNCAH+N) strategy in a life cycle approach under National Health Mission (NHM). This includes interventions to address nutrition concerns among adolescent girls, pregnant women, lactating mothers and children under 5 years, across the country as detailed below: • Nutrition Rehabilitation centers (NRCs) to provide in-patient medical and nutritional care to children under 5 years suffering from Moderate and Severe Acute Malnourishment with medical complications.• Anemia Mukt Bharat (AMB) addresses the high prevalence of anemia through the 7x7x7 strategy covering seven beneficiary age groups and seven interventions through robust institutional mechanisms. • Mothers' Absolute Affection (MAA) Programme to improve breastfeeding coverage. • Under National Deworming Day (NDD) albendazole tablets are administered to reduce the Soil Transmitted Helminth (STH) infestation. • Lactation Management Centres to ensure availability of safe, pasteurized Donor Human Milk for feeding sick, preterm and low birth weight babies admitted in Neonatal Intensive Care Units and Special Newborn Care Units. • In Vitamin A Supplementation Programme, all children age 6-59 months are administered Vitamin A every 6 months in two rounds during Village Health Sanitation and Nutrition Days or in campaign approach. • Village Health Sanitation and Nutrition Days (VHSNDs) are observed for provision of maternal and child health services and creating awareness on maternal and childcare including nutrition in convergence with MoWCD. *****Annexure-I ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN PARTS (A) TO (D) OF LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.3265 FOR 07.08.2026 BY SHRI MANOJ TIWARI REGARDING ‘IMPLEMENTATION OF WOMEN AND CHILD WELFARE SCHEMES’ Details of the funds released under the schemes of the Ministry to National Capital Territory of Delhi during the last three years (Rs. in crores) Mission Saksham Anganwadi & Mission Mission Poshan 2.0 Vatsalya Shakti Sl. Financial No. Year 1. 2023-24 161.81 3.89 31.45 2. 2024-25 160.41 7.62 25.80 3. 2025-26 150.21 6.63 8.77Annexure-II ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN PARTS (A) TO (D) OF LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.3265 FOR 07.08.2026 BY SHRI MANOJ TIWARI REGARDING ‘IMPLEMENTATION OF WOMEN AND CHILD WELFARE SCHEMES’ Details of beneficiaries covered under the schemes of the Ministry in National Capital Territory of Delhi during the last three years Mission Scheme Category Number of Beneficiaries FY 2023- FY 2024-25 FY 2025- 24 26 Mission Saksham Poshan tracker data on number of beneficiaries is available at Anganwadi & Poshan 2.0 the following link: https://www.poshantracker.in/statistics. Mission Vatsalya Beneficiaries in 1216 1012 1630 Institutional Care Beneficiaries in Non- 635 952 846 Institutional Care Mission One Stop Centre Women assisted Shakti 35,814 Women Helpline Women assisted 9.51 lakh Pradhan Mantri Beneficiaries paid 42,130 1,11,333 89,096 Matru Vandana Yojana Shakti Sadan Beneficiaries in Shakti 128 403 156 Sadan Sakhi Niwas Beneficiaries in Sakhi 1,750 1,952 1,516 Niwas SANKALP: HEW Women Beneficiaries 0 811 4,782 Palna Beneficiaries in Palna 1,115 2,280 5,868 *****