Executive Summary:
This document is the response to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 2121 regarding the Palna Yojana, answered on August 1, 2025, by the Minister of State in the Ministry of Women and Child Development. It clarifies the scheme's objectives, monitoring mechanisms, and grievance redressal processes. The scheme, effective from April 1, 2022, focuses on providing day-care facilities, not cradle kits, and emphasizes a multi-tiered monitoring framework.
Key Points / Main Content:
* **Palna Scheme Overview:**
* Introduced under the Samarthya Vertical of Umbrella Mission Shakti, effective April 1, 2022, for all States and UTs.
* Aims to provide day care facilities and protection to children aged 6 months to 6 years.
* Focuses on nutritional support, health and cognitive development, growth monitoring, and immunization.
* Crèche facilities are available to all mothers, regardless of employment status.
* **Clarification on Cradle Kits:**
* There is no provision for the distribution of cradle kits to newborn girls under the Palna Scheme.
* **Monitoring and Transparency:**
* A multi-tiered monitoring and review framework at the Central and State levels is in place.
* Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and National Minimum Standards and Protocol have been released.
* These include indicative lists of items for Aganwadi-cum-Creches, roles and responsibilities, regular reviews, and quality parameters for setting up and operating creches.
* **Grievance Redressal:**
* The Centralized Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS) is available 24/7/365 for lodging grievances.
* CPGRAMS is accessible through a single portal, a standalone mobile application, and integration with UMANG.
* Citizens can track grievance status with a unique registration ID and appeal if unsatisfied with the resolution.
* Feedback can be provided after grievance closure, and authorities review grievances regularly for remedial action.
Impact Analysis:
* **Mothers:**
* *Impact:* Provides access to quality day care crèche facilities for children aged 6 months to 6 years, irrespective of employment status, supporting their health, nutrition, and development.
* *Action Required:* Utilize the Palna Scheme facilities by enrolling eligible children in Aganwadi-cum-Creches.
* **Children (6 months to 6 years):**
* *Impact:* Beneficiaries of day-care services including nutritional support, health monitoring, cognitive development, and immunization.
* *Action Required:* Actively participate in the crèche activities and benefit from the services provided.
* **Ministry of Women and Child Development:**
* *Impact:* Responsible for the implementation, monitoring, and review of the Palna Scheme at the central level.
* *Action Required:* Ensure effective implementation, regular monitoring, and adherence to SOPs and national minimum standards. Address grievances received through CPGRAMS promptly and effectively.
* **State Governments/UTs:**
* *Impact:* Responsible for implementing and monitoring the Palna Scheme at the state/UT level.
* *Action Required:* Implement the scheme according to the guidelines, conduct regular reviews, and ensure adherence to quality parameters.
* **Aganwadi Workers/Crèche Staff:**
* *Impact:* Frontline implementers of the Palna Scheme, responsible for providing day-care services to children.
* *Action Required:* Adhere to SOPs and national minimum standards, provide quality care to children, and maintain records as required.
* **Citizens:**
* *Impact:* Have access to a grievance redressal mechanism (CPGRAMS) to report issues related to the Palna Scheme.
* *Action Required:* Utilize CPGRAMS to lodge grievances, track their status, and provide feedback on the resolution.
Key Entities Referenced
Palna Yojana: A scheme under the Samarthya Vertical of Umbrella Mission Shakti, providing day care facilities and protection to children aged 6 months to 6 years.
Ministry of Women and Child Development: The Indian government ministry responsible for the Palna Yojana and related policies.
Sonipat Lok Sabha Constituency, Haryana: A parliamentary constituency in Haryana, specifically mentioned in the context of reported irregularities in the distribution of cradle kits.
Umbrella Mission Shakti: A broader mission under which the Palna Yojana is implemented.
Samarthya Vertical: A vertical within the Umbrella Mission Shakti, under which the Palna Yojana operates.
Centralized Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS): An online platform for citizens to lodge grievances related to service delivery by government ministries and departments.
Shrimati Savitri Thakur: Minister of State in the Ministry of Women and Child Development.
National Minimum Standards and Protocol for the Palna Scheme: Document providing essential norms and quality parameters for setting up and operating creches under the Palna Scheme.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2121
TO BE ANSWERED ON 01.08.2025
PALNA YOJANA
2121. SHRI SATPAL BRAHAMCHARI:
Will the Minister of Women and Child Development be pleased to state:
(a) whether any irregularities in the distribution of cradle kits to newborn girls under Palna
Yojana have been reported from various hospitals and health centres in Sonipat Lok
Sabha Constituency of Haryana, if so the details thereof;
(b) whether the Government has put in place any guidelines/audit mechanism to monitor
and ensure transparency in the implementation of the scheme, if so, the details
thereof;
(c) whether some beneficiaries are not made aware of the scheme rendering eligible
mothers being unable to avail of the benefits, if so, the details thereof; and
(d) the details of the steps taken by the Government for effective implementation of the
said scheme including public awareness and grievance redressal?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
(SHRIMATI SAVITRI THAKUR)
(a) to (d): The Ministry of women and Child Development has introduced Palna Scheme
under the Samarthya Vertical of Umbrella Mission Shakti for all States and UTs w.e.f. 01
April 2022, to provide day care facilities and protection to children. There is no provision for
distribution of cradle kits to newborn girls under Palna Scheme.
The objective of Palna Scheme is to provide quality day care crèche facility in safe and
secure environment for children (from ages 6 months – 6 years), nutritional support, health
and cognitive development of children, growth monitoring & immunization. Crèche facilities
under Palna are provided to all mothers, irrespective of their employment status.
The facilities provided under the Aganwadi-cum-Creche component of the Palna Scheme
are subject to a multi-tiered monitoring and review framework involving the Central and
State levels. The Ministry has released Standard Operating Procedures(SOPs) andNational Minimum Standards and Protocol for the Palna Scheme, which provide for
indicative list of items to have in Aganwadi-cum-Creches, roles and responsibilities at
different levels and regular reviews at National and State level and also the essential norms
and quality parameters for setting up and operating creches under the Scheme.
Centralized Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System(CPGRAMS) is an online
platform available to all the citizens 24x7x365 to lodge their grievances to the public
authorities on any subject related to service delivery. It is a single portal connected to all the
Ministries/Departments of Government of India and States. Every Ministry and States have
role-based access to this system. CPGRAMS is also accessible to the citizens through
Standalone mobile application downloadable through Google Play store and mobile
application integrated with UMANG.
The status of the grievance filed in CPGRAMS can be tracked with the unique registration
ID provided at the time of registration of the complainant. CPGRAMS also provides appeal
facility to the citizens if they are not satisfied with the resolution by the Grievance Officer.
After closure of grievance if the complainant is not satisfied with the resolution, he/she can
provide feedback also. Appropriate authorities review the status of grievances on a regular
basis for further remedial action, if so warranted in any matter.
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