# Ministry of Women and Child Development

The Ministry of Women and Child Development, a branch of the Government of India, is the apex body responsible for the formulation and administration of the rules, regulations, and laws relating to women and child development in India. The incumbent minister for the Ministry of Women and Child Development is Annpurna Devi, who has held the portfolio since 2024.

## History

The Department of Women and Child Development was set up in 1985 as a part of the Ministry of Human Resource Development to provide much-needed impetus to the holistic development of women and children. With effect from 30 January 2006, the Department was upgraded to a Ministry.

## Mandate

The Ministry's broad mandate is to promote the holistic development of women and children. As the central authority for advancing the welfare of women and children, the Ministry formulates plans, policies, and programs; enacts or amends legislation; and coordinates efforts between governmental and non-governmental organisations working in this field. In addition to its coordinating role, the Ministry implements innovative programs aimed at women and children. These programs focus on welfare, support services, employment training, income generation, awareness building, and gender sensitisation. They complement and supplement other general development initiatives in sectors like health, education, and rural development. Ultimately, these efforts are designed to empower women both economically and socially, ensuring they become equal partners in national development alongside men.

## Policy initiatives

To promote the holistic development of children, the Ministry has been implementing the world’s largest outreach program, the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS). This program provides a range of services, including supplementary nutrition, immunisation, health check-ups, referral services, and pre-school non-formal education. The Ministry ensures effective coordination and monitoring of various sectoral programs, many of which are run in collaboration with non-governmental organisations (NGOs). Efforts are continually made to increase the involvement of NGOs. Recent key policy initiatives by the Ministry include the universalisation of ICDS, the launch of the Kishori Shakti Yojana (a nutrition program for adolescent girls), the establishment of the Commission for Protection of Child Rights, and the enactment of the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act.
The ministry also gives the annual Stree Shakti Puraskar in six categories, namely Devi Ahilya Bai Holkar, Kannagi Award, Mata Jijabai Award, Rani Gaidinliu Zeliang Award, Rani Lakshmi Bai Award and Rani Rudramma Devi (for both men & women).

## Organisation

The Ministry of Women and Child Development is headed by Annpurna Devi, the Minister, while Indevar Pandey serves as the Secretary. The Ministry’s activities are carried out through seven bureaux, and it oversees six autonomous organisations operating under its authority, four of which are the following:
* National Institute of Public Cooperation and Child Development (NIPCCD)
* National Commission for Women (NCW)
* National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR)
* Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA)

## Subjects allocated to the ministry

* Integrated Child Protection Scheme
* Welfare of the family.
* References from the United Nations National Nutrition Policy, national Plan of Action for Nutrition and National Nutrition Mission.
* Charitable and religious endowments pertaining to subjects allocated to this Department
* Promotion and development of voluntary effort on the subjects allocated to this Department
* Implementation of -
** Immoral Traffic in Women and Girl Act. 1956 (as amended up to 1986) .
** The Indecent Representation of Women (Prevention) Act, 1986 (60 of 1986).
** The Dowry Prohibition Act. 1961 (28 of 1961)
** The Commission of Sati (Prevention) Act, 1987 (3 of 1988), excluding the administration of criminal justice in regard to offences under these Acts.
* Implementation of the Infant Milk Substitutes, Feeding Bottles and Infant Food (Regulation of Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 1992 (41 of 1992).
* Coordination of activities of Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere (CARE)
* Planning, Research, Evaluation, Monitoring, Project Formulations, Statistics and Training relating to the welfare and development of women and children, including development of gender sensitive data base.
* United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)
* Central Social Welfare Board (CSWB)
* National Institute of Public Cooperation and Child Development (NIPCCD)
* Women’s Empowerment and Gender Equality.
** National Commission for Women
** The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015.
** Probation of Juvenile offenders.
** Issues relating to adoption, Central Adoption Resource Agency and Child Help Line (Childline).
** The Children Act, 1960 (60 of 1960).
** The Child Marriage – Restraint Act, 1929 (19 of 1929).

## Cabinet Ministers

* Note: MoS, I/C – Minister of State (Independent Charge)
| No. | Portrait | Portrait | Minister (Birth-Death) Constituency | Term of office | Term of office | Term of office | Political party | Ministry | Prime Minister | Prime Minister |
| No. | Portrait | Portrait | Minister (Birth-Death) Constituency | From | To | Period | Political party | Ministry | Prime Minister | Prime Minister |
| 1 | | | Renuka Chowdhury (born 1954) MP for Khammam (MoS, I/C) | 30 January 2006 | 22 May 2009 | 3 years, 113 days | Indian National Congress | Manmohan I | | Manmohan Singh |
| 2 | | | Krishna Tirath (born 1955) MP for North West Delhi (MoS, I/C) | 28 May 2009 | 26 May 2014 | 4 years, 363 days | Indian National Congress | Manmohan II | | Manmohan Singh |
| 3 | | | Maneka Gandhi (born 1956) MP for Pilibhit | 27 May 2014 | 30 May 2019 | 5 years, 4 days | Bharatiya Janata Party | Modi I | | Narendra Modi |
| 4 | | | Smriti Irani (born 1976) MP for Amethi | 31 May 2019 | 9 June 2024 | 5 years, 9 days | Bharatiya Janata Party | Modi II | | Narendra Modi |
| 5 | | | Annpurna Devi (born 1970) MP for Kodarma | 10 June 2024 | Incumbent | 279 days | Bharatiya Janata Party | Modi III | | Narendra Modi |

## Ministers of State

| No. | Portrait | Portrait | Minister (Birth-Death) Constituency | Term of office | Term of office | Term of office | Political party | Ministry | Prime Minister | Prime Minister |
| No. | Portrait | Portrait | Minister (Birth-Death) Constituency | From | To | Period | Political party | Ministry | Prime Minister | Prime Minister |
| 1 | | | Krishna Raj (born 1967) MP for Shahjahanpur | 5 July 2016 | 3 September 2016 | 60 days | Bharatiya Janata Party | Modi I | | Narendra Modi |
| 2 | | | Virendra Kumar Khatik (born 1954) MP for Tikamgarh | 3 September 2017 | 30 May 2019 | 1 year, 269 days | Bharatiya Janata Party | Modi I | | Narendra Modi |
| 3 | | | Debasree Chaudhuri (born 1971) MP for Raiganj | 31 May 2019 | 7 July 2021 | 2 years, 37 days | Bharatiya Janata Party | Modi II | | Narendra Modi |
| 4 | | | Mahendra Munjapara (born 1968) MP for Surendranagar | 7 July 2021 | 9 June 2024 | 2 years, 338 days | Bharatiya Janata Party | Modi II | | Narendra Modi |
| 5 | | | Savitri Thakur (born 1978) MP for Dhar | 10 June 2024 | Incumbent | 279 days | Bharatiya Janata Party | Modi III | | Narendra Modi |