Lok Sabha Question No. 2294 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-12-10
Subject: Creches for Children of Jail Employee
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Krishna Pal Singh Yadav, Rajbahadur Singh, Mahendra Singh Solanky, Pratap Chandra Sarangi, P.P. Chaudhary, Rajendra Agrawal, Sangamlal Kadedin Gupta

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN & CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 2294

TO BE ANSWERED ON 10.12.2021

## CRÈCHES FOR CHILDREN OF JAIL EMPLOYEE

2294. DR. KRISHNA PAL SINGH YADAV:

SHRI RAJBAHADUR SINGH:

SHRI MAHENDRA SINGH SOLANKY:

SHRI PRATAP CHANDRA SARANGI:

SHRI P.P. CHAUDHARY:

SHRI RAJENDRA AGRAWAL:

SHRI SANGAM LAL GUPTA:

Will the Minister of WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a)      whether the Government has any proposal to open crèches for  children of jail employees in different States;
- (b)      if so, the details and present status thereof, State/UT-wise  especially in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and  Odisha;
- (c)       if not, the reasons therefor;
- (d)      the  details  of  women  employed  in  jails,  State/UT  wise  especially  in  Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Odisha; and
- (e)       the  details  of  funds  allocated  and  steps  taken  by  the  Government     to  ensure women do not drop out of the job due to domestic  obligations?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT (SHRIMATI SMRITI ZUBIN IRANI)

(a) to (c) : 'Prisons' is a State subject as per entry 4 of List II of the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution of India. The administration and management of prisons is primarily the responsibility of respective State Governments. However, the Government of India has been providing regular guidance/ advisory to States and Union Territories on various aspects of prison reforms including facilities to inmates and the requisite infrastructure in prisons.

The Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 2017 requires every establishment having fifty or more employees to have the facility of crèche within a prescribed distance. The State Governments, who are the appropriate Government under the Maternity Benefit Act for establishments  other  than  mines  and  circus,  are  required  to  frame  rules  for  the purposes of the Act, including inter alia for prescribing amenities and facilities required to be provided in such crèches, in light of which the Ministry of Labour and Employment has already requested all State Governments.

Ministry  of  Women  and  Child  Development  is  implementing  the  National  Crèche Scheme for the children of working mothers as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme through States/ UTs with effect from 01.01.2017 to provide day care facilities to children (age group  of  6  months  to  6  years)  of  working  mothers.  As  per  National  Crèche  Scheme guidelines, the concerned States/ UTs assess the demand and analyse the requirement of crèches in States and UTs.

(d) to (e) Data on provision of mandatory crèche services at establishments including jails  and  their  women  employees,  is  not  maintained  centrally.  A  baseline  survey  is conducted  by  State  Governments  and  the  implementing  agencies  to  ascertain  the needs of community, identification of location, as well as the requirement/ willingness of children to attend the crèches. The norms for setting up and running of crèches have been  stipulated  under  guidelines  of  the  National  Crèche  Scheme  for  the  children  of working mothers.

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