Lok Sabha Question No. 5620 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-04-04
Subject: Status of Women and Child Welfare Schemes
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Shri Charanjit Singh Channi

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.5620 TO BE ANSWERED ON 04.04.2025

## STATUS OF WOMEN AND CHILD WELFARE SCHEMES

5620.  SHRI CHARANJIT SINGH CHANNI:

Will the Minister of Women and Child Development be pleased to state:

- (a) the current status of the implementation of Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao (BBBP), Anganwadi services and Poshan Abhiyan schemes in Punjab;
- (b) the  number  of  women  benefitting  from  women  empowerment  initiatives including Self-Help Groups (SHGs) and skill development programs in the said State;
- (c) whether there has been a reduction in the number of malnourished children in Punjab, if so, the details thereof along with the steps taken to improve nutrition levels;
- (d) the  details  of  financial  assistance  provided  by  the  Central  Government  for women and child welfare schemes in said State during the last three years along with the details of its utilization; and
- (e) whether the Government plans to introduce new initiatives for women's safety, helpline services and digital platforms for assistance, if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT (SHRIMATI SAVITRI THAKUR)

- (a)  The  current  status  of  implementation  of  Beti  Bachao,  Beti  Padhao  (BBBP), Anganwadi  services  and  Poshan  Abhiyan  schemes  in  the  State  of  Punjab  is  at Annexure-I .
- (b)  The  number  of  women  benefitting  from  women  empowerment  schemes  of  the Ministry in the State of Punjab is at Annexure-II.

(c) As may be seen from the status of malnutrition indicators for children (0-5 years) in the State of Punjab from Poshan Tracker given below, there has been reduction in the malnourished children :

| Feb-23   | Feb-23   | Feb-23       | Feb-25    | Feb-25   | Feb-25       |
|----------|----------|--------------|-----------|----------|--------------|
| Stunted% | Wasted%  | Underweight% | Stunting% | Wasting% | Underweight% |
| 26.05    | 7.39     | 12.35        | 20.67     | 3.50     | 6.49         |

The following steps have been taken to improve nutrition levels:

- Under  the  15th  Finance  Commission,  various  components  like  Anganwadi services, Poshan Abhiyaan and Scheme for Adolescent girls (of 14-18 years in Aspirational Districts and North-Eastern region) have been subsumed under the umbrella Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 (Mission Poshan 2.0) to address the challenge of malnutrition. It is a Centrally Sponsored mission, where the responsibility for implementation of various activities lies with the States and UTs. This mission is a universal self-selecting umbrella scheme where there are no entry barriers for any beneficiary to register and receive services. This mission is implemented across the country including in the State of Punjab. The objectives of Mission are as follows:
- To contribute to development of human capital in the country;
- Address challenge of malnutrition;
- Promote nutrition awareness and good eating habits for sustainable health and wellbeing

Nutrition goes beyond mere eating of food; it requires proper digestion, absorption, and metabolism of nutrients. This process is influenced by factors like sanitation, education  and  access  to  safe  drinking  water.  As  malnutrition  requires  a  multisectoral  approach  involving  dimensions  of  food,  health,  water,  sanitation  and education, it is crucial to effectively address the issue of malnutrition in a convergent manner.  Mission  Saksham  Anganwadi  and  Poshan  2.0  has  addressed  this  by establishing cross cutting convergence amongst 18 Ministries/Departments.

- Under  Mission  Poshan  2.0  a  new  strategy  has  been  made  for  reduction  in malnutrition and for improved health, wellness and immunity through activities like  community engagement, outreach, behavioral change, and advocacy. It focuses  on  Maternal  Nutrition,  Infant  and  Young  Child  Feeding  Norms, treatment  of  Severe  Acute  Malnutrition  (SAM)/  Moderate  Acute  Malnutrition (MAM)  and  wellness  through  AYUSH  practices  to  reduce  prevalence  of wasting, stunting, anaemia and being underweight.
- Under this mission, Supplementary Nutrition is provided to Children (6 months to 6 years), Pregnant Women, Lactating Mothers and Adolescent Girls to beat the intergenerational cycle of malnutrition by adopting a life cycle approach.

Supplementary  nutrition  is  provided  in  accordance  with  the  nutrition  norms contained in Schedule-II of the National Food Security Act. These norms have been  revised  in  January  2023.  The  old  norms  were  largely  calorie-specific; however, the revised norms are more comprehensive and balanced in terms of both quantity and quality of supplementary nutrition based on the principles of diet diversity that provides for quality protein, healthy fats and micronutrients.

- Fortified  rice  is  being  supplied  to  AWCs  to  meet  the  requirement  of  micronutrients  and  to  control  anaemia  among  women  and  children.  Greater emphasis is being laid on the use of millets at least once a week for preparation of Hot Cooked Meal and Take Home ration at Anganwadi centers.
- Ministries of Women & Child Development and Health & Family Welfare have jointly  released  the  protocol  for  Community  Management  of  Malnutrition (CMAM) to prevent and treat severely acute malnutrition in children and for reducing associated morbidity and mortality.
- Under  this  Mission,  one  of  the  major  activities  undertaken  is  Community Mobilization and Awareness Advocacy to educate people on nutritional aspects as adoption of good nutrition habit requires sustained efforts for behavioural change.  State  and  UTs  are  conducting  and  reporting  regular  sensitisation activities under Jan Andolans during Poshan Maahs and Poshan Pakhwadas celebrated in the months of September and March-April respectively. Community  Based  Events  (CBEs)  have  served  as  a  significant  strategy  in changing  nutritional  practices  and  all  Anganwadi  workers  are  required  to conduct two Community Based Events every month.

(d) The details of funds released/ utilised under the women and child welfare schemes of the Ministry in the State of Punjab during the last three years are at Annexure-III .

(e) For better implementation and efficient monitoring, all schemes implemented by the Ministry for safety, protection and empowerment of women have been clubbed into Mission Shakti. Mission Shakti comprises of two verticals 'Sambal' and 'Samarthya' for safety, security and empowerment of women, respectively.

I.  Sambal The following schemes have been included under the Sambal vertical: One Stop Centres (OSC) - for providing integrated support and assistance to women affected  by  violence  and  those  in  distress,  both  in  private  and  public  spaces  in  a convergent and coordinated manner under one roof ; Women Helplines (181-WHL) is  a  24  x  7  x  365  toll-free  emergency/non-emergency  response  system  that  is integrated  with  Emergency  Response  Support  System  (112)  and  other  existing helplines/institutions; Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) -  launched with an aim to address declining Sex Ratio at Birth (SRB) and related issues of empowerment of girls and  women  over  a  life  cycle  continuum; Nari  Adalat -  an  initiative  aimed  at empowering women by ensuring justice and to offer services such as alternate dispute resolution, grievance redressal, counselling, evidence-based decision-making, pressure group tactics, negotiation, mediation, and reconciliation.

II. Samarthya The following schemes have been included under 'Samarthya' vertical: Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY) - a Centrally Sponsored Maternity Benefit Scheme under which cash incentives flow to the beneficiaries in Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mode for the first child and the second girl child; Ujjwala and Swadhar Greh (renamed as Shakti Sadan) - an Integrated Relief and Rehabilitation Home for women in distress situations including trafficked women; Working Women Hostel (renamed as Sakhi Niwas) - to promote availability of safe and conveniently located accommodation for working women in urban, semi-urban and also in rural areas where employment  opportunities  for  women  exist; National  Hub  for  Empowerment  of Women (NHEW) - to facilitate intersectoral convergence of schemes and programs meant for women at National level, State/ UT level and district level and National Creche Scheme (renamed as Palna) that aims to increase the participation of women in work force in the economy by providing quality crèche facility in safe and secure environment for children.

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## Annexure-I

ANNEXURE  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (a)  OF  THE  LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED  QUESTION  NO.5620  FOR  ANSWER  ON  04.04.2025  ASKED  BY SHRI  CHARANJIT  SINGH  CHANNI  REGARDING  'STATUS  OF  WOMEN  AND CHILD WELFARE SCHEMES'

## Current status of implementation of schemes of the Ministry in Punjab

## (i) Beti Bachao Beti Padhao

The latest reports of Health Management Information System (HMIS) of Ministry of Health & Family welfare (MoHFW) reveal that Sex Ratio at Birth (SRB) has increased from 892 to 924 in the state of Punjab during 2014-15 to 2023-2024.

Further, enrolment of girls in the schools at secondary level has increased from 83.21 percent in 2014-15 to 94.2 percent in 2023-24 for the state of Punjab [as per UDISEdata, MoE].

## (ii) Mission Saksham Anganwadi & Poshan 2.0

| Category             | Number of Registered Beneficiaries (as on 28.02.2025)   |
|----------------------|---------------------------------------------------------|
| Pregnant women       | 74,994                                                  |
| Lactating mothers    | 95,235                                                  |
| Children (0-6 years) | 14,51,616                                               |
| Adolescent girls     | 34,055                                                  |

Annexure-II

ANNEXURE  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (b)  OF  THE  LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED  QUESTION  NO.5620  FOR  ANSWER  ON  04.04.2025  ASKED  BY SHRI  CHARANJIT  SINGH  CHANNI  REGARDING  'STATUS  OF  WOMEN  AND CHILD WELFARE SCHEMES' =

## Number of women benefitting from women empowerment schemes of the Ministry in Punjab

| S.No   | Scheme                              | Number of Beneficiaries                                                     | Number of Beneficiaries                                                  |
|--------|-------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| 1.     | Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana | No. of Beneficiaries enrolled during the period from FY 2021- 22 to 2024-25 | No. of Beneficiaries paid during the period from FY 2021- 22 to 2024-25* |
|        |                                     | 403845                                                                      | 475527                                                                   |

Annexure-III

ANNEXURE  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (d)  OF  THE  LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED  QUESTION  NO.5620  FOR  ANSWER  ON  04.04.2025  ASKED  BY SHRI  CHARANJIT  SINGH  CHANNI  REGARDING  'STATUS  OF  WOMEN  AND CHILD WELFARE SCHEMES'

## The details of funds released/ utilised under the schemes of the Ministry in the State of Punjab during the last three years

(Rs. in Crore)

|   S.No | Mission                                                         | Scheme                                                          |   FY 2021-22 |   FY 2022-23 |   FY 2023-24 |
|--------|-----------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------|--------------|--------------|--------------|
|      1 | Mission Saksham Anganwadi & POSHAN 2.0                          | Saksham Anganwadi & POSHAN 2.0                                  |       383.52 |        75.31 |       307.87 |
|      2 | Mission Vatsalya (erstwhile Integrated Child Protection Scheme) | Mission Vatsalya (erstwhile Integrated Child Protection Scheme) |         1.72 |        10.69 |        15.43 |
|      3 | Mission Shakti - Sambal                                         | Beti Bachao Beti Padhao                                         |         3.56 |         0    |         6.67 |
|      3 | Mission Shakti - Sambal                                         | One Stop Centre                                                 |         3.85 |         0    |         3.89 |
|      3 | Mission Shakti - Sambal                                         | Women Help Line                                                 |         0    |         0    |         0.27 |
|      4 | Mission Shakti - Samarthya                                      | Shakti Sadan (erstwhile Swadhar Greh and Ujjawala)              |         0    |         0    |         0    |
|      4 | Mission Shakti - Samarthya                                      | Sakhi Niwas (erstwhile Working Women Hostel)                    |         0    |         0    |         0    |
|      4 | Mission Shakti - Samarthya                                      | Palna                                                           |         0    |         0    |         0    |
|      4 | Mission Shakti - Samarthya                                      | Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana                             |        16.47 |        18.82 |        32.05 |
|      4 | Mission Shakti - Samarthya                                      | National Hub for Empowerment of Women                           |         0    |         1.89 |         0    |

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