Lok Sabha Question No. 3495 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-03-21
Subject: National Creche Scheme
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Smt. Kanimozhi Karunanidhi

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF WOMEN & CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 3495

TO BE ANSWERED ON 21.03.2025

## NATIONAL CRECHE SCHEME

## 3495.  SMT. KANIMOZHI KARUNANIDHI:

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

- (a) the number and details of the functional creche facilities available under the National Creche Scheme in the country from 2017 to till date indicating their capacity, and the number of children benefiting from them, State and UT-wise;
- (b) the details of the steps taken by the Government to improve and expand the creche  infrastructure,  particularly  in  rural  and  underserved  areas,  to  ensure better accessibility for working parents;
- (c) whether  the  Government  is  planning  to  establish  Government-supported creches in industrial clusters to increase female labour force participation, if so, the details thereof; and
- (d) whether the Government has conducted any assessment of the impact of the amendment  to  The  Maternity  Benefit  Act  (MBA)  in  2017,  which  made  it mandatory for companies with more than 50 employees to offer creche facility in the premises, with costs to be borne by the employer and if so, the findings of such assessment?

## ANSWER

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

(a)  to (d):  The erstwhile 'National Crèche Scheme (NCS)', for Children of Working Mothers was being implemented by the Ministry of Women and Child Development as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme from 01.01.2017 to 31.03.2022 for providing Crèche services. As part of the scheme, Stand-alone Crèches were being operated through NGOs as implementing agencies.

As per report of Development Monitoring and Evaluation Office (DMEO), NITI Aayog, it  was  seen  that  a  majority  of  states  have  emphasised  that  they  prefer  to  run Anganwadi-cum-crèches  (AWCCs)  instead  of  separate  stand-alone  crèches  as  it increases their financial, HR and administrative burden attributed to the implementation  of  an  additional  scheme.  Accordingly,  Department  of  Expenditure, Ministry  of  Finance  during  the  Expenditure  Finance  Committee  (EFC)  for  Mission Shakti  recommended  that  Creches  may  be  merged  with  the  nearest  Anganwadi Centres, and run as AWCCs.

Accordingly, the Ministry introduced Palna sub-scheme under Mission Shakti for all States/UTs  w.e.f.  01  April  2022,  for  providing  day  care  facilities  and  protection  to children.

Palna is  a  Centrally  Sponsored  Scheme  ensuring  the  participation  of  State/UT government  to  ensure  better  day-to-day  monitoring  and  proper  implementation  of scheme, and is implemented with a funding ratio of 60:40 between Centre and State Governments and UTs with legislature except North East & Special Category States where ratio is 90:10. For UTs without legislature, 100% funding is provided by the central government.

Anganwadi centres are the world's largest childcare institutions dedicated to providing essential care and support to children ensuring delivery of care facilities till the last mile. In a first of its kind approach, Ministry has extended the services of childcare through  Anganwadi  cum  Crèche.  This  will  ensure  whole  day  childcare  support ensuring their well-being in a safe and secure environment. Anganwadi cum Crèche initiative aims to increase the women work force participation in the economy. The objective of Palna component is to provide quality 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, education etc. Crèche facilities under Palna are to be provided to all mothers, including those working in unorganized sectors, and irrespective of their employment status.

Proposals  for  establishment  and  operation  of  Crèches  are  received  from  the respective  State  Governments/UT  Administrations,  who  are  also  responsible  for contributing their corresponding share for the implementation of the Scheme. During the 15 th  Finance Cycle, a total of 17,000 AWCCs have been envisioned to be set up in  various  States/UTs,  out  of  which,  11395  AWCCs  have  been  approved  by  the Ministry  for  operationalization  in  various  States/UTs.  Number  of  functional  creche facilities under Palna scheme along with the number of beneficiaries is at Annexure I .

State Governments are appropriate Government under Maternity Benefit Act except some activities  like  mines  and  circus.  Section  11A  of  the  Act  provides  for  Creche facility  in  every  establishment  having  fifty  or  more  employees,  either  separately  or along with common facilities. No such assessment of the impact of the Act has been done centrally.

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Annexure-I

## Annexure referred to the reply to parts (a) to (d) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question  No.  3495  for  answer  on  21.03.2025  regarding  'National  Creche Scheme' raised by Smt. Kanimozhi Karunanidhi

| Sl. No   |                   | Standalone Crèches (as on 28.02.2025)   | Standalone Crèches (as on 28.02.2025)   | Anganwadi cum Crèches (AWCC s) (as on 28.02.2025)   | Anganwadi cum Crèches (AWCC s) (as on 28.02.2025)   | Anganwadi cum Crèches (AWCC s) (as on 28.02.2025)   |
|----------|-------------------|-----------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------|
| Sl. No   | States/UTs        | Operatio nal Crèch es                   | Current Be neficiaries                  | Approved C rèches                                   | Opera tional Crèch es                               | Current Benefici aries                              |
| 1        | Andhra Pradesh    | 10                                      | 218                                     | 108                                                 | -                                                   | -                                                   |
| 2        | Arunachal Pradesh | 43                                      | 1,075                                   | 86                                                  | -                                                   | -                                                   |
| 3        | Assam             | -                                       | -                                       | 500                                                 | 50                                                  | 860                                                 |
| 4        | Bihar             | -                                       | -                                       | 85                                                  | 65                                                  | 297                                                 |
| 5        | Chhattisgarh      | -                                       | -                                       | 1,500                                               | 175                                                 | 2,200                                               |
| 6        | Goa               | 2                                       | 56                                      | 9                                                   | 9                                                   | 0                                                   |
| 7        | Gujarat           | -                                       | -                                       | 25                                                  | -                                                   | -                                                   |
| 8        | Haryana           | 197                                     | 4,639                                   | 628                                                 | 297                                                 | 5,855                                               |
| 9        | Himachal Pradesh  | 52                                      | 635                                     | 152                                                 | -                                                   | -                                                   |
| 10       | Jharkhand         | -                                       | -                                       | 1,024                                               | -                                                   | -                                                   |
| 11       | Karnataka         | 162                                     | 3,078                                   | 248                                                 | 164                                                 | 3,608                                               |
| 12       | Kerala            | 260                                     | 3,680                                   | 504                                                 | -                                                   | -                                                   |
| 13       | Madhya Pradesh    | 3                                       | 47                                      | 448                                                 | -                                                   | -                                                   |
| 14       | Maharashtra       | -                                       | -                                       | 345                                                 | -                                                   | -                                                   |
| 15       | Manipur           | 214                                     | 5,350                                   | 702                                                 | -                                                   | -                                                   |
| 16       | Meghalaya         | 11                                      | 246                                     | 84                                                  | 76                                                  | 1,180                                               |
| 17       | Mizoram           | -                                       | -                                       | 200                                                 | 200                                                 | 4,334                                               |
| 18       | Nagaland          | -                                       | -                                       | 470                                                 | 150                                                 | 3,362                                               |
| 19       | Odisha            | -                                       | -                                       | 1,000                                               | -                                                   | -                                                   |
| 20       | Punjab            | 144                                     | 1,429                                   | 148                                                 | -                                                   | -                                                   |
| 21       | Rajasthan         | -                                       | -                                       | -                                                   | -                                                   | -                                                   |
| 22       | Sikkim            | 8                                       | 64                                      | 25                                                  | 17                                                  | 136                                                 |
| 23       | Tamil Nadu        | 111                                     | 2,115                                   | 600                                                 | -                                                   | -                                                   |
| 24       | Telangana         | -                                       | -                                       | 1,033                                               | 8                                                   | 63                                                  |
| 25       | Tripura           | 20                                      | 500                                     | 114                                                 | 94                                                  | 1,747                                               |
| 26       | Uttar Pradesh     | -                                       | -                                       | -                                                   | -                                                   | -                                                   |
| 27       | Uttarakhand       | -                                       | -                                       | 202                                                 | 32                                                  | 306                                                 |
| 28       | West Bengal       | -                                       | -                                       | 10                                                  | -                                                   | -                                                   |

| 29    | Andaman & Nicobar Islands                | -     | -      | 8      | 7     | 52     |
|-------|------------------------------------------|-------|--------|--------|-------|--------|
| 30    | Chandigarh                               | -     | -      | 210    | 200   | 2,893  |
| 31    | Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu | -     | -      | 95     | 25    | 614    |
| 32    | Delhi                                    | -     | -      | 502    | 170   | 1189   |
| 33    | Jammu & Kashmir                          | -     | -      | 230    | -     | -      |
| 34    | Ladakh                                   | -     | -      | 6      | 6     | 87     |
| 35    | Lakshadweep                              | -     | -      | 8      | -     | -      |
| 36    | Puducherry                               | 47    | 236    | 86     | 9     | -      |
| Total | Total                                    | 1,284 | 23,368 | 11,395 | 1,761 | 28,783 |

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