Lok Sabha Question No. 19 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-02-02
Subject: Gender Equality and Women Empowerment
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Rita Bahuguna Joshi, Vivek Narayan Shejwalkar, Kanakmal Katara, Gajendra Singh Patel, Shrikant Eknath Shinde, Krishna Pal Singh Yadav, Unmesh Bhaiyyasaheb Patil, Heena Vijaykumar Gavit, Sujay Radhakrishna Vikhepatil

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 19 TO BE ANSWERED ON 02.02.2024

## GENDER EQUALITY AND WOMEN EMPOWERMENT

- 19       Prof. RITA BAHUGUNA JOSHI SHRI VIVEK NARAYAN SHEJWALKAR, SHRI KANAKMAL KATARA SHRI GAJENDRA SINGH PATEL DR. SHRIKANT EKNATH SHINDE DR. KRISHNA PAL SINGH YADAV SHRI UNMESH BHAIYYASAHEB PATIL DR. HEENA VIJAYKUMAR GAVIT DR. SUJAY RADHAKRISHNA VIKHE PATIL

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

- (a) whether the Government has taken any measures to spread awareness among the masses  regarding girl child  abandonment  through  TV  shows  and other  communication mediums;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether  India's  achievements  in  pilot  representation,  STEM  education  and financial inclusion have contributed to its recognition as global Leader in gender equality;
- (d) if  so,  the  details  of  specific  initiatives  and  programmes  that  have  been instrumental in driving India's positive trajectory  in  promoting  women's empowerment; and
- (e) the names of the States which have earned unprecedented success under the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao scheme during Iast three years?

## ANSWER

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

(a)  &  (b)         Beti  Bachao  Beti  Padhao  (BBBP)  scheme  was  launched  on  22nd January, 2015 as a tri-ministerial effort of the Ministry of Women & Child Development, Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to address the issue of decline in CSR in country along with related issues of empowerment of girls and women over a life cycle continuum basis.

In  the  15th  finance  commission  period  the  scheme  is  being  implemented  as  a component  of  the  Sambal sub  scheme  of  Mission  Shakti.  The  scheme  has  been expanded to cover all the districts of the country through multi-sectoral interventions focused on zero-budget advertising and encouraging greater spend on activities that have  on  ground  impact.  Ministry  of  Skill  Development  and  Entrepreneurship  and Ministry of Minority Affairs have also been added as partner ministries with a view to undertake a special drive and awareness programme for promoting skilling among girls.

Government  has  been  making  consistent  efforts under  Beti  Bachao  Beti  Padhao scheme  at  all  levels  to  generate  awareness  to  stop  sex  selection  at  birth  and encourage positive action to support education, growth, development and rights of the girl child.

Ministry of Women and Child Development collaborated with CRPF for a women bike expedition named Yashaswini wherein three teams, each comprising 25 Royal Enfield (350  cc)  motorbikes  and  50  bikers  began  the  journey  from  Srinagar,  Shillong  and Kanyakumari  respectively  and  converged  at  the  Statue  of  Unity,  Ekta  Nagar,  for the finale event on 31 October 2023 after covering a total distance of more than 10,000 km.   Women  Bikers  displayed  the  BBBP  logo  on  their  uniforms  and  banners, endorsing the cause throughout the country. During the expedition, 22 events under BBBP were also organized across the country.

Ministry of Women and Child Development also supported Colors TV for their Show named 'Doree', which aims to generate awareness about the prevalent social evil of Girl Child Abandonment.

(c) & (d)        The Central Government has taken various initiatives and programmes that have been instrumental in driving India's positive trajectory in promoting women's empowerment.

The components of Mission Shakti implemented by the Ministry have been designed in such a way that it takes care of the women's need on life cycle continuum basis. Mission Shakti has two sub-schemes - 'Sambal' and 'Samarthya'. While the "Sambal" sub-scheme is for safety and security of women, the "Samarthya" sub-scheme is for empowerment  of  women.  The  components  of  'Sambal'  sub-scheme  consist  of erstwhile schemes of One Stop Centre (OSC), Women Helpline (WHL), Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) with a new component of Nari Adalats - women's collectives to promote and facilitate altemative dispute resolution and gender justice in society and within families.

Due to similar initiatives in the Ministry of Civil Aviation, there is a significant upswing in the enrolment of women pilots in India.  In the year 2023, total number of commercial pilot  licenses  (CPL)  issued  are  1622  of  which  294  CPLS  were  issued  to  women constituting 18 percent of total CPLs issued.  There is an increase of 22 percent in number of CPLs issued to women in the year 2023 (294 CPLs) as compared to year 2022 (240 CPLs).  At present, the total number of women pilots employed with various Indian scheduled and non- scheduled operators is approximated at 14 percent of the total flight crew strength.

Education falls under the concurrent list and thus, both Central and State Government take various initiatives to ensure quality higher education in the country. To promote female  students  to  pursue  higher  education  and  research,  All  India  Council  for Technical Education (AICTE) has introduced Pragati Scholarship and TechSaksham Program (TSP) for women. The Pragati Scholarship was started in the year 2014 to award scholarship to meritorious girl students to encourage them to pursue higher technical education. AICTE is awarding 10000 scholarships (Pragati) every year to the girls entering in the technical education. TechSaksham Program is a top-up program that uses experiential learning to develop employability skills amongst underserved female students pursuing higher technical education.

With a view to improve female enrolment in the Undergraduate Programmes in Indian Institutes of Technology  (IITs) and National Institutes of Technology  (NITs), supernumerary seats were created which increased the female enrolment from 8% in 2018-19 to 20% in 2020-21.

Other Ministries/ Departments like the Department of Biotechnology, has initiated a special  programme  namely  the  Biotechnology  Career  Advancement  and  Reorientation Programme (BioCARe) to promote and support women in science which aims at providing support to Doctoral and Post-doctoral research project grants to women scientists. The Department of Science and Technology is empowering women in  STEM fields through its umbrella scheme 'Women in Science and EngineeringKIRAN (WISE-KIRAN)'. The Vigyan Jyoti programme under the WISE-KIRAN Scheme aims to encourage meritorious girls to pursue higher education and careers in STEM fields which have a lower representation of women. The Vigyan Jyoti Programme is being implemented since 2020 in 250 districts of the country and benefitted around 50000 girls of Class IX-XII. Apart from various STEM-related activities, parent-student counselling is part and parcel of the Vigyan Jyoti Programme, to sensitize parents about  the  importance  and  benefit  of  STEM  education  for  girls  as  a  better  career perspective. The Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti (NVS) is the implementing partner of this programme. Another programme, 'Gender Advancement for Transforming Institutions (GATI)',  is  also  playing  an  important  role,  in  sensitization  of  higher  educational institutions to adopt a more gender-sensitive approach in STEM education and career to achieve gender equality.

With  these  and  other  measures,  there  has  been  consistent  improvement  in  the enrolment of female students in STEM Courses. As per All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE), the number of Female students enrolled in STEM Courses has increased from 35.14 Lakh in 2014-15 to 41.93 Lakh in 2021-22 (Provisional), which is a significant increase of 19.3%.

The  Government  is  implementing  Deendayal  Antyodaya  Yojana  -  National  Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY - NRLM) across the country in a mission mode with the objective  of  organizing  the  rural  poor  women  into  Self  Help  Groups  (SHGs)  and continuously  nurturing  and  supporting  them  till  they  attain  appreciable  increase  in incomes over a period of time and improve their quality of life and come out of abject poverty. The Mission aims to reach out to 10 crore women from rural households by Financial Year 2023-24. It is being implemented in all the States and Union Territories, except Delhi and Chandigarh.

Under  DAY-NRLM,  SHGs  and  their  federations  are  empowered  economically  by providing  them  funding  support  in  the  form  of  Revolving  Fund  and  Community Investment Fund. This helps them in creating a corpus, from which the SHG members can avail loans for various purposes including for promotion of livelihoods.  In addition, the SHGs are also being facilitated for Bank linkage for accessing credit at subsidized rates of interest.

In addition, the Mission has launched BC Sakhi model wherein SHG members are trained, certified and deployed as Business Correspondent Agents (BCAs). The BC Sakhi  provides  last  mile  delivery  of  financial  services  including  deposit,  credit, remittance, disbursement of pensions & scholarships, payment of MGNREGA wages and enrolment under insurance and pension schemes.

Ministry of Rural Development is also implementing Start-up Village Entrepreneurship Programme (SVEP), a sub-scheme under the DAY-NRLM with the objective to help the  SHG  households  to  set-up  enterprises  at  the  village  level  in  non-agricultural sectors. The Mahila Kisans are also being supported for promotion of Agro Ecological Practices (AEP) under the Mission. Further, the SHGs/SHG members are also being supported through value chain interventions for better return on SHG produce.

DAY-NRLM aims to organize rural poor women into self-help groups (SHGs) and build their  capacities  to  take  charge  of  their  own  development  and  to  empower  rural communities through following activities -

Awareness  among  SHG  members  on  various  development  aspects  viz., health,  nutrition,  sanitation,  existing  government  schemes,  gender  issues, citizen rights & entitlements and building the women's capacities in planning, decision making, problem solving and conflict resolution skills.

The mission has also developed various institutional mechanisms for echoing women's  opinions,  viz., Village organisations,  Gender  forums,  Village coordination  committees,  etc.  and  providing  hand-holding  and  nurturing support  to  SHG  federations  in  developing  convergence  with  various  line departments and agencies.

Government has taken various steps for promoting women empowerment through its financial inclusion interventions, which inter-alia includes following social security and credit schemes.

Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY)  was  launched  as  the  National  Mission  for  Financial  Inclusion  on 28.8.2014.  It aimed  to  ensure  comprehensive  financial  inclusion  of all households in the country by providing universal access to banking facilities with at least one basic bank account to every household, financial literacy, and social security cover.

Progress under PMJDY (as on 17.01.2024):

- PMJDY Accounts: 51.55 crore
- Deposit in accounts: Rs 2,17,620 crore
- Women accounts: 28.60 crore (55.5%)

The Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY) is a one-year personal accident insurance scheme, renewable from year to year, offering coverage for death/disability due to an accident and is available to people in the age group of 18 to 70 years having a bank account who give their consent to join and enable auto-debit.

Progress under PMSBY (as on 17.01.2024):

- Cumulative enrolment: 42.45 crore (Approx 50% women enrolment)

Pradhan  Mantri  Jeevan  Jyoti  Bima  Yojana  (PMJJBY)  is  a  one-year  life insurance scheme, renewable from year to year, offering coverage of Rs. Two lacs for death due toany reason and is available to people in the age group of 18  to  50  years  having  a  bank  account.  Progress  under  PMJJBY  (as  on 17.01.2024):

- Cumulative enrolment: 19.18 crore (Approx 50% women enrolment)

The Hon'ble Prime Minister launched Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana (PMMY) on 08.04.2015 with an objective of providing access to institutional collateral free credit to micro enterprises up to Rs.10 lakh.

Progress under MUDRA (as on 19.01.2024 since launch of scheme)

- Total accounts sanctioned: 46.03 crore
- Women accounts: 31.2 crore (68%)

The  Stand-Up  India  Scheme  launched  on  5th  April  2016  aims  to  promote entrepreneurship among the Scheduled Caste/ Scheduled Tribe and Women by facilitating bank loans of value between Rs.10 lakh and Rs.1 crore to at least one SC/ ST borrower and one-woman borrower per bank branch of Scheduled Commercial Banks for setting up Greenfield enterprises in trading, manufacturing, services sectors & activities allied to agriculture. Progress under Stand-Up India (as on 25.01.2024 since launch of scheme)

- Accounts sanctioned: 2.16 lakh
- Women accounts: 1.82 lakh (84%)

Atal Pension Yojana (APY) To encourage the workers in unorganized sector to voluntarily save for their retirement, the Government launched the Atal Pension Yojana (APY), which provides a defined pension, depending on the contribution, and its period. Under the APY, the subscribers would receive the fixed minimum pension of Rs. 1000 per month, Rs. 2000 per month, Rs. 3000 per month, Rs. 4000 per month, Rs. 5000 per month, at the age of 60 years, depending on their contributions, which itself would be based on the age of joining the APY. The minimum age of joining APY is 18 years and maximum age is 40 years. Therefore, minimum period of contribution by any subscriber under APY would be 20 years or more.

Progress under Atal Pension Yojana (as on 29.01.2024)

- Total subscribers: 6.20 crore
- Women accounts: 2.87 crore.

The Government has taken a number of steps to support MSMEs, including women owned enterprises in the country and for increasing participation by Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises such as:

Special drives for registration  of  women  owned  MSMEs  under  Udyam Registration Portal have been undertaken.

To benefit women entrepreneurs, the Public Procurement Policy was amended in 2018 mandating Central Ministries/Departments/ Undertakings to procure at least 3% of their annual procurement from. women entrepreneurs.

To support Women Entrepreneurs under Credit Guarantee Scheme for Micro & Small Enterprises, two provisions have been introduced for women entrepreneurs w.e.f. 01.12.2022. These are:

- 10% concession in annual Guarantee fees; and
- 10 % additional Guarantee coverage of up to 85%, as against the
- 75% for other entrepreneurs.

To encourage entrepreneurship among women, Ministry of MSME implements 'Skill Upgradation & Mahila Coir Yojana' under Coir Vikas Yojana, which is an exclusive training program aimed at skill development of women artisans engaged in the Coir sector.

Ministry  of  MSME  also  implements  Prime  Minister's  Employment  Generation Programme (PMEGP), which is a major credit-linked subsidy programme aimed at generating self-employment opportunities through establishment of microenterprises in  the  non-farm  sector  by  helping  traditional  artisans  and  rural/urban  unemployed youth.

Participation of women entrepreneurs in trade fairs under Procurement

& Marketing Support Scheme is subsidized 100% vis-a-vis 80% for other entrepreneurs.

"SAMARTH" initiative has been launched to support women-owned MSMEs with the objective of providing Skill Development and Market Development Assistance to women and to train more than 7,500 women candidates from rural and suburban areas in the FY 2022-23. Under SAMARTH, aspiring and existing women entrepreneurs have been provisioned with 20% Seats in free Skill Development Programs organized under Skill Development Schemes of the Ministry; 20% of MSME Business Delegations for domestic & international exhibitions under the schemes for Marketing Assistance implemented by Ministry; and 20% discount on annual processing fee on National Small Industries Corporation's Commercial Schemes.

e)     Sex Ratio at Birth has been set as a monitoring parameter for the progress of BBBP Scheme. As per the latest available report of Health Management Information System (HMIS) of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, an improving trend of 15 points at National level from 918 (2014-15) to 933 (2022- 23) has been observed. State/UT wise SRB for last three years is at Annexure.

Annexure Statement referred to in reply to Part (e)  of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No.

## 19 for 02.02.2024 regarding Gender Equality and Women Empowerment

| S No.   | State/ UT wise Sex Ratio at Birth during last three years   | State/ UT wise Sex Ratio at Birth during last three years   | State/ UT wise Sex Ratio at Birth during last three years   | State/ UT wise Sex Ratio at Birth during last three years   |
|---------|-------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------|
|         | Year                                                        | 2020-21                                                     | 2021-22                                                     | 2022-23                                                     |
| 1       | A & N Islands                                               | 961                                                         | 963                                                         | 962                                                         |
| 2       | Andhra Pradesh                                              | 952                                                         | 950                                                         | 945                                                         |
| 3       | Arunachal Pradesh                                           | 933                                                         | 946                                                         | 932                                                         |
| 4       | Assam                                                       | 944                                                         | 941                                                         | 955                                                         |
| 5       | Bihar                                                       | 915                                                         | 898                                                         | 894                                                         |
| 6       | Chandigarh                                                  | 941                                                         | 892                                                         | 902                                                         |
| 7       | Chhattisgarh                                                | 961                                                         | 960                                                         | 958                                                         |
| 8       | Dadra & Nagar Haveli                                        | 883                                                         | 889                                                         | 914                                                         |
| 9       | Daman & Diu Delhi                                           | 927                                                         | 924                                                         | 915                                                         |
| 10 11   | Goa                                                         | 949                                                         | 953                                                         | 956                                                         |
| 12      | Gujarat                                                     | 918                                                         | 927                                                         | 928                                                         |
| 13      | Haryana                                                     | 927                                                         | 920                                                         | 918                                                         |
| 14      | Himachal Pradesh                                            | 944                                                         | 941                                                         | 932                                                         |
| 15      | Jammu & Kashmir                                             | 933                                                         | 940                                                         | 950                                                         |
| 16      | Jharkhand                                                   | 935                                                         | 935                                                         | 934                                                         |
| 17      | Karnataka                                                   | 949                                                         | 940                                                         | 947                                                         |
| 18      | Kerala                                                      | 958                                                         | 968                                                         | 965                                                         |
| 19      | Lakshadweep                                                 | 948                                                         | 939                                                         | 954                                                         |
| 20      | Madhya Pradesh                                              | 939                                                         | 929                                                         | 932                                                         |
| 21      | Maharashtra                                                 | 940                                                         | 933                                                         | 932                                                         |
| 22      | Manipur                                                     | 954                                                         | 945                                                         | 949                                                         |
| 23      | Meghalaya                                                   | 943                                                         | 947                                                         | 965                                                         |
| 24      | Mizoram                                                     | 962                                                         | 994                                                         | 934                                                         |
| 25      | Nagaland                                                    | 897                                                         | 924                                                         | 915                                                         |
| 26      | Odisha                                                      | 936                                                         | 938                                                         | 936                                                         |
| 27      | Puducherry                                                  | 985                                                         | 957                                                         | 947                                                         |
| 28      | Punjab                                                      | 926                                                         | 928                                                         | 927                                                         |
| 29      | Rajasthan                                                   | 946                                                         | 946                                                         | 946                                                         |
| 30      | Sikkim                                                      | 929                                                         | 981                                                         | 966                                                         |
| 31      | Tamil Nadu                                                  | 948                                                         | 947                                                         | 946                                                         |
| 32      | Telangana                                                   | 933                                                         | 938                                                         | 935                                                         |
| 33      | Tripura                                                     | 944                                                         | 950                                                         | 949                                                         |
| 34      | Uttar Pradesh                                               | 932                                                         | 934                                                         | 932                                                         |
| 35      | Uttarakhand                                                 | 940                                                         | 939                                                         | 938                                                         |
| 36      | West Bengal                                                 | 949                                                         | 943                                                         | 944                                                         |

*****