Lok Sabha Question No. 3262 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-08-08
Subject: Implementation  of Welfare Schemes
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Shri S Venkatesan

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3262

TO BE ANSWERED ON 08.08.2025

## IMPLEMENTATION OF WELFARE SCHEMES

## 3262. SHRI S VENKATESAN:

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

- (a) the  details  of  the  numerous  progressive  laws/welfare  schemes  for  women  and children;
- (b) whether any gap between policy and ground-level implementation still persist, if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the Government proposes to conduct a transparent performance audit of schemes like Beti Bachao Beti Padhao; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof along with the steps taken thereon?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) For better implementation and efficient monitoring, all schemes implemented for welfare of women and children have been clubbed into three Umbrella Missions by the Ministry of Women & Child Development (MoWCD), viz. (1) Mission Saksham Anganwadi & Poshan 2.0 for improving nutrition & health indicators in the country (2) Mission Shakti, for safety, protection and empowerment of women; and (3) Mission Vatsalya, for protection, care and welfare of children in difficult circumstances. Details of the schemes are as under:

(i)  Saksham  Anganwadi  &  Poshan  2.0  (Mission  Poshan  2.0): Under  this  mission, Anganwadi Services Scheme, POSHAN Abhiyaan and Scheme for Adolescent Girls have been reorganized into 3 primary sub-verticals: (i) Nutrition Support for POSHAN and for Adolescent Girls (ii) Early Childhood Care and Education [3-6 years] and (iii) Anganwadi Infrastructure including modern, upgraded Saksham Anganwadis.

- (ii)  Mission Shakti: It  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 tollfree emergency/non-emergency response system that is integrated with ERSS (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 -  a  pilot  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.

(iii) Mission Vatsalya: Mission Vatsalya includes the Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS) for better outreach and protection for children in need and care in a mission mode with the objective to: (i) Support and sustain Children in difficult circumstances. (ii) Develop context-based  solutions  for  holistic  development  of  children  from  varied  backgrounds. (iii)Provide scope for encouraging innovative solutions, (iv) Cement convergent action.

The  details  of  the  progressive  laws  implemented  by  the  Ministry  of  Women  &  Child Development for women and children are as under:

- (i)  The  Sexual  Harassment  of  Women  at  Workplace  (Prevention,  Prohibition  and Redressal) Act  2013 (SH Act)
- (ii) The Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act (PWDVA) 2005
- (iii) The Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006

(iv) The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act 2012, as amended in 2019

(v) The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act 2015 (JJ Act, 2015) as amended in 2021

(b) All the schemes of the Ministry are Centrally Sponsored Schemes and implementation &  monitoring  of  these  schemes  fall  under  the  ambit  of  State/UT  concerned.  However, smooth functioning and proper implementation of the schemes is reviewed periodically through meetings/video conferences with States/UTs and field visits by officers/ officials of the Ministry. The utilization of funds is monitored through Utilization Certificates furnished by  the  State  Government  and  State  Nodal  Agency  (SNA)  Reports  available  on  Public Financial Management System (PFMS) of Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance.

(c) & (d) Yes Sir. A third party evaluation of all Centrally Sponsored Schemes in Women and Child Development Sector including Mission Shakti and Mission Saksham Anganwadi & POSHAN 2.0 was conducted by NITI Aayog in 2020.

The  evaluation  found  the  impact  of  Anganwadi  Services  scheme  satisfactory.  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, behavioural 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 2013.

Based on the evaluation report, the Ministry has modified the guidelines under Mission Shakti including increasing coverage of the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao scheme to all the districts  of  the  country  through  multi-sectoral  interventions  and  by  encouraging  greater expenditure on activities that have a direct impact like promoting sports among girls, selfdefence  camps,  awareness  about  PC-PNDT  Act  etc.  Ministry  has  also  developed  an operational manual  which, inter-alia, includes a thematic calendar for suggested convergence  activities  at  the  district  level  with  month  wise  specific  themes  for  holistic development and comprehensive empowerment of the Girl Child and to ensure year-round engagement of girls, their families and communities.

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