Lok Sabha Question No. 2491 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-02-13
Subject: Beneficiaries of Women and Child Development Schemes
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Shri Ajay Kumar Mandal

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2491

TO BE ANSWERED ON 13.02.2026

## BENEFICIARIES OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT SCHEMES

## 2491.  SHRI AJAY KUMAR MANDAL:

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

- (a) whether the implementation of schemes related to women and child development is progressing at a slow pace in Bhagalpur district of Bihar;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) the number of Anganwadi Centres currently functional along with the number of such Centres proposed in the said district;
- (d) the  number  of  women  and  children  who  have  been  benefited  under  the  POSHAN Abhiyaan and the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana in the said district till date; and
- (e) the details of the steps taken by the Government in the said district to promote women's empowerment, ensure their safety and improve nutritional outcomes in the said district?

## ANSWER

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

(a) to (e): Various schemes implemented by the Ministry of Women & Child Development (MoWCD) for welfare of women and children all over the country, including in Bhagalpur district  of  Bihar,  have  been  reviewed  and  clubbed  into  three  Umbrella  Missions,  viz.  (1) Mission Saksham Anganwadi & Poshan 2.0 for improving nutrition & health indicators (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 Umbrella Missions 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 Children, Pregnant Women

& Lactating Mothers and for Adolescent Girls (ii) Early Childhood Care and Education and (iii) Anganwadi Infrastructure including 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  toll-free 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; Shakti Sadan - an Integrated Relief and Rehabilitation Home for women in distress situations including trafficked women; 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 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 number of Anganwadi Centres functional in Bhagalpur district is 3078 .

The  details  of  number  of  beneficiaries  under  the  POSHAN  Abhiyaan  and  Pradhan  Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana schemes in Bhagalpur District are as under:

| Mission/ Scheme                                          | Category             | Number of Beneficiaries   |
|----------------------------------------------------------|----------------------|---------------------------|
| Mission Saksham Anganwadi &Poshan 2.0 (as on 31.01.2026) | Pregnant Women       | 19,648                    |
| Mission Saksham Anganwadi &Poshan 2.0 (as on 31.01.2026) | Lactating Mothers    | 20,316                    |
| Mission Saksham Anganwadi &Poshan 2.0 (as on 31.01.2026) | Children (0-6 years) | 2,47,400                  |
| Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (as on 08.02.2026)   | Beneficiaries paid   | 1,12,424                  |

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