Government Initiatives for Women & Children in the News

Government Initiatives for Women & Children in the News

Several government initiatives for women and children have been in the news due to policy updates, new launches, and performance reviews. These schemes focus on nutrition, health, safety, education, and empowerment, especially for vulnerable sections. For UPSC Prelims 2026, aspirants should understand the objectives, key features, target beneficiaries, and implementing ministries of these initiatives.

NAVYA Initiative

• Nurturing Aspirations through Vocational Training for Young Adolescent Girls (NAVYA) is a joint initiative by Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and Ministry of Women and Child Development.
• Aim: To empower adolescent girls aged 16 to 18 years who have completed at least Class 10 by providing them with vocational training, particularly in non-traditional and emerging job roles.
• Implementation: Training under NAVYA will be provided utilizing existing resources from flagship schemes of MSDE like Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana and PM Vishwakarma Yojana.

50 Years of ICDS Programme **

• Launched in 1975, it is the world’s most extensive community-based early childhood development programme. It has now been restructured into Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0.
• Centrally Sponsored Scheme under the Ministry of Women and Child Development.
• Objective: To enhance the nutritional and health status of children aged 0-6, support their overall development, and decrease mortality and malnutrition.
• Provides six core services—supplementary nutrition, preschool non-formal education, nutrition and health education, and immunisation.
• Implementation: It is carried out through a nationwide network of Anganwadi Centres (AWC).

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10 Years of Beti Bachao Beti Padhao

• Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) scheme, launched in 2015, marked its 10-year anniversary with notable achievements in improving gender indicators.

Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP)

• Objective: Address declining child sex ratio and prevent sex-selective abortion.
• Type: Centrally sponsored scheme with no Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) or capital asset creation.
• Implementation: Jointly managed by Ministries of Women & Child Development, Health & Family Welfare, and Education; later expanded to include Ministries of Skill Development.
• Collaboratively managed by three ministries:
  • Ministry of Women & Child Development: Responsible for overall administration, coordinating with stakeholders, advocacy efforts, training, and monitoring activities.
  • Ministry of Health & Family Welfare: Oversees Pre-Conception & Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act, conducts evaluations, and enhances capacity building.
  • Ministry of Education: Focuses on ensuring school enrollment, constructing toilets, re-enrolling dropouts, and providing incentives for outstanding girls
• Under Sambal vertical of Mission Shakti.

Achievements of BBBP (As compared to 2014)

• Sex Ratio at Birth (SRB): Improved from 918 to 930. Highest state gains: Rajasthan, Haryana.
• Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER): Increased from 75.51% to 78%.
• Institutional Deliveries: Rose from 61% to 97.3%.
  • Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) dropped from 130 deaths per lakh live births to 97.
  • Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) reduced from 39 deaths per 1,000 live births to 28.
  • Under-Five Child Mortality Gender Gap decreased from 7 points to 2 points.

Poshan Pakhwada

• Annual event focusing on improving nutrition across India, especially for women and children. It is a key part of the Poshan Abhiyaan.
• Aim: To combat malnutrition through behaviour changes at individual, family, and community levels, highlighting 4 key areas:
  • Emphasis on the first 1000 days of human life
  • Popularisation of the Beneficiary Module in the Poshan Tracker App.
  • Effective management of malnutrition through the Community-Based Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM) module.
• Poshan Tracker: An app that lets users track real-time progress on nutrition services at Anganwadi centres across the country is a key part of this initiative.

POSHAN (Prime Minister’s Overarching Scheme for Holistic Nutrition) Abhiyaan

• Launched in March 2018, the focus of POSHAN Abhiyaan is on the nutritional status of adolescent girls, pregnant women, lactating mothers, and children aged 0-6 years.
• Aim: To address the challenges of malnutrition through a strategic shift in nutrition delivery.

• Centrally Sponsored Scheme, with the scheme being implemented by States/UTs.

• Mission Poshan 2.0: Focusing on the aims of POSHAN Abhiyaan, Mission Poshan 2.0 (Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0) has been launched as an integrated nutrition support program.
  • Ministry of Women and Child Development is implementing Mission Poshan 2.0 during the 15^th Finance Commission period, 2021-22 to 2025-26.

Strategic Pillars of Poshan Abhiyaan

• Access to Quality Services: Providing essential health services through schemes like Integrated Child Development Scheme, National Health Mission, and Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana, especially during the first 1,000 days of a child’s life.
• Cross-Sectoral Convergence: Across multiple ministries, including water and sanitation under the Swachh Bharat Mission and drinking water through the National Drinking Water Mission.
• Technology: Tools like the Poshan Tracker application enable real-time data collection and intervention.
• Jan Andolan: Community engagement is key to driving mass awareness and encouraging behavioral change around nutrition.

10 Years of Sukanya Samridhi Yojana

• 2025 marks 10 years of Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana.

About Sukanya Samridhi Yojana

• Launched in 2015 as part of the Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao Campaign.
• Eligibility: Guardian can open the account immediately after the birth of the girl child till she attains the age of 10 years.
  • Only one account per girl child. Parents may open maximum two accounts (for two children). Exception allowed in case of twins/triplets.
• Minimum initial deposit: ₹ 250.
  • Annual deposit limit: ₹ 1,50,000. Any amount beyond this limit in a financial year will not earn interest and will be returned.
  • Deposits can be made for up to 15 years from account opening date.
• Maturity: Account matures upon completion of 21 years of the account holder from its opening date.
  • Early closure on marriage allowed if the account holder marries after turning 18.
• Partial withdrawal (up to 50% of balance) allowed for education after the girl turns 18 years OR completes class X — whichever is earlier.
  • Withdrawal can be taken as lump sum or instalments. Maximum one withdrawal per year; for up to 5 years or till actual fees are covered.
• In case of death of account holder or guardian, or compassionate grounds (serious medical condition) — account may be closed prematurely, but not within first 5 years of opening.
• Tax benefits: Contributions, interest earned, and maturity proceeds are exempt under Section 80C of the Income Tax Act, making it a triple tax-free (EEE) scheme.
  • Interest calculation: Monthly based on lowest balance between 5^th day and end of month; credited at end of financial year.

Swasth Nari Sashakt Parivar Abhiyaan

• PM Modi to launch the ‘Swasth Nari, Sashakt Parivar Abhiyaan’ along the 8th Poshan Maah, India’s largest mobilisation for women’s and children’s health.

• Led by Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW), Ministry of Women & Child Development (MoWCD) and Ministry of Ayush.
• Objective: To strengthen preventive, promotive, and curative health services for women, adolescent girls, and children.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the NAVYA initiative?
NAVYA (Nurturing Aspirations through Vocational Training for Young Adolescent Girls) provides skill training to girls aged 16–18 years.

What is the ICDS programme?
Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) is a centrally sponsored scheme for early childhood development and nutrition support.

What is POSHAN Abhiyaan?
POSHAN Abhiyaan is a national nutrition mission launched in 2018 to reduce malnutrition among women and children.

What is Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP)?
BBBP is a centrally sponsored scheme launched in 2015 to improve child sex ratio and promote girls’ education.

What is Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana?
Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana is a savings scheme for the girl child launched in 2015 under the BBBP campaign.