On July 14, 2022, the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MoWCD) issued detailed guidelines for the ‘Mission Shakti’ scheme. It will be applicable w.e.f. April 1, 2022.
- Under the guidelines, the Women Helplines (WHL) running under 181 number will be integrated with Emergency Response Support System number 112 for all emergency assistance and with One Stop Centre (OSC) and other platforms like 1098 Child line.
- Government of India has launched ‘Mission Shakti’ – an integrated women empowerment programme during the 15th Finance Commission period 2021-22 to 2025-26.
About Mission Shakti:
It is a scheme in mission mode to strengthen interventions for women safety, security and empowerment, and by making them equal partners in nation-building through convergence and citizen-ownership.
Key Objectives of Scheme:
i.To provide care, support and assistance to women
ii.To rescue, protect, and rehabilitate women who are victims of crime and violence.
iii.To improve accessibility to various government services available for women at various levels
It has two sub-schemes ‘Sambal’ and ‘Samarthya’.
Sambal:
It is for the safety and security of women. It consists of erstwhile schemes of OSC, Women WHL, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) with a new component of Nari Adalats – women’s collectives to promote and facilitate alternative dispute resolution and gender justice in society and within families.
Samarthya
It is for the empowerment of women. Its components include erstwhile schemes of Ujjwala, Swadhar Greh and Working Women Hostel with modifications.
- The existing National Creche Scheme, The Palna or National Creche component will provide a safe and secure place for the children of working mothers in the age group of 6 months to 6 years for 71/2 hours a day. As per law every establishment having fifty or more employees shall have the facility of creche.
- Gap Funding for Economic Empowerment; and Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY) under umbrella Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) have also been included.
- The existing sub-schemes of Mahila Shakti Kendra (MSK) and Mahila Police Volunteers (MPV) have been discontinued.
Recent Related News:
i.MoWCD celebrated International Women’s Day Week from 1st to 8th March 2022 as an ‘Iconic Week’ as a part of ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’.
ii.MoWCD extended the time period PM CARES scheme for Children till 28 February 2022 (earlier, valid till 31 December 2021). It covers all children who have not completed 18 years of age at the time of death of their parents, surviving parent, legal guardian, adoptive parents or single adoptive parent due to COVID 19 pandemic.
About Ministry of Women and Child Development (MoWCD):
Union Minister– Smriti Zubin Irani (Constituency- Amethi, Uttar Pradesh)
Minister of State (MoS)– Dr. Munjpara Mahendrabhai Kalubhai (Constituency- Surendranagar, Gujarat)
