Kilkari Programme

Ministers of State for Health recently launched ‘Kilkari’ programme, a mobile health initiative for beneficiaries, in local content, in Gujarat and Maharashtra as part of Digital Health India Programme. 

Highlights: 

• ‘Kilkari’ (meaning ‘a baby’s gurgle’), is an IVR based mobile health service which delivers free, weekly, time-appropriate 72 audio messages about pregnancy, childbirth, and childcare directly to families’ mobile phones from the second trimester of pregnancy until the child is one year old.

• Kilkari Programme is centrally hosted by MoHFW for all the States/UTs and no further investment in the technology, telephony infrastructure or operational costs is required to be borne by States/UTs. 

• This service is FREE of cost for States/UTs and beneficiaries. 

• The programme is integrated with the centralized Reproductive Child Health (RCH) portal of MoHFW’s and is the single source of information for this mHealth service.

Pradhan Mantri Matsya Kisan Samridhi Sah-Yojana (PM-MKSSY)

The Central government has recently approved the “Pradhan Mantri Matsya Kisan Samridhi Sah-Yojana (PM-MKSSY). 

Highlights: 

• It is a sub scheme under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana, for the micro and small enterprises operating in the fisheries sector with an expected investment of ₹6,000 crore in the next four years. 

• The sub-scheme PM-MKSSY is with 50% public finance, including the World Bank and the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) external financing, and the rest 50% investment from the private sector leverage. 

• It will be implemented for four years from 2023-24 to 2026-27 across all the States and union territories. • Fishers, aquaculture farmers, fish workers and fish vendors are expected to benefit from the scheme. 

• It is aimed at gradual formalisation of the fisheries sector and enhanced access to institutional credit. 

• It will create 1.7 lakh new jobs, with a special emphasis on employing 75,000 women. 

• It will improve value chain efficiency and ensuring safe, quality fish by supporting 55,000 targeted micro and small enterprises.

• It will ensure environment friendly fisheries sector. 

• It will Facilitate Ease of Doing Business and transparency.

GOVERNANCE AND SCHEMES OF ANDHRA PRADESH

 

Reproductive Maternal Newborn Child Adolescent Health Plus Nutrition (RMNCAH+N)

The Government of India implements Reproductive Maternal Newborn Child Adolescent Health Plus Nutrition (RMNCAH+N) strategy under National Health Mission, which includes various activities to address the problem of anemia and malnutrition among women and children across the county. Interventions are as below:

 

1. Mothers’ Absolute Affection (MAA) is implemented to improve breastfeeding coverage which includes early initiation of breastfeeding and exclusive breastfeeding for first six months followed by age-appropriate complementary feeding practices through capacity building of frontline health workers and comprehensive IEC campaigns.
2. Nutrition Rehabilitation Centres (NRCs) are set up at public health facilities to provide in-patient medical and nutritional care to children under 5 years of age suffering from Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) with medical complications. In addition to curative care, special focus is given on timely, adequate and appropriate feeding for children, correction of micronutrient deficiencies, improving the skills for mother and caregivers on complete age-appropriate caring and feeding practices. and counselling support is provided to mothers for identifying nutrition and health problems in child.
3. Anemia Mukt Bharat (AMB) programme is implemented to reduce anemia among six beneficiaries age group - children (6-59 months), children (5-9 years), adolescents (10-19 years), pregnant and lactating women and in women of reproductive age group (15-49 years) in life cycle approach through implementation of six interventions via robust institutional mechanism. The steps taken to address the problem of anemia are:

1. Prophylactic Iron and Folic Acid Supplementation in all six target age groups
2. Intensified year-round Behaviour Change Communication (BCC) Campaign for: (a) improving compliance to Iron Folic Acid supplementation and deworming, (b) enhancing appropriate infant and young child feeding practices, (c) encouraging increase in intake of iron-rich food through diet diversity with focus on harnessing locally available resources, and (d) ensuring delayed cord clamping after delivery in health facilities
3. Testing using digital methods and point of care treatment, with special focus on pregnant women and school-going adolescents
4. Addressing non-nutritional causes of anemia in endemic pockets with special focus on malaria, hemoglobinopathies and fluorosis
5. Providing incentives to the ANM for identification and follow-up of pregnant women with severe anemia in high priority districts (HPDs)
6. Management of severe anemia in pregnant women by administration of IV Iron Sucrose/ Blood transfusion
7. Awareness by ASHAs through community mobilization and IEC/BCC activities
8. Convergence and coordination with other line departments and ministries for strengthening implementation

4. Under National Deworming Day (NDD) albendazole tablets are administered in a single fixed day approach via schools and anganwadi centres in two rounds (February and August) to reduce the soil transmitted helminth (STH) infestation among all children and adolescents (1-19 years).
5. Monthly Village Health, Sanitation and Nutrition Day (VHSND) is an outreach activity at Anganwadi centers for provision of maternal and child care including nutrition in convergence with the ICDS.
6. MCP Card and Safe Motherhood Booklet are distributed to the pregnant women for educating them on diet, rest, danger signs of pregnancy, benefit schemes and institutional deliveries.

 

As informed by Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, the Government implements various schemes to improve the access to nutritious food, such as National Food Security Act (NFSA) 2013, which provides highly subsidized food grains under Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) for coverage up to 75% of the rural population and up to 50% of the urban population and under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY), free food grains are provided to 81.35 crore beneficiaries of Antyodaya Anna Yojana households and Priority Households, for a period of five years with effect from 1st January 2024.

As informed by Indian Council of Agricultural Research, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, under Krishi Vigyan Kendra Scheme, 16681 nutri-gardens are established across 30310 farm families and awareness activities are conducted on health and nutrition literacy.

As informed by Ministry of Women and Child Development, under Mission Poshan 2.0, Supplementary Nutrition Program provides nutritional support to children less than 6 years age, adolescent girls (14-18 years), pregnant women and lactating mothers as per nutrition norms under Schedule II of NFSA Act 2013.  

Also, the Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman (PM POSHAN) under Ministry of Education provides one hot cooked meal in Government and Government-aided schools as per nutrition norms under Schedule II of NFSA Act, 2013 to school going children from Balvatikas (pre-school) to Class VIII.

The Government of India takes various measures to augment domestic availability and stabilize the prices of essential food commodities.

Schemes for Promoting Solar Energy

PM-KUSUM (Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan): Aimed at ensuring energy security for farmers in India, along with honoring India’s commitment to increase the share of installed capacity of electric power from non-fossil-fuel sources.

Solar park scheme: For Development of Ultra Mega Renewable Energy Power Parks (UMREPPs) targeting 40,000 MW of solar power installed capacity by 2025-26.

Atal Jyoti Yojana (AJAY): The AJAY scheme was launched in September 2016 for the installation of solar street lighting (SSL) systems in states with less than 50% households covered with grid power.

National Solar Mission: The mission was launched in 2010 with the objective of establishing India as a global leader in solar energy.

International Solar Alliance: The ISA was launched in 2015 in Paris, on the side-lines of the Conference of the Parties (COP-21), with 121 solar resource rich countries lying fully or partially between the tropic of Cancer and tropic of Capricorn as prospective members.

One Sun, One World, One Grid (OSOWOG): It focuses on a framework for facilitating global cooperation, building a global ecosystem of interconnected renewable energy resources.

Important Government Schemes

National Programme for Dairy Development

Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Government of India is implementing “National Programme for Dairy Development (NPDD)” scheme across the country since Feb-2014 with an objective of creating/strengthening of infrastructure for Production of quality milk, Procurement, Processing and Marketing of Milk & Milk Products. The scheme has been restructured/realigned in July 2021 for implementation from 2021-22 to 2025-26 with a total budgetary allocation of Rs.1790 crore having two components:

Component 'A' focuses towards creating/strengthening of infrastructure for quality milk testing equipment as well as primary chilling facilities.

Component 'B' (Dairying through Cooperatives) aims to increase sales of milk and milk products, upgrading dairy processing facilities and marketing infrastructure and enhancing the capacity of producer-owned institutions.

An amount of Rs.345.93 crore has been allocated (Budgetary Estimate) under both Component 'A' and Component 'B' (Dairying through Cooperatives) of the scheme during 2023-24.

  The details of achievements made under NPDD scheme is as under;

1. Under Component A of the scheme, 195 projects in 30 States/UTs have been approved with the total outlay of Rs. 3311.10 crore (including Central Share Rs.2479.06 crore). A total amount of Rs.1824.60 crore has been released to States for the implementation of these projects against which Rs. 1429.62 crore has been utilized.
2. Under Component B of the scheme, 22 projects in 8 States have been approved with a total outlay of Rs.1130.63 crore. A total amount of Rs.84.02 crore has been released to National Dairy Development Board for the implementation of the projects.
3. About 16,794 dairy cooperative societies have been organized/revived, 30,066 Automatic Milk Collection Unit have been installed and about 82 dairy plants have been strengthened with creation of 24.00 lakh litres per day additional/new milk processing capacity under the scheme.

Mera Bill Mera Adhikaar scheme

The government launched the 'mera bill mera adhikaar' scheme to promote invoice usage and offer incentives to consumers.

KeyPoints:
 The scheme is currently implemented in Haryana, Assam, Gujarat, and the union territories of Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu and Puducherry.
 Consumers have a chance to win cash prizes ranging from ₹10,000 to ₹1 crore by participating in the scheme.
 The minimum value for invoices to be considered for the draw has been kept at ₹200.
 All invoices issued by GST registered sellers will be eligible for the scheme and maximum 25 invoices will be considered from an individual in a month.

ANDHRA PRADESH GOVERNMENT SCHEMES

Schemes for Welfare of Women

The Government is implementing several schemes/programmes for welfare, rehabilitation; empowerment, education and providing employment to destitute women which inter-alia include the following:

SwadharGreh Scheme

• The Scheme caters to primary needs of women in difficult circumstances – women and girls rendered homeless due to family discord, crime, violence, mental stress, social ostracism or are being forced into prostitution and are in moral danger.
• The scheme through the provisions of shelter, food, clothing, counselling, training, clinical and legal aid aims to rehabilitate such women in difficult circumstance economically and emotionally.
• Under SwadharGreh Scheme vocational and skill upgradation training is provided for economic rehabilitation of women.

Home for Widows

• A Home for widows has been set up in Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh with a capacity of 1,000 inmates to provide widows a safe and secure place of stay, health services, nutritious food, legal and counselling services.

One Stop Centres (OSCs)

• Popularly known as Sakhi Centres, aim to facilitate women affected by violence (including domestic violence) with a range of integrated services under one roof such as Police facilitation, medical aid, legal aid and legal counselling, psycho-social counselling, temporary shelter, etc.

Women Helpline (WHL) Scheme

• It provides 24 hours emergency and non-emergency response to women affected by violence, both in public and private spaces by linking them with appropriate authority such as Police, One Stop Centre, Hospital, Legal Services, etc.
• WHL also supports women in distress with rescue van and counselling services in addition to providing information about women welfare schemes and programs across the country.
• Women can dial 181 short code to avail services from Women Helpline.

Hub for Empowerment of Women (HEW)

• For increasing awareness about schemes of the Ministry and other measures undertaken by the Government for welfare and development of women, National, State and District Level Hubs for Empowerment of Women (HEW) have been approved under the new Mission Shakti, with the aim to facilitate inter-sectoral convergence of schemes and programs meant for women at different levels with the mandate to create an environment in which women realize their full potential.
• The support under the HEW component is available for guiding, linking and hand holding women to various institutional and schematic set-up for their empowerment and development including equal access to healthcare, quality education, career and vocational counselling/training, financial inclusion, entrepreneurship, backward and forward linkages, health and safety for workers, social security and digital literacy at various levels across the country.

Indira Gandhi National Widow Pension Scheme

• Under this scheme, widow pension is provided to the widows belonging to Below Poverty Line (BPL) households.
• This is a sub-scheme under National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP) of Ministry of Rural Development. Under the scheme, central assistance @ Rs. 300/- per month is provided to widows in the age group of 40-79 years and the pension amount is enhanced to Rs 500/- per month on attaining 80 years.

National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP)

• The National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP) is a fully funded Centrally Sponsored Scheme targeting the destitute to be identified by the States and UTs with the objective of providing a basic level of financial support.
• Under NSAP, central assistance of Rs. 200 – 300/- is provided in pension to senior citizens (60 years and above), widows (40-79 years) and to disabled persons.

Ayushman Bharat Programme

• In alignment with the goals under National Health Policy (NHP) 2017, the Government announced the ambitious and holistic Ayushman Bharat Programme with its twin pillars of Health and Wellness Centres and the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY) in September 2018.
• Under Jan Aarogya Yojana, coverage is provided to poor and vulnerable families. This is likely to help improve women’s access to health care services.

Stand Up India

• Government of India launched the Stand Up India scheme on 5th April 2016 to promote entrepreneurship amongst women, SC and ST categories, i.e., those sections of the population understood to be facing significant hurdles due to lack of advice/ mentorship as well as inadequate and delayed credit.
• The Scheme facilitates bank loans between Rs. 10 lakh to Rs. 1 crore to at least one scheduled Caste/ Scheduled Tribe borrower and at least one woman borrower per bank branch of Scheduled Commercial Banks for setting up Greenfield enterprises in trading, manufacturing and services sector.

Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendras

• Government has set up the PradhanMantri Kaushal Kendras under the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana across the country.
• Emphasis has been laid on creating additional infrastructure both for training and apprenticeship for women, flexible training delivery mechanisms such as mobile training units, flexible afternoon batches along with local need-based training to accommodate women and ensuring safe and gender sensitive training environment of women trainers, equity in remuneration and complaint redressal mechanism.

MGNREGA

• The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005 (MGNREGA) seeks to ensure employment in rural households, mandating that at least one third of the jobs generated should be given to women.
• The MGNREGA Guidelines have also made special provisions to encourage the participation of women, including giving preference to women (especially single women) and older persons for work on worksites nearer to their residences, child care facilities at the worksite in case more than five children under 6 years of age are present, adequate representation of women in the MGNREGS staff, ensuring that widows, deserted women and destitute women are provided 100 days of work, awareness and outreach activities to ensure that all wage seekers (including women) are able to handle bank procedures, treating pregnant and lactating mothers as a special category and provision of suitable work for them, etc.

Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maan-dhan

• Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maan-dhan (PM-SYM) has been launched to ensure old age protection for Unorganised Workers who are not covered by any other pension scheme.
• The unorganised workers including women, are ones engaged as home-based workers, street vendors, mid-day meal workers, head loaders, brick kiln workers, cobblers, rag pickers, domestic workers, washer men, rickshaw pullers, landless labourers, agricultural workers, construction workers, beedi workers, handloom workers, leather workers, audio-visual workers and similar other occupation whose monthly income is Rs 15,000/ per month or less and belong to the entry age group of 18-40 years.

Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana

• Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMVY) has been initiated by Government, inter alia, for facilitation self-employment. Under PMMVY, collateral free loans upto Rs. 10 lakh are extended to micro/small business enterprises and to individuals to enable them to setup or expand their business activities. Majority of the beneficiaries under this yojna are women.

Prime Minister Awaas Yojana

• PMAY-Grameen scheme aims to provide ‘Housing for All’ through provision of pucca house with basic amenities to all houseless households and households living in kutcha and dilapidated house in rural areas by 2022. This will also benefit the neglected, abandoned and destitute widows.
• Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana (Urban) is a Scheme with a vision for facilitating Housing for All by 2022 started from 17.06.2015. Under this scheme, central assistance is provided to States/UTs in addressing the housing requirement of Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) including slum dwellers in the urban areas. However, under Credit linked Subsidy Scheme (CLSS) component of the Mission, LIG, MIG I & MIG II segments are also covered.

DAY-NULM

• Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Urban Livelihood Mission (DAY-NULM) is implemented in statutory towns to reduce poverty and vulnerability of urban poor households, for improvement in their livelihoods on a sustainable basis.
• The mission provides for broadening of coverage to include families of disadvantaged groups like SCs, STs, Women, Minorities, disabled etc. subject to maximum of 25 percent of the above urban poor population.

Atal Pension Yojana (APY)

• This scheme is implemented with an objective to create a universal social security system for all Indians, especially the poor, the under privileged and workers in the unorganized sector.
• The scheme is open to all citizens of India between 18-40 years of age having a saving bank account in a bank or post office.

Integrated Programme for Older Persons

• The objective of the Scheme is to improve the quality of life of the Senior Citizens, including women, by providing basic amenities like shelter, food, medical care and entertainment opportunities and by encouraging productive and active ageing through providing support for capacity building of State/UT Governments/Non-Governmental Organizations/ Panchayati Raj Institutions/ local bodies and the community at large.

Scheme for Development of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs)

• There are certain groups among Scheduled Tribes which have declining or stagnant population, low level of literacy, pre-agricultural level of technology and are economically backward.
• These groups are among the most vulnerable sections of our society as they are few in numbers, have not attained any significant level of social and economic development and generally inhabit remote localities having poor infrastructure and administrative support.
• 75 such groups in 18 States and one UT have been identified and categorized as Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs). In 1998-99, a separate 100% Centrally Sponsored for exclusive development of PVTGs was started. Based on the knowledge and experiences gathered in implementation of the scheme, it has been revised with effect from 17.09.2019 to make it more effective.

National Family Benefit Scheme (NFBS)

• The Ministry of Rural Development Implements National Family Benefit Scheme (NFBS) under which monetary grant of Rs. 20,000 is given as lump sum assistance to the bereaved household in the event of death of the bread-winner.

Annapurna Scheme

• Under Annapurna Scheme of the Ministry of Rural Development, 10 kg of food grain is given to those eligible aged persons who have remained uncovered under the Indira Ghandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme (IGNOAPS).

Nari Arthik Sashaktikaran Yojana

• The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment implements Nari Arthik Sashaktikaran Yojana to support Scheduled Castes, Single Women/Widows to take up income generating activities.

Assistance for Vocational Training of Widows of Ex-Servicemen

• The Ministry of Defense provides financial assistance for vocational training of widows of ex-servicemen, treatment of serious diseases of non-pensioner ex-servicemen/widows and daughter’s marriage/widows’ remarriage.

Andhra Pradesh Government Schemes

 

Government Schemes of India

 

Women Empowerment Recent Reforms

SCHEMES, MISSIONS AND PROGRAMS

 

Central Government Schemes

Women Empowerment Schemes in India

 1. Beti Padhao, Beti Bachao Scheme – This scheme was generated on 22nd January 2015 with the funding of 100 crores. The objectives are – to prevent sex-selective abortion, to ensure the survival and protection of a girl child, and to ensure education for a girl child.

The government believes in “Beta Beti Ek Samaan”. The aim of this scheme is to eliminate discrimination on the basis of gender, to ensure that every girl child survives and the government ensures that every girl in the country receives the basic education.

2. One-Stop Centre Scheme – This scheme will be funded by the Nirbhaya scheme. The aim of the scheme is to provide support and assistance to women affected by violence both in private and public spaces.

It also facilitates immediate emergency or non-emergency to seek medical, legal, psychological support to fight against any form of violence against women.

3. Women Helpline Scheme – This has been generated on 1st April 2015. The aim is to provide 24 hours of immediate and emergency response to women who are affected by violence.

4. Working Women’s Hostel – The aim of the scheme is to envisage the provision of safe and affordable hostels for women. It also gives rise to a chance of employment to women in urban, semi-urban and rural areas via daycare facilities, etc.

5. Support to Training and Employment Programme (STEP) for women – This scheme targets mostly the marginalized less rural and urban poor women. It also includes wage laborers, unpaid daily workers, women-headed households, and families below the poverty line.

The objectives are to provide skill for development and up-gradation, to enable groups of women to take up employment-cum-income generation programs.

6. Swadhar Greh Scheme – This scheme was launched in 2011. The aim is to provide temporary accommodation, maintenance, and rehabilitation centre for homeless women due to dysfunctional family or violence.

The objectives include providing them with legal service and emotional support and help as well to start their lives with dignity again, to cater to the primary need for shelter, clothing, and medicine.

7. Rajiv Gandhi National Creche Scheme – The scheme was launched in 2011 and as of 2016 this scheme provides support to different NGOs to carter to the needs.

The aim of the scheme is to provide support to the children of the working mothers who were previously resorting to friends and relatives to take care of their babies. As a result, the employment of women who take care of babies has increased.

8. Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojna – The scheme was initially launched in 2010. The aim of the scheme is to ensure safe delivery and good nutrition for pregnant women – women who are having their first child. It provides partial compensation for the wage loss in terms of the cash incentives.

9. Mahila-e-Haat – The aim of the scheme is to strengthen the financial inclusion of Women Entrepreneurs in the economy by providing support to their ideas and notions.

The startup “Rashtriya Mahila Kosh” uses the help of technology so that they can showcase products made/manufactured/sold by women entrepreneurs.

10. Mahila Police Volunteers – The aim is to ensure the safety of the citizens and women in particular. It also aims to increase the number of women police officers in the Indian Police. One of its objectives is to make sure the women police officers act as a role model to the citizens of the country.

11. National Mission for Empowerment of Women – It was launched on 15th August 2011. Its aim is to empower women holistically. The objectives are to strengthen the understanding of gender issues, conceptual and programmatic basics of women-centric schemes.

12. Pradhan Mantri Mahila Shakti Kendra Scheme – This scheme was launched in 2017. The aim is to promote community participation through the involvement of Student Volunteers for the empowerment of rural women. The main purpose of the scheme is to enhance the quality of women’s lives.

13. Rashtriya Mahila Kosh – This scheme was launched in March 1993. Its aim is to provide micro-credit to poor women for various livelihood support and income-generating activities at concessional terms in a client-friendly procedure to enhance their socio-economic development.

14. Nand Ghar Yojna – This scheme was launched on 24th June 2015. The aim is to enhance the learning environment through an e-learning module and skill development for women.

The objectives are to make Anganwadis as a community center for women and children, to provide supplementary nutrition to children below 6 years to combat against malnutrition.

15. Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana – It was launched in March 2016. The aim is to provide clean fuel to women who are below the poverty line who generally use unclean cooking fuels which harms more – hence they should replace it with LPG.

The objective is to protect the health of women and empower them.

16. Maternity Benefit Program – It was launched in 2017. The aim is to provide partial compensation for wage loss to women during pregnancy and offers a cash incentive of Rs. 6000 to mothers bearing their first child. The objective is to promote nutrition and of pregnant and lactating mothers.

17. Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana – This scheme was launched in January 2015. The aim is to encourage parents of the girl child to create a fund or savings for the future education and marriage expenses of their child.

The objective is to ensure the financial independence of the girl which helps her to pursue education, other skills, and marriage as well.

18. eSamvad Portal – This was launched in 2018. The aim is to provide a platform for NGOs and civil society to interact with the Ministry on relevant subjects. The portal allows NGOs to contact the Ministry of Women and Child Development and to receive feedback, suggestions based on their practice.

19. Nari Web Portal – This was launched in 2018. The aim of the portal is to spread information about schemes and benefits provided by the Government to the women. The portal enables to access different programs offered by various states as well as the Central Government.

20. She-Box Portal – It was launched in 2018. The aim is to provide a faster remedy to women facing sexual harassment at the workplace. The prompt disposal of the complaints directly goes to the central/state authority concerned so that jurisdiction can be sorted soon.

21. New Draft National Policy – It was launched in 2019. The aim of this policy is to ensure women’s participation as equal partners in all spheres of life. It covers the priority areas like – nutrition and health, education, economic growth, environment, and violence.