Mission Vatsalya  

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Context: The Ministry of Women and Child Development Presented the implementation report on Mission Vatsalya.

Details

• The Ministry of Women and Child Development intended to provide ‘integrated benefits to children and women’ under Mission Vatsalya.
• Mission Vatsalya aims at ensuring a healthy and happy childhood for every child.
• Child Line (1098), the 24-hour toll-free helpline for children in distress, is managed by the Home Affairs Ministry under Mission Vatsalya.

Major initiatives under the Ministry of Women and Child Development

• For the effective implementation of various schemes and programmes, all major schemes under the Ministry of Women and Child Development, have been classified under 3 umbrella schemes;
  • Mission Poshan 2.0
  • Mission Vatsalya
  • Mission Shakti

Mission POSHAN 2.0

• It is an Integrated Nutrition Support Programme.
• It aims to address the challenges of malnutrition in children, adolescent girls, pregnant women and lactating mothers.
• The objective is to optimize the quality and delivery of the Supplementary Nutrition Program.
• It also focuses on Maternal Nutrition, Infant and Young Child Feeding Norms, Wellness through AYUSH, etc.
• The Mission will integrate several key strategies to fulfil its objectives;
  • Corrective strategies
  • Nutrition Awareness strategies
  • Communication strategies and Creation of green eco-systems.
• Digital infrastructure under the “Poshan Tracker” will strengthen and bring about transparency in nutrition delivery support systems.
• Schemes under Mission POSHAN 2.0
  • ICDS-Anganwadi Services
  • Poshan Abhiyan
  • Scheme for Adolescent Girls
  • National Crèche Scheme

Mission Vatsalya

• The objective of Mission Vatsalya is to ensure a healthy and happy childhood for every child in India.
• Focus under Mission Vatsalya;
  • Service delivery structures
  • Institutional care/services
  • Non-institutional community-based care
  • Emergency outreach services
  • Training and capacity building
  • Child Protection Services and Child Welfare Services

Mission Shakti

• Mission Shakti aims to ensure a lifecycle support system for women through integrated care, safety, protection, rehabilitation and empowerment.
• Mission Shakti has two sub-schemes ‘Sambal’ and ‘Samarthya’.
  • The “Sambal” is a sub-scheme for the safety and security of women.
  • The “Samarthya” is a sub-scheme for the empowerment of women.
• Initiatives under SAMBAL:
  • One-Stop Centre (OSC) to facilitate access to an integrated range of services including medical aid, police assistance, legal aid/ case management, psychosocial counselling and temporary support services to women affected by violence.
  • Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, to address the declining Child Sex Ratio.
  • Mahila Police Volunteers, to report the incidences of violence against women
  • Women's Helpline.
  • Nari Adalats to promote and facilitate alternative dispute resolution and gender justice within families and in society.
• Initiatives under SAMARTHYA:
  • Gender Budgeting is a tool for mainstreaming gender perspectives at various stages of planning, budgeting, implementation, impact assessment and revisiting of policy/programme objectives and allocations.
  • Swadhar Greh to provide relief and rehabilitation to destitute women and women in distress.
  • Working Women Hostels for ensuring safe accommodation for women working away from their place of residence.
  • National Creche Scheme to provide daycare facilities to children of the age group of 6 months to 6 years of working women who are employed.
  • Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY) Provide Cash incentives for improved health and nutrition to pregnant and nursing mothers.
  • Umbrella ICDS Scheme is also subsumed in ‘Samarthya’.

Present Status of these Schemes

• Poshan Abhiyaan has a total financial cost of Rs 1,81,703 crore;
  • Total cost under Mission Poshan 2.0 has been calculated on the basis of the cost-sharing ratio between the Central and States/UTs; 60:40 for States and UTs with the legislature.
  • 90:10 for North East Region and the Himalayan States and UT of Jammu & Kashmir.
  • 100% for Union Territories without legislature.
• Mission Shakti has a total financial cost of Rs 20989 Crore.
  • The sub-scheme ‘Sambal’ will be implemented as a Centrally Sponsored scheme with 100% central funding from the Nirbhaya Fund/ MWCD budget
  • The sub-scheme ‘Samarthya’ will be implemented as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme with a funding ratio of 60:40 between Centre and State Governments / UTs with the legislature, except North East & Special Category States / UTs with legislature where the fund ratio will be 90:10. For UTs without legislature, 100% of funding will be provided by the Central Government.
• Mission Vatsalya has a total financial cost of Rs 10916 Crore.

Way Forward

• Women and Children constitute 67.7% of India’s population as per the 2011 census, therefore the Empowerment and protection of women and children and ensuring their development are crucial for the sustainable and equitable development of the country.
• We need to create a safe and secure environment and empower women by providing them with an environment that is accessible, affordable, reliable and free from all forms of discrimination and violence.
• There is a need to create an inclusive society where women and girls have equal access to resources and opportunities, enabling them to participate in the social, economic and political development of India.
• When we empower the women in a family, we empower the entire household. When we help with a woman's education, we ensure that the entire family is educated. When we facilitate her good health, we help keep the entire family healthy. When we secure her future, we secure the future of the entire home.

https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/the-child-at-the-centre-the-hindu-editorial-on-mission-vatsalya/article65296613.ece