The Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD) has integrated its various schemes for the welfare of women and children across the country into three Umbrella Missions. These include initiatives for nutrition support, childcare services, and maternal health outreach, including specific programs in Kerala. The three Umbrella Missions are: Mission Saksham Anganwadi & Poshan 2.0, Mission Shakti, and Mission Vatsalya.
Mission Saksham Anganwadi & Poshan 2.0 aims to improve nutrition and health indicators. Under this mission, the Anganwadi Services Scheme, POSHAN Abhiyaan, and Scheme for Adolescent Girls have been reorganized into three sub-verticals: Nutrition Support for Children, Pregnant Women, Lactating Mothers, and Adolescent Girls; Early Childhood Care and Education; and Anganwadi Infrastructure, including upgraded Saksham Anganwadis.
Mission Shakti focuses on the safety, protection, and empowerment of women and is divided into two verticals: Sambal and Samarthya. Sambal includes One Stop Centres (OSC) for women affected by violence, the 24×7 Women Helpline (181-WHL), Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) for addressing declining Sex Ratio at Birth and promoting empowerment of girls, and Nari Adalat, a pilot initiative for justice, grievance redressal, counseling, and mediation.
The Samarthya vertical includes the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY), Shakti Sadan (relief and rehabilitation home for women in distress), Sakhi Niwas (safe accommodation for working women), National Hub for Empowerment of Women (NHEW) for intersectoral convergence of women’s schemes, and Palna, which provides quality crèche facilities to increase women’s participation in the workforce.
Mission Vatsalya encompasses the Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS) and focuses on providing care, protection, and support for children in difficult circumstances. The mission aims to develop context-based solutions for holistic development, encourage innovative interventions, and promote convergent action for child welfare.
A third-party evaluation conducted by NITI Aayog for the financial years 2019–2024 found that the MWCD schemes are relevant and impactful. The Ministry regularly monitors implementation, including fund utilization, through high-level meetings, video conferences, and field visits.
This information was shared by Minister of State for Women and Child Development Savitri Thakur in Lok Sabha in response to a question today.
Nurturing Creativity – Keekli Charitable Trust, Shimla
