Question: Which scheme is launched by Central Government to provide cash incentive amounting to Rs. 5,000 to women during pregnancy and lactation period?
(a) Pradhan Mantri Matri Vandana Yojana
(b) Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana
(c) Pradhan Mantri Matri Shishu Vandana Yojana
(d) Pradhan Mantri Matru Shishu Vandana Yojana
Answer: (b)
Related facts:
- The Prime Minister on 31st December, 2016, announced Pan-Indian implementation of maternity benefits for pregnant women and lactating mother. The programme is known as Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana which provides Direct Benefit Transfer of Rs. 5,000 in three stages to eligible beneficiaries.
- Beti Bachao Beti Padhao is one the flagship programmes of the Government with focus on improving the efficiency of welfare services intended for girls. 161 BBBP districts for the time period between April-March, 2015-16 & 2016-17 indicating that, an improving trend in Sex Ratio at Birth (SRB) is visible in 104 districts. The girl’s enrolment in secondary education has increased to 80.97% against 76% in 2013-14. Construction of girl’s toilets in every school in selected districts has been achieved.
Initiatives regarding Women welfare:
- One Stop Center; so far, 279 OSCs have become operational. These centres have offered support to over 1.93 Lakh women.
- Women Helpline; so far, women help lines have become operational in 32 States/UTs. They have managed more than 20.23 lakh calls of women.
- The Sexual Harassment at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013; Students, apprentices, laborers, domestic workers and even women visiting an officer are included in the Act.
- Grievance Redressal Cell; The cell has processed close to 39,347 complaints in the one year since its inception.
- Swadhar Greh; The Ministry has constructed Krishna Kutir at Vrindavan, Mathura of UP of 1,000 beds for their safe stay health services, nutritious food, legal and counseling services to widows.
Children welfare initiative:
- POSHAN Abhiyaan aims to reduce mal-nutrition from the Country in a phased manner, through the life cycle concept, by adopting a synergized and result oriented approach. Target of Abhiyaan is to bring down stunting of the children in the age group of 0-6 years from 38.4% to 25% by the year 2022. More than 10 crore people will be benefitted by this programme. 315 districts were covered in Financial Year 2017-18.
Other major provisions:
- The ‘Women of India Festival’ is organised annually by the Ministry with the aim to encourage women entrepreneurs and farmers, and also actively promote organic products ranging from food and fabric to wellness and personal care. The total sales by the women farmers and entrepreneurs who came from 26 States were a record of over Rs. 2.75 crore. Participants can enroll themselves in Mahila e-Haat, which is an online marketing portal set-up by the Ministry to meet the aspirations and needs of women entrepreneurs.
- Rashtriya Mahila Kosh (RMK) is a society and an apex micro-finance organization established in 1993 under the aegis of Ministry of Women & Child Development (MWCD) to meet the credit needs of poor and assetless women in the informal sector for various livelihood support and income generating activities at concessional terms. RMK’s Corpus is at Rs 284 crore as on 27th December, 2018.
- Mahila Shakti Kendra Scheme is a centrally sponsored scheme for implementation from 2017-18 to 2019-20 to empower rural women through community participation. It aims to provide an interface for rural women to approach the government for availing their entitlements and also empowering them through training and capacity building. The scheme has been approved for implementation in 23 States /UTs.
- Joint guidelines for construction of 2 lakh Anganwadi Centre (AWC) buildings in most backward districts by 2019 under MGNREGS in convergence with ICDS Scheme have been jointly issued by Ministry of Rural Development and WCD to fulfill the shortage of AWC buildings (around 4.5 lakhs) in the country.
- The Government has, recently, enhanced honorarium to Anganwadi Workers from ₹ 3,000/- to ₹ 4,500/- per month; AWWs at mini-AWCs from ₹ 2,250/- to ₹ 3,500/- per month; AWHs from ₹ 1,500/- to ₹ 2,250/- per month; and introduced performance linked incentive of ₹ 250/- per month to AWHs effective from 1st October, 2018.
- The Ministry of WCD has been giving awards to the meritorious children and Individuals /Institutions for several decades. The scheme has been revamped in 2018 to make it more broad based and inclusive. The National Child Award, now called the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Baal Puraskar is to be given in two categories: Baal Shakti Puraskar and Baal Kalyan Puraskar.
- National Institute of Public Cooperation and Child Development, popularly known as NIPCCD, an autonomous organisation under the aegis of the Ministry of Women and Child Development, Government of India is a premier organization devoted to promotion of voluntary action and research, training and documentation in the overall domain of women and child development. It aims to develop and promote voluntary action in social development; take a comprehensive view of child development and to promote and develop relevant need-based programmes in pursuance of the National Policy for Children.
Links:
http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=187560