SRINAGAR: The Union Government on Wednesday said it has strengthened a range of women and child welfare initiatives under Mission Shakti and Mission Vatsalya, while reiterating that Jammu and Kashmir will continue to receive Central funding for Mission Vatsalya in a 90:10 Centre-UT cost-sharing ratio, according to a written reply tabled in the Rajya Sabha.
Replying to an unstarred question on the functioning of the National Commission for Women (NCW), Minister of State for Women and Child Development Savitri Thakur said the Ministry has expanded welfare, protection, rehabilitation and digital support mechanisms for women and children through multiple flagship schemes.
The Minister informed the House that under Mission Vatsalya, a centrally sponsored scheme implemented across all States and Union Territories, financial assistance is shared in the ratio of 60:40 between the Centre and States. However, the North-Eastern States, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir receive funding in the ratio of 90:10, while the Centre bears the entire cost for Union Territories without legislatures.
The scheme provides both institutional and non-institutional care for children in difficult circumstances. Child Care Institutions established under Mission Vatsalya offer age-appropriate education, healthcare, counselling, vocational training and recreational facilities. Non-institutional support includes sponsorship, foster care, adoption and aftercare services.
The government also said the Child Helpline 1098 operates round the clock under Mission Vatsalya and has been integrated with the Emergency Response Support System (112) to provide emergency assistance to children.
Highlighting measures under Mission Shakti, the Minister said the umbrella scheme comprises the Sambal component for women’s safety and security and the Samarthya component for women’s empowerment.
Among the major initiatives, the government cited the One Stop Centre (OSC) Scheme, which provides integrated support services to women affected by violence; the Women Helpline (181) offering 24-hour assistance linked to emergency services; Sakhi Niwas (Working Women Hostel) providing safe accommodation with childcare facilities; the Palna Scheme offering crèche and day-care services for children of working women; and Shakti Sadan, which provides shelter, healthcare, counselling and skill development for destitute women and victims of trafficking.
The Ministry further informed Parliament that SANKALP – Hub for Empowerment of Women has been established to improve convergence of women-centric schemes across Central, State and district levels.
On women’s safety, the government said the Nirbhaya Fund, which began with a limited number of projects, now supports 49 projects with a total outlay of more than Rs 13,815 crore, focusing on technology-driven interventions, real-time monitoring and enhanced public safety infrastructure.
The Ministry also highlighted the launch of the Mission Shakti Portal and Mobile App on January 22, 2025, aimed at improving access to government services, rescue, protection and rehabilitation mechanisms for women across the country.
It further noted that the Sexual Harassment Electronic Box (SHe-Box) Portal provides a single-window platform for women across all sectors to lodge complaints of workplace sexual harassment.
The government also referred to the Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat campaign, launched on November 27, 2024, along with a dedicated digital portal to facilitate reporting of child marriage cases.
In its reply, the Ministry said the National Commission for Women has intensified awareness and capacity-building efforts by funding 22 State Women Commissions to organise State-specific legal reviews and awareness programmes covering stalking, One Stop Centres, artificial intelligence awareness through Yashoda AI, and other region-specific issues affecting women.
Additionally, the NCW has launched the SHAKTI Scholars Fellowship to promote policy-oriented research on gender equality, women’s safety, cyber safety, labour rights, mental health and other women-centric issues. The Commission has also approved nine women-focused research projects to support evidence-based policymaking.
The Ministry added that the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) and State Commissions continue to monitor the implementation of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act across the country.
