Miscellaneous Schemes for Women and Child Development
While flagship schemes like Mission Vatsalya, Poshan 2.0, and Saksham Anganwadi cover a broad spectrum of care and protection, the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MoWCD) has also launched several targeted, issue-specific schemes. These smaller but significant initiatives aim to fill policy gaps, encourage community participation, and address emerging socio-economic challenges — especially post-COVID.
Let’s explore some of these schemes one by one:
1. Gender Champions Scheme
🎯 Objective:
To promote gender equality and sensitivity in educational spaces by creating youth role models.
🧾 Key Features:
- Launched in 2015 as a joint initiative by Ministry of Women & Child Development and Ministry of Education
- Gender Champions can be both boys and girls, aged 16 years and above
- They act as change agents within their institutions (schools/colleges)
- They promote a culture of dignity, equality, and respect toward girls and women
📌 UPSC Relevance:
- Important for GS-I (Society), GS-II (Social Justice), and Ethics paper (Attitude, Empathy, Role of Family and Society)
2. PM CARES for Children Scheme
🧨 Background:
In response to the devastating social impact of COVID-19, this scheme was launched in 2021 to provide comprehensive care to children who lost both parents/legal guardians during the pandemic (from 11 March 2020 onward).
🧾 Key Benefits:
- Health Insurance Coverage under Ayushman Bharat
- Education Support (schooling + higher education loans facilitated)
- Monthly Financial Assistance
- Corpus Fund of ₹10 lakh provided to each child when they turn 23 years old — to ensure a financially independent future
📌 Ethical Note:
This scheme reflects a rights-based and empathetic governance model, showing the state’s role as a moral guardian during crisis.
3. Mahila E-Haat
🎯 Objective:
To provide an online marketplace exclusively for women entrepreneurs and SHGs, enabling them to showcase and sell their products directly to customers.
🧾 Key Features:
- The Mahila E-Haat was launched on 7th March 2016 by the Ministry of Women & Child Development (MoWCD), as part of the “Stand Up India” initiative.
- Women aged 18 years and above are eligible
- Supported by Rashtriya Mahila Kosh (RMK) — an autonomous body under MoWCD
- Empowers women by giving them digital access to markets without middlemen
💡 Rashtriya Mahila Kosh (RMK):
- Registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860
- Provides micro-financing and supports socio-economic empowerment of women
📌 UPSC Context:
- Relevant for GS-III (Inclusive Growth, SHG Promotion), GS-II (Welfare Schemes), and Essay Paper (Women Empowerment Themes)
4. Suposhit Maa Abhiyan
The Suposhit Maa Abhiyan was launched in March 2020 by the Ministry of Women & Child Development (MoWCD) in collaboration with Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla’s constituency (Kota, Rajasthan) as a pilot initiative.
🎯 Objective:
To ensure nutritional and medical support to pregnant women and their newborns, particularly from underprivileged backgrounds.
🧾 Key Components:
- Identifies and supports 1,000 pregnant women per campaign cycle
- Provides:
- Food kits for one month
- Medical check-ups, blood tests, medicines
- Assistance during delivery
- Women must register through a dedicated website to be eligible
- Only one pregnant woman per family can be enrolled
📌 Special Angle:
The scheme also incorporates a social adoption model, where donors or sponsors voluntarily “adopt” a mother-to-be and support her nutrition and medical needs.