CHHAPTTEERR IVVIIII - Shodhgangashodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/bitstream/10603/8884/13/13_chapter...

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CCHHAAPPTTEERR VVIIIIII

AA SSTTUUDDYY OOFF TTHHEE DDEEPPAARRTTMMEENNTT OOFF WWOOMMEENN AANNDD

CCHHIILLDD DDEEVVEELLOOPPMMEENNTT

This chapter is organised into two sections. Section I throws light on

Department of Women and Child Development, its Organisation and Statutory

and Autonomous Organisations of the Department. Section II deals with

different programmes and schemes of Department of Women and Child

Development and budgetary allocation to the Department of Women and Child

Development from 1996-97 to 2006-07.

Section I

8.1: Department of Women and Child Development

Equitable growth and development of any country on a sustained basis is

dependent on the development of human resources wherein the progress and

development of women are must. It is need of the hour that women should be

empowered economically, socially and politically so that they become a strong

and vigorous force in the country. Women‟s empowerment is a sine qua non of a

nation‟s development. A phrase commonly used in the legal parlance is res ipsa

loquitur, that is, the thing speaks for itself. In other words the case argues itself.

The phrase aptly applies to the development of women and children- a

development which speaks for itself, a development which is in the interest of the

entire nation297

. Therefore, for the holistic development of women, Government

of India has set up a separate department under the Ministry of Human Resource

Development.

The Department of Women and Child Development was created in

Human Resource Development Ministry in the year 1985. It was upgraded to a

Ministry with effect from 30-01-2006298

. Women invisibly contribute to the

297

Government of India, Press Information Bureau, accessed on 10th

February 2010

(www.pib.nic.in/feature). 298

Government of India, Ministry of Women and Child Development, “About Us”, accessed on

8th

August 2010 (www.wcd.nic.in).

242

growth of the economy, but visibly lag behind when it comes to availing of equal

opportunities of the fruits of development. The development of women and

children is of paramount importance in order to set the pace of development.

Considering the importance attached to development of women and child, the

Department of Women and Child Development was carved out as a separate

Ministry, vide Government notification dated 16.02.2006, all subjects relating to

Child Welfare/Protection like the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of

Children) Act 2000, Central Adoption Resource Agency(CARA) which were

earlier under Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment have been transferred

to the newly created Ministry of Women and Child Development.

The broad mandate of the Ministry is to have holistic development of

women and children. As a nodal body of Women and Child Development, the

Ministry formulates several plans, policies and programmes. It enacts and

amends legislation, guides and coordinates the efforts of both governmental and

non-governmental organisations working in the area of women and child

development. The Ministry also implements certain innovative

programmes/schemes for women and children that cover welfare and support

services, training for employment and income generation, awareness generation

and gender sensitisation. The ultimate objective of all these programmes is to

make women independent and self-reliant and also to ensure that children grow

and live in a healthy and secure environment299

.

The vision of Ministry of Women and Child Development is “Ensuring

overall survival, development and protection of women and children of the

country to enable them to lead productive and wholesome lives as citizens”300

.

The major policy initiatives by the Ministry are, in the recent past, the

implementation of world‟s largest outreach programme of Integrated Child

Development Services(ICDS) and Kishori Shakti Yojana, establishment of the

Commission for Protection of Child Rights and enactment of Protection of

Women from Domestic Violence Act, etc.

299

Government of India, Ministry of Women and Child Development, Annual Report 2002-03,

Chapter 1, “Introduction”, p.3. 300


Chapter 1, “Introduction”, p.3.

243

8.2: Statutory and Autonomous Organisations

The Ministry comprises of two statutory bodies and four autonomous

organisations301

, viz.,

a) Statutory Bodies: National Commission for Women (NCW), National

Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR).

b) Autonomous Organisations: National Institute of Public Cooperation and

Child Development (NIPCCD), Central Adoption Resource Agency (CARA),

Central Social Welfare Board (CSWB) and Rashtriya Mahila Kosh (RMK).

NIPCCD, RMK and CARA are registered under the Societies

Registration Act, 1860. CSWB is a charitable company registered under Section

25 of the Indian Companies Act, 1956. The NCW was constituted as a national

apex statutory body in 1992 for protecting and safeguarding the rights of women.

The NCPR is a national apex statutory body constituted in March 2007 for

protecting and safeguarding the rights of children.

Different subjects allocated to the Ministry are302

:

1. Welfare of the Family, Women and Child Welfare and Coordination of

activities of other ministries and organisations in connection with this

subject.

2. References from the United Nations Organisation relating to traffic in

women and children.

3. Care of pre-school children including pre-primary education.

4. National Nutrition Policy, National Plan of Action for Nutrition and

National Nutrition Mission.

5. Charitable and religious endowments pertaining to subjects allocated to

this Department.

301

Goel Aruna., Women Empowerment: Myth or Reality, Deep and Deep Publications Pvt., Ltd.,

New Delhi, 2009, pp.132-133. 302


Annexure 2, p.194.

244

6. Promotion and development of voluntary effort on the subjects allocated

to this Department.

7. Implementation of:

The Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956 (amended up to

1986);

The Indecent Representation of Women (Prevention) Act,

1986 (60 of 1986);

The Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961(as amended upto 1986);

The Commission of Sati(Prevention) Act, 1987;

Coordination of activities and programmes of Cooperative for

Assistance and Relief Everywhere(CARE);

Planning, Research, Evaluation, Monitoring, Project

Formulations, Statistics and Training relating to the welfare

and development of women and children, including

development of gender sensitive data base;

United Nations Children‟s Fund (UNICEF);

Central Social Welfare Board (CSWB);

National Institute of Public Cooperation and Child

Development (NIPCCD);

Food and Nutrition Board (FNB);

National Commission for Women (NCW);

Rashtriya Mahila Kosh (RMK);

The Children Act, 1960;

The Child Marriage –Restraint Act, 1929.

245

8.3: Organisation: The organisation of Ministry of Women and Child

Development is explained with the help of following flow Chart No.8.1.

Source: Government of India, Ministry of Women and Child Development,

Annual Report 2006-07, Annexure II, p.178.

Min

iste

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Sta

te

Sec

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ry

Sta

tist

ical

Ad

vis

or

Eco

nom

ic

Ad

vis

or

Join

t S

ecre

tary

Jo

int

Sec

reta

ry

Fin

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Ad

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Join

t S

ecre

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Director(Finance)

Chief Controller

of Accounts

Joint Director

Deputy Secretary

Deputy Economic

Advisor

Director

Deputy Secretary

Deputy

Secretary

Director

Technical

Advisor

Director

Deputy Secretary

Deputy Secretary

Director

Director

Budget and Finance -Gender

Budgeting

Plan & Research, Monitoring & Evaluation, Annual Report, Annual/

Five Year Plans, Monitoring Child Indicators, GDI, Child Development Indicators

General Co-ordination

Gender Budgeting, 27-beneficiary oriented schemes, Child

Marriage(Restraint) Act,

Matters relating to sex ratio, Balika

Samridhi Yojana

Juvenile Justice Act (Care & Protection of Children Act, 2000),

Probation of juvenile offenders,

street children

of Children Act, 2000)

Child Help Line, CARA,

Shishu Greh

Media

Food & Nutrition Board

WB-Assisted ICDS Projects(ICDS-III,

APER &ICDS-IV),

ICDS training, IT,NA,NIPCCD Admn

Pre-school Education, UNICEF(CDN),

CARE &WFP, ICDS General/SNP,

Finance,IMS Act, Wheat Based Nutrition,

Personnel Administration

CSWB Admn., STEP, Swambalan

Women Welfare, Women Development,

Stree-shakti Puraskar, UNDP Projects,

WWH, SSH

Swadhar, Swayamsiddha, IMY, MSY,

Swa-shakti, IFAD-Assisted Projects,

RMK Admn

Ch

art

No.

8.1

: O

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of

Min

istr

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f W

om

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nd

Ch

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Dev

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General Administration, Parliament

Unit/Hindi, Children Welfare Awards,

National/International Instruments,

National Plan of Action for Children,

Offences Against Children Bill

246

Section II

8.4: Department of Women and Child Development:

Different Programmes and Schemes

Different programmes and schemes of the Department of Women and

Child Development and total budgetary allocation to the Department from

1996-97 to 2006-07 are discussed below. Only Budget Estimates (BE) are

analysed. Expenditure can be broadly classified into Plan and Non-Plan. For the

purpose of the present study total expenditure is taken into account. This is for

the reason that data on Non-Plan expenditure is not available in respect of several

programmes/schemes.

8.4.1: Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS): The ICDS is a

comprehensive programme designed to ensure the holistic development of

children. It is one of the largest and unique childcare programmes in the World. It

is a multi-sectoral programme and involves several government departments and

their services. Their services are coordinated at the village, block, district, state

and central levels. The responsibility of implementation of ICDS scheme is

vested with the Department of Women and Child Development. It integrates

several aspects of early childhood development and provides supplementary

nutrition, immunisation, health check-ups and referral services to children below

six years of age as well as expecting and nursing mothers. The ICDS Scheme

was launched in 1975 as a centrally sponsored scheme in 33 blocks and used

Below Poverty Line (BPL) as criteria for delivery of services. In 2005 the ICDS

was expanded throughout the country, as per the Supreme Court order in 2004303

.

Objectives: The ICDS Scheme has the following objectives:

1. To improve the nutritional and health status of children below the age of

six years;

2. To lay the foundation for the proper psychological, physical and social

development of the child;

303

Centre for Development and Finance, Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Scheme

Brief, Institute for Financial Management and Research (IFMR), Chennai, 2009-10, p.1.

247

3. To reduce the incidence of mortality, morbidity, malnutrition and school

drop-outs;

4. To achieve effective coordination of policy and implementation among

various departments to promote child development.

Beneficiaries: The beneficiaries are children below 6 years; expectant and

lactating mothers; and women in the reproductive age group of 15 to 44 years.

Services: Toward achieving the above objectives, a holistic package of basic

services provided under the programme includes:

1) Supplementary nutrition; 2) Immunisation; 3) Health check-up; 4) Referral

services; 5) Treatment of minor illnesses; 6) Nutrition and health education to

women; 7) Pre-school education to children in the age-group of 3-6 years; and

8) Convergence of other supportive services like water supply, sanitation, etc.

Funding Pattern: ICDS is a centrally sponsored scheme implemented through

the state governments/ union territories. In 2005-06 it was decided to provide

assistance to states up to 50 percent of the financial norms or to support 50

percent expenditure incurred by them on supplementary nutrition, whichever is

less.

The scheme which was started in 1975-76 on experimental basis in 33

projects has been extended to 5614 centrally sponsored ICDS projects of which

4200 projects became operational304

. It was found that 3.81 million expectant

and nursing mothers and 21.0 million children under six years of age were

benefitted305

. According to Economic Survey 2000-01, around 26.5 million

pre-school children below 6 years and 5.6 million expectant and nursing mothers

were benefitted under this programme. Economic Survey 2003-04 throws light

on the fact that about 378.16 lakh beneficiaries consisting of 315.25 lakh children

304

Government of India, Ministry of Finance, Economic Survey 1998-99, Chapter on “Social

Sectors”. 305


Sectors”.

248

and 62.91 lakh expectant and lactating mothers have received benefits through

6.41 lakh Anganwadi centres.

Kishori Shakti Yojana was launched in 2000-01 as a part of ICDS for

adolescent girls in the age group of 11-18 years, which aims at promoting

awareness of health, hygiene, nutrition, childcare and training to improve

vocational skills. To bring more number of beneficiaries under the scheme, the

government in December 2007 has approved additional projects, 1,07,274

additional Anganwadis and 25,961 Mini Anganwadi centres.

Progress of the Scheme: ICDS was initiated in the year 1975 in 33 development

blocks of the country and later it was extended to the entire country in 2005. The

services are delivered through a network of over one million AWCs and reaches

more than 70 million children and 15 million pregnant and lactating mothers. The

third round of the National Family Health Survey(NHFS) conducted in 2005-06

found that only 80 percent of children in the 0-6 year age-range were in areas

covered by an AWC and that only 28 percent had received any service from an

AWC in the year preceding the survey. Only one in five expectant and lactating

mothers in the areas having an AWC received any services from an AWC.

According to NHFS 3 (2005-06), there has been a marginal decline in stunted306

and underweight children under 5 years of age, of 6 and 3 percentage points,

respectively. However, there was a 3 percent increase in wasted children307

.

During the same period children affected by severe anaemia increased by 25

percent. Despite the moderate decline in infant mortality rates over the three

national survey periods, the data reveals that more than one in 18 children die

within the first year of life and one in 13 children die before they reach the age of

306

Stunting: poor height for age; Stunting reflects failure to receive adequate nutrition over a long

period of time and is also affected by recurrent and chronic illness. Height-for-age, therefore,

represents the long-term effects of malnutrition in a population and does not vary according to

recent dietary intake. (Centre for Development and Finance, Integrated Child Development

Services (ICDS) Scheme Brief, Institute for Financial Management and Research (IFMR),

Chennai, 2009-10, pp.2-3). 307

Wasting: poor weight for height. (Centre for Development and Finance, Integrated Child

Development Services (ICDS) Scheme Brief, Institute for Financial Management and Research

(IFMR), Chennai, 2009-10, pp.2-3).

249

5, with the scheduled castes and scheduled tribes experiencing greater mortality

rates308

.

Table No.8.1 sheds light on budgetary provision for the Integrated Child

Development Services (ICDS) programme for the period 1996-2007.

Table No. 8.1: ICDS: Budgetary Provision

(Rupees in Crore)

Year Plan Non-Plan Total

1996-97 681.90 …. 681.90

1997-98 733.90 …. 733.90

1998-99 603.14 … 603.14

1999-00 855.76 … 855.76

2000-01 935.00 … 935.00

2001-02 1198.00 … 1198.00

2002-03 1442.24 … 1442.24

2003-04 1444.32 … 1444.32

2004-05 1623.44 … 1623.44

2005-06 3142.25 … 3142.25

2006-07 4007.76 … 4007.76

Source: Government of India, Ministry of Finance, Union Budgets from 1996-

97 to 2006-07, Expenditure Budget, Volume II, Notes on Demands for

Grants, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Department of

Women and Child Development.

A glance at the Table No.8.1 shows that between the period 1996-97 and

2006-07 the total budgetary allocation has continuously increased except in the

year 1998-99. During the year 1996-97, the total budgetary allocation was

Rs.681.90 crore which increased to Rs.733.90 crore in 1997-98 and declined to

Rs.603.14 crore in the year 1998-99. Further, it increased to Rs.855.76 crore and

to Rs.935.00 crore during the years 1999-00 and 2000-01 respectively. It can be

observed that in the year 2001-02, the total amount budgeted augmented to

Rs.1198.00 crore. The budgetary provision has again increased to Rs.1442.24

crore in 2002-03; to Rs.1444.32 crore in 2003-04; to Rs.1623.44 crore in

2004-05, to Rs.3142.25 crore in 2005-06 and to Rs.4007.76 crore in 2006-07

308

Centre for Development and Finance, Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Scheme

Brief, Institute for Financial Management and Research (IFMR), Chennai, 2009-10, pp.2-3.

250

respectively. The overall increase in terms of percentage between 1996-97 and

2006-07 was 487.73.

The information contained in the above Table No.8.1 is explained with

the help of following Graph Nos.8.2 and 8.3.

Graph No. 8.2: ICDS: Budgetary Provision

Graph No: 8.3: ICDS: Budgetary Provision

251

Evaluation of ICDS Programme: ICDS, being the world‟s largest programme

for the development of children has enabled the mothers to take proper care of

their children by providing them appropriate information and guidance. Several

aspects of ICDS are researched. Several evaluation studies on implementation of

ICDS scheme were conducted in the past, namely, Programme Evaluation

Organisation of the Planning Commission in 1982, National Evaluation of ICDS

scheme conducted by NIPCCD in 1992, Nationwide Evaluation of ICDS by

National Council of Applied Economic Research(NCAER), 1998-1999 and

“Three Decades of ICDS- An Appraisal” by NIPCCD in 2005-06. One of the

important study is “Concurrent Evaluation of Integrated Child Development

Services: National Report (Volume-I), 2001”309

, entrusted to National Council of

Applied Economic Research (NCAER) by MWCD, to carry out nationwide

evaluation of ICDS projects.

The NCAER study covered almost 90 percent of the country‟s population

in all the States and Union Territories. It covered households, Child Development

Project Officers (CDPO), Supervisors, AWWs (Anganwadi Worker) and

Community Leaders. Nearly 4000 projects, 60,000 AWCs, 4000 Mukhya Sevikas

and 1.80 lakh beneficiary households with children in the age group 0-1 year, 13

years and 3-6 years were selected. Some of the important findings are as under:

1. IMR of ICDS areas was lower than IMR of ICDS plus Non-ICDS

areas;

2. Nearly 50 percent AWCs in the country, except those in Tamil Nadu,

Kerala, Karnataka and Orissa were functioning from community

buildings. Of the sampled data, about 40 percent were functioning

from pucca buildings;

3. Nearly 50 percent AWCs in the country reported adequate space,

especially for cooking;

309

Gupta Devender B and Anil Gumber., “Concurrent Evaluation of Integrated Child

Development Services: National Report(Volume-I)”, 2001, in Research on ICDS: An Overview

(1996-2008), Volume 3, NIPCCD, New Delhi, 2009, pp.78-80.

252

4. Community leaders were generally positive about the functioning of

the AWCs (more than 80 percent in all states) while more than 70

percent found the programme to be beneficial to the community;

5. On an average, nearly 66 percent of the eligible children and 75

percent of the eligible women were registered at the AWCs. This

indicates lack of motivation on the part of the AWCs in identifying

and registering the entire eligible population;

6. Referral system was found to be quite weak in many states and needs

a review.

According to the main findings of NIPCCD survey conducted in 2005-06,

75 percent of AWCs were in pucca structure, 75.25 percent children (6-36

months) were availing ICDS services, 87 percent expecting and lactating mothers

were registered310

.

8.4.2: World Bank Assisted ICDS Projects: The World Bank expressed its

interest in funding the ICDS. It has provided assistance to raise the status of

nutrition in India, in general, since 1980 through six projects. The overall

investment is US$ 712.3 million in the project, India accounts for the largest

volume of Bank Group lending devoted specifically to nutrition programmes. The

World Bank supports ICDS in three overlapping phases311

:

Phase I: In this phase the Bank supported the Tamil Nadu Integrated Project

(TINP) as an alternative to the standard ICDS in the state of Tamil Nadu (TINP

I: 1980-89; TINP II: 1990-97). The first World Bank assisted Project covered 110

blocks in Andhra Pradesh and 191 blocks in Orissa in 1990-91. The project

covered tribal and socio-economically backward rural blocks in the two states.

The World Bank assisted to the tune of US$74 million.

310

National Institute of Public Cooperation and Child Development, NIPCCD Survey, accessed

on 14th

December 2009 (www.nipccd.nic.in). 311

Michele Gragnolati, Meera Shekar, Monica Das Gupta, Caryn Bredenkamp and Yi-Kyoung

Lee., “India‟s Undernourished Children:A Call for Reform and Action”, HNP Discussion Paper,

World Bank, 2005, pp.36-37.

253

Phase II: This phase provided assistance to the standard government ICDS

programmes, as well as some additional activities (ICDS I in Orissa and Andhra

Pradesh, 1991-1997, and ICDS II in Bihar and Madhya Pradesh, 1993-2000).

Phase II covered predominantly tribal and socio-economic backward areas

covering 210 blocks in Bihar and 244 blocks in Madhya Pradesh. The World

Bank provided US$ 194 million for the project.

Phase III: In this phase the primary emphasis has moved from expanding

coverage to improving quality of services (through an ICDS component in

Andhra Pradesh Economic Restructuring Programme (APERP), 1999-2004, and

the Woman and Child Development Project, 1999-2004). The World Bank

assisted ICDS-III Project was approved in March 1999 covering the states of

Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Kerala. It proposes to

strengthen and improve the quality of ICDS services and management in the 685

existing ICDS blocks and introduces ICDS in 318 new blocks. It covered tribal

blocks, rural disadvantaged blocks in these states. The World Bank credit of US

$300 million was available for the project.

World Bank assistance is being received for expansion of the ICDS

Programme since 1990-91312

. The WB-ICDS Project I (1991-97) covered 301

ICDS Projects in the states of Andhra Pradesh (110) and Orissa (191) while

WB-ICDS Project II (1997-2000) covered 454 projects in the states of Bihar

(210) and Madhya Pradesh (244). This project was extended up to 2002. The

WB-ICDS Project III (1998-2004) started in 1998-99 aims at covering 461

projects in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra,

Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. The World Bank assisted ICDS Programme in

Andhra Pradesh is implemented in 257 blocks as part of the total Programme in

APERP. The scheme was operational in 4384 blocks in 2000. At the end of

2001-02, 5171 blocks/urban areas were proposed to be covered which implied 90

percent coverage of blocks by the end of Ninth Plan.

312


Sectors”.

254

Present Status: The World Bank assisted ICDS-III project which was implemented in

October 1999, ended on 31st March 2006. However, the ICDS blocks continue to be

funded under ICDS (General) from 1st April 2006. Table No.8.2 manifests about the

budgetary provision for the World Bank Assisted ICDS Projects from 1996-97 to

2006-07.

Table No. 8.2: World Bank Assisted ICDS Projects

(Rupees in Crore)


1996-97 NA NA NA

1997-98 NA NA NA

1998-99 331.95 … 331.95

1999-00 231.00 … 231.00

2000-01 180.00 … 180.00

2001-02 220.0 … 220.00

2002-03 288.48 … 288.48

2003-04 600.00 … 600.00

2004-05 270.00 … 270.00

2005-06 135.00 … 135.00

2006-07 1.48 … 1.48

Source: Government of India, Ministry of Finance, Union Budgets from

1996-97 to 2006-07, Expenditure Budget, Volume II, Notes on Demands

for Grants, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Department of


For the year 1998-99 the total budgetary provision was Rs.331.95 crore

which declined to Rs.231 crore in 1999-00. The total budgetary allocation which

was Rs.180 crore in the year 2000-01, increased to Rs.220 crore in 2001-02. It

increased to Rs.288.48 crore in the fiscal year 2002-03. It can be observed that

the total amount allocated stepped up to Rs.600 crore in 2003-04 and declined to

Rs.270.00 crore, to Rs.135.00 crore and to Rs.1.48 crore during 2004-05,

2005-06 and 2006-07 respectively.

8.4.3: Training Component under ICDS: Imparting proper training is most

crucial in ICDS scheme as the achievement of targets chiefly depends upon the

effectiveness of training given to workers. The importance of training and

continuous capacity building of the field functionaries in ICDS is well recognised

as crucial for success of the programme. A comprehensive training programme

255

under ICDS is carried out through the National Institute of Public Cooperation

and Child Development, selected training institutions and the state governments.

World Bank assistance is available to undertake this project. In the Eleventh Five

Year Plan, the Government of India has laid emphasis on strengthening the

training component of ICDS programme to improve the service delivery

mechanism and accelerate better programme outcomes. The National Training

component of the World Bank assisted ICDS-III/WCD Project (1999-2006)

christened as „Project Udisha‟ (new dawn) was launched in the year 1999 initially

for five years. The project ended on March 31, 2006.

Objective: The vital objective of „Training Component under ICDS‟ is to

provide comprehensive „job‟ training to various ICDS functionaries.

Components: All ICDS functionaries have three main components313

, namely,

regular training (wherein basic job training is provided), other trainings (wherein

innovative-areas specific trainings are provided) and IEC (Information, Education

and Communication)314

, etc. The syllabus of training is revised as per the specific

needs of the state.

Progress of the Scheme: Over 3 lakh ICDS functionaries and 1.05 lakh

functionaries were given job training and refresher training respectively. A sum

of Rs.172.71 crore was released till October 2002 to various states315

. As on

March 2006 about 928,000 ICDS functionaries, out of which 366,000 AWWs

and another 759,000 persons have been imparted on-job and refresher training

under Udisha Project through a countrywide network of about 600 Anganwadi

Training Centres, 40 Middle level training centres and National Institute of

Public Cooperation and Child Development and its Regional Centres316

. The

following Table No.8.3 provides information on budgetary outlay related to

Training Programme under ICDS from 1996-97 to 2006-07.

313

Government of India, Department of Women and Child Development, Annual Report

2005-06 , Chapter 3, “Programmes for Children”, p.58. 314

National Institute of Public Cooperation and Child Development, Research on ICDS: An

Overview (1996-2008), Volume 3, New Delhi, 2009, p.302. 315


Sectors”. 316


Chapter 3, “Programmes for Children”, p.57.

256

Table No. 8.3: Expenditure on Training Programme

(Rupees in Crore)


1996-97 NA NA NA

1997-98 NA NA NA

1998-99 40.00 … 40.00

1999-00 60.00 … 60.00

2000-01 35.00 … 35.00

2001-02 40.00 … 40.00

2002-03 62.00 … 62.00

2003-04 76.50 … 76.50

2004-05 54.00 … 54.00

2005-06 38.00 … 38.00

2006-07 78.30 … 78.30





Table No.8.3 reveals that during the year 1998-99 the total outlay was

Rs.40.00 crore which increased to Rs.60.00 crore in 1999-00. The total budgetary

provision declined to Rs.35.00 crore in 2000-01. It increased to Rs.40 crore,

Rs.62 crore and Rs.76.50 crore during the years 2001-02, 2002-03 and 2003-04

respectively. The total allocated amount declined to Rs.54.00 crore in 2004-05

and to Rs.38.00 crore in 2005-06, which increased to Rs.78.30 crore in the year

2006-07. The percentage increase during the period 1996-2007 was 95.75.

8.4.4: Day Care Centres: The scheme is implemented through Central Social

Welfare Board with the help of voluntary organisations throughout the country.

The department proposes to expand child care services in the country to enable

more women to enter work force.

Objectives: The scheme envisaged the following objectives:

1. To provide day care services for children below 5 years belonging to

weaker sections of society, whose family income does not exceed

Rs.1800 per month.

257

2. To provide health care, supplementary nutrition, medical check-up and

immunisation, etc., to the children whose parents are away at work sites

or are unable to look after them because of sickness.

Beneficiaries: Children below five years age are entitled to avail benefits of this

scheme.

Progress: The total number of creches sanctioned under Day Care Centre scheme

and number of creches sanctioned under National Creches Fund were 17607 and

total number of beneficiaries including both schemes were 4,40,175317

.

Present Status: Upward revision of norms of existing Day Care Centres and

Creches was taken in 2006-07. The scheme was rechristened as Rajiv Gandhi

Creche Scheme for Working Mothers in the year 2006-07318

. According to

Economic Survey 2003-04, nearly 33.11 lakh children were benefitted under the

scheme till 2003-04.

Rajiv Gandhi Creche Scheme for Working Mothers: It was launched with

effect from 1st January, 2006 which is implemented through Central Social

Welfare Board and two national level voluntary organisations, namely Indian

Council for Child Welfare and Bhartiya Adim Jati Sevak Sangh319

. The main

objective of the scheme of creches is to promote a healthy all round development

of children of the working/ailing mothers particularly those employed in the

unorganised sector and belonging to the BPL category.

Beneficiaries: The eligibility criteria for availing the services under the new

scheme are:

1. Under this scheme creche facilities are provided to children, for the age group

0-6 years, for the children of working women, provided the monthly income of

both parents does not exceed Rs.12000/-.

317


2005-06, Chapter 3, “Programmes for Children”, p.59 and Annexure- XVII, p.208. 318

Government of India, Ministry of Finance, Union Budget 2006-07, Expenditure Budget,

Volume II, Notes on Demands for Grants, p.135. 319

Government of India, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, India 2009, A Reference

Annual, Fifty Third Edition, New Delhi, 2009, p.1000.

258

2. It provides assistance to ensure sleeping facilities, health care, supplementary

nutrition, immunisation, emergency medicines, etc., for running a creche for 25

babies for eight hours, that is, from 9.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m.

Components: The components of this scheme are Creche Worker‟s Training,

Monitoring of the Creches and Providing Grant to Creches.

Creche Worker’s Training: The scheme provides short term training to every

creche worker. The training module is made available through NIPCCD and is

implemented through training agencies that will be identified with the help of

state governments.

Progress of the Scheme: During the year 2006-07, about 30902 creches were

sanctioned including 5137 creches sanctioned under National Creche Fund

benefitting 7,72,550 children320

. At the end of 31st March 2008, 31737 creches

were sanctioned benefitting 7,93,425 children321

. Table No.8.4 contains statistical

information on budgetary provision pertaining to Day Care Centres from 1996-97

to 2006-07.

320


Chapter 3, “Programmes for Children”, p.59 and Annexure XXI, p.197. 321


Chapter 3, “Programmes for Children”, p.59 and Annexure XIX, p.233.

259

Table No. 8.4: Day Care Centres *

(Rupees in Crore)


1996-97 7.50 15.55 23.05

1997-98 7.50 15.55 23.05

1998-99 7.50 15.55 23.05

1999-00 5.00 15.50 20.50

2000-01 4.50 14.00 18.50

2001-02 7.45 14.50 21.95

2002-03 10.80 15.00 25.80

2003-04 18.00 14.50 32.50

2004-05 27.00 14.00 41.00

2005-06 28.50 13.00 41.50

2006-07 81.00 13.00 94.00





*Upward revision of norms of existing creches and Day Care Centres was

undertaken in 2005-06. The name of the scheme was changed to

Rajiv Gandhi Creche Scheme for the Children of Working

Mothers. From the year 2006-07, Day Care Centres is rechristened

as Rajiv Gandhi Creche Scheme.

It can be observed from the Table No.8.4 that a total provision of

Rs.23.05 crore was made in 1996-97, 1997-98 and 1998-99. In the next year

1999-00 it declined to Rs.20.50 crore and again the budgetary provision was

reduced to Rs.18.50 crore in 2000-01. Table No.8.4 reveals that, from 2001-02 to

2006-07, the total outlay continuously increased. For example, it was Rs.21.95

crore in 2001-02 which increased to Rs.25.80 crore in 2002-03 and to Rs.32.50

crore in 2003-04. The total allocated amount was Rs.41.00 crore in 2004-05 and

it marginally increased to Rs.41.50 crore in 2005-06. During the fiscal year

2006-07 the total outlay jumped to Rs.94 crore from Rs.41.50 crore in 2005-06.

Between 1996-97 and 2006-07, the overall increase in terms of percentage was

307.80. The data contained in the above Table No.8.4 is explained with the help

of Graph No.8.4 and Graph No.8.5.

260

Graph No. 8.4: Day Care Centres

Graph No. 8.5: Day Care Centres

Evaluation Study on Day Care Centres: The evaluation study on Day Care

Centres entitled “An Evaluation Study of Creches Run under National Creche

261

Fund” was conducted by NIPCCD322

. This study was conducted to evaluate the

availability of infrastructural facilities, suitability of timings with respect to

working hours of mothers, reason for drop-outs, level of job satisfaction among

staff, to evaluate organisational capacity of NGOs/VOs, to find difficulties faced

in implementing schemes and to suggest ways and means for improving

implementation and widening coverage. A sample of 57 centres from general

category was selected from Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Orissa and Andhra

Pradesh; and 7 centres of anganwadi-cum-creches were selected from Andhra

Pradesh and Orissa. It was found that 93 percent centres had one worker and one

helper, 85 percent workers were untrained. Majority of the workers reported job

dissatisfaction due to low honorarium (94%), lack of training in managing

children (44%), heavy workload and lack of support and appreciation for work

done (60%). Less than 50 percent centres conducted outdoor and indoor activities

for the children. Health checkup facility was not available in 42 percent general

category centres. Provision of supplementary nutrition was seen as an important

incentive for mothers to enroll their children in the centre.

8.4.5: Government of India- UNICEF Cooperation: UNICEF projects are

being implemented in India through Master Plan of Operations (MPO), which is

an agreement prepared after mutual consultation and consensus within the

framework of Basic Agreement signed between India and UNICEF in 1978. India

has the largest Country Programme of UNICEF in the world. These programmes

are being implemented through various Ministries and Departments dealing with

children like, Ministry of Women and Child Development, Ministry of Health

and Family Welfare, etc323

. The programme contributes toward:

1. Reduction in infant and maternal mortality;

2. Improvements in levels of child nutrition;

3. Ensuring universal elementary education;

322

This study was conducted by NIPCCD, New Delhi, 2004 (Research Abstracts on Human

Development, 1998-2009, Documentation Centre for Women and Children, NIPCCD, New Delhi,

2010, pp.15-16). 323


Chapter 3, “Programmes for Children”, p.60.

262

4. Enhancing child protection; and

5. Protecting children and adolescents from HIV.

India is annually contributing an amount of Rs.3.80 crore to UNICEF324

.

The Table No.8.5 has information related to „Contribution to UNICEF‟ from GOI

from 1996-97 to 2006-07.

Table No. 8.5: Contribution of GOI to UNICEF

(Rupees in Crore)


1996-97 …… 3.10 3.10

1997-98 …… 3.10 3.10

1998-99 …… 3.10 3.10

1999-00 …… 3.10 3.10

2000-01 ……. 3.60 3.60

2001-02 …… 4.00 4.00

2002-03 …… 3.89 3.89

2003-04 …… 3.10 3.10

2004-05 …… 3.10 3.10

2005-06 …… 3.10 3.10

2006-07 …… 3.80 3.80





A perusal at the Table No.8.5 reveals that total outlay varied between

Rs.3.10 crore and Rs.3.80 crore. The budgetary provision was Rs.3.10 crore

between the period 1996-97 and 1999-2000. It increased to Rs.3.60 crore in

2000-01 and to Rs.4.00 crore in 2001-02. During the year 2002-03 it declined to

Rs.3.89 crore and further to Rs.3.10 crore in 2003-04. For the next two years

2004-05 and 2005-06 the total amount of money remained same, that is, Rs.3.10

crore. It again increased to Rs.3.80 crore in the year 2006-07. The percentage

increase between the period 1996 and 2007 is 22.58.

8.4.6: National Institute of Public Cooperation and Child Development

(NIPCCD): It is an autonomous organisation under the aegis of the Department

324

ibid.

263

of Women and Child Development. Its headquarters are in New Delhi. It is the

apex institute for training of functionaries of ICDS325

.

Objectives: The institute aims to concentrate on the following objectives:326

1. To develop and promote voluntary action in social development;

2. To take a comprehensive view of women and child development;

3. To develop and promote programmes in pursuance of the National Policy

for Children;

4. To develop measures for coordination of governmental and voluntary

action in social development; and

5. To evolve a framework and perspective for organising children‟s

programmes through governmental and voluntary efforts.

The vision of the institute is to become regional centre of excellence and

knowledge in the fields of Women Rights and Child Development.

Programmes and Activities of the Institute: The Institute conducts training

programmes under three broad categories, namely, 1) Regular training

programmes, 2) Training of ICDS functionaries and 3) Training programmes

under other projects, in the areas of Public Cooperation, Child Development and

related issues.

In the year 2000-01, the Institute organised 89 programmes against the

target of 65 programmes and these programmes were attended by 3556

participants against a target of 1950327

. Several new initiatives are taken by

NIPCCD. Some of them are: 1) Child rights, policies and legislation; 2) Early

childhood care and development; 3) Gender sensitisation of national machinery;

4) Teleconference between Parliamentarians and women at grassroots; 5) Gender

budgeting and gender indicators; 6) Women and Media; 7) Implementation of

325

Government of India, National Institute of Public Cooperation and Child Development,

“About Us”, accessed on 6th

October 2010 (www.nipccd.nic.in). 326

ibid. 327


2001-02, Chapter 13, “National Institute of Public Cooperation and Child Development”, p.3.

264

National Policy for the Empowerment of Women; 8) Gender analysis of state

budgets; 9) Role of voluntary organisations in development, etc.

There are six divisions through which NIPCCD carries out its

functions328

, namely, Public Cooperation; Child Development; Women‟s

Development; Monitoring and Evaluation; and Common Services. These

Divisions are further grouped under two Departments, namely, the Department

of Mother and Child Development and the Department of Training and Common

Services.

Progress of the Scheme: In the year 2001-02, the Institute organised 83

programmes against the target of 45 programmes. These programmes were

attended by 4,641 participants against a target of 1,125. During the year 2002-03,

the Institute organised 79 programmes up to December 2002 against the target of

35 programmes, 6,669 participants attended these programmes against the target

of 875 participants329

. In the year 2003-04, the Institute organised 95

programmes against the target of 35 programmes, 4,802 participants attended

these programmes against the target of 875 participants330

. During 2004-05, the

Institute organised 87 programmes against the target of 60 programmes. The

number of participants were 3,217 against the target of 1,500331

. The Institute

organised 87 programmes against the target of 60 programmes in the year

2005-06 and was attended by 2,971 participants against the target of 1,500

participants332

. During 2006-07, it organised 99 programmes against the annual

target of 60 programmes. About 2,963 participants attended these programmes

against the target of 1,500 participants333

.

328


2001-02, Chapter 13, “National Institute of Public Cooperation and Child Development”, p.2. 329

Government of India, Department of Women and Child Development, Annual Report 2002-03,

Chapter 12, “National Institute of Public Cooperation and Child Development”, pp.156-157. 330








Chapter 8, “National Institute of Public Cooperation and Child Development”, p.133.

265

The Institute is continuously strengthening its research base on issues

related to women and child development. It collaborates with regional, national

and international agencies, universities, research institutions and technical bodies

for the said purpose.

Table No.8.6 contains outlay figures of National Institute of Public

Cooperation and Child Development for the decade 1996-97 - 2006-07.

Table No. 8.6: Budgetary Provision of NIPCCD

(Rupees in Crore)


1996-97 3.00 2.96 5.96

1997-98 3.00 3.00 6.00

1998-99 2.60 3.00 5.60

1999-00 3.50 5.20 8.70

2000-01 1.50 5.30 6.80

2001-02 2.50 5.90 8.40

2002-03 5.50 6.00 11.50

2003-04 4.50 6.20 10.70

2004-05 5.25 6.50 11.75

2005-06 4.35 7.00 11.35

2006-07 4.50 7.30 11.80

Source: Government of India, Ministry of Finance, Union Budgets from 1996-97

to 2006-07, Expenditure Budget, Volume II, Notes on Demands for



The total outlay was Rs.5.96 crore in 1996-97. It increased to Rs.6.00

crore in 1997-98. In the next year, the budgetary provision slightly declined to

Rs.5.60 crore and increased to Rs.8.70 crore in 1999-00. Table No.8.6 shows

that the total amount allocated declined to Rs.6.80 crore in 2000-01, but it

increased to Rs.11.50 crore in 2002-03. It, however, decreased to Rs.10.70 crore

in 2003-04. For the next three years it was around Rs. 11.00 crore. It is observed

from Table No.8.6 that the overall increase in terms of percentage is 97.98.

8.4.7: Other Schemes: These include provision of Balsevika and Creches

Worker‟s Training Programme, handling and clearance of duty-free aid for child

266

nutrition, assistance to voluntary organisations for miscellaneous activities. It also

includes provision for National Children‟s Board, National Awards for Child

Welfare, Universal Children‟s Day, Indo-Foreign Exchange Programme, UN

Contribution, National Fund for Child Care Services, Research Publications and

assistance to voluntary organisations for providing Social Defence, Mass

Education and Information and National Commission for Children. Details

pertaining to budgetary provisions to „Other Schemes‟ can be had from Table

No.8.7.

Table No. 8.7: Other Schemes

(Rupees in Crore)


1996-97 2.36 0.25 2.61

1997-98 3.29 0.29 3.58

1998-99 3.35 0.29 3.64

1999-00 3.12 0.28 3.40

2000-01 2.92 0.29 3.21

2001-02 7.23 0.31 7.54

2002-03 11.70 0.49 12.19

2003-04 8.20 0.49 8.69

2004-05 14.10 0.51 14.61

2005-06 13.55 0.57 14.12

2006-07 18.12 0.53 18.65





In the year 1996-97 the total budgetary allocation was Rs.2.61 crore. It

increased to Rs.3.58 crore in 1997-98 and to Rs.3.64 crore in 1998-99. It can be

observed that the total outlay has slightly declined to Rs.3.40 crore and to Rs.3.21

crore in the years 1999-00 and 2000-01 respectively. The total budgetary

allocation increased to Rs.7.54 crore in 2001-02 and further it increased to

Rs.12.19 crore in 2002-03. It declined to Rs.8.69 crore in 2003-04 and thereafter,

it increased to Rs.14.61 crore in 2004-05. For the year 2005-06, the budgetary

provision was Rs.14.12 crore and in 2006-07, it was Rs.18.65 crore. In terms of

percent, the increase during 1996-97 - 2006-07 was 614.55.

267

8.4.8: Condensed Courses of Education for Women: The scheme of

Condensed Courses of Education for Women is implemented through Central

Social Welfare Board334

. It was initiated in 1958 to cater to the needs of adult

girls and women who could not join the mainstream education system or were

school dropouts or failed candidates. It endeavours women to complete their

schooling and upgrade their skills to meet the demands of changing work

environment. The scheme is being implemented through voluntary organisations

and educational institutions having proper infrastructure and experience in the

field of women/social development and education across the country. Skill

training and up-gradation of skills is an integral part of the scheme. The scheme

can also be run in aftercare homes and custodial institutions for women.

Objectives: The scheme of Condensed Courses of Education for Women is

initiated with the following objectives:

1. The scheme aims to provide educational opportunities to girls/women

above the age of 15 years along with relevant skills and vocational

training.

2. This scheme aims to increase confidence among adult women through

education, making them able citizens.

3. It aims to enable women to complete their education, acquire training and

later on employment.

Beneficiaries: The beneficiaries under this scheme constitute girls and women

above 15+ years age group. It provides education to women who are young

widows, deserted women and women belonging to economically backward

classes.

Components: The main focus of the scheme is to ensure that contents of the

course are need-based and modified according to local requirements,

simultaneously targeting various stages of educational levels of

primary/middle/high school and secondary level courses. 334

Government of India, Central Social Welfare Board, accessed on 12th

January 2009.

(www.cswb.gov.in).

268

Progress of the Scheme: In the year 2000-01, 794 courses were sanctioned and

an expenditure of Rs.741.01 lakh was incurred benefitting 20,025 women. For the

year 2001-02, 119 courses were sanctioned. During the first three quarters of

2002-03, 89 courses were sanctioned at a total cost of Rs.88.92 lakh benefitting

2,225 women candidates335

. In the year 2003-04, Rs.400 lakh was released, 392

courses were sanctioned benefitting 10,100 women and in 2004-05, 336 courses

were sanctioned and an amount of Rs.263.60 lakh was released and has

benefitted 8,400 women candidates336

. During the year 2005-06, 700 courses

were sanctioned benefitting 17,500 women and an amount of Rs.599.99 lakh was

released and in the year 2006-07, 700 courses were sanctioned which benefitted

17,450 women and an amount of Rs.600.00 lakh was released during this year337

.

Table No.8.8 enables us to understand the progress of the scheme Condensed

Courses for Women Education between 2000-01 and 2006-07.

Table No. 8.8: Progress of the Scheme:

Condensed Courses of Education for Women

Year No. of Courses No. of

Beneficiaries

Amount:

Rs. In Lakh

2000-01 794 20025 741.01

2001-02 119 NA 500.00

2002-03 89 2225 88.92

2003-04 392 10100 400.00

2004-05 336 8400 263.60

2005-06 700 17500 599.99

2006-07 700 17450 600.00

Source: Government of India, Ministry of Women and Child Development, Annual

Reports from 2000-01 to 2006-07.

The data contained in Table No.8.8 is depicted in the Graph No.8.6.

335


2002-03, Chapter 13, “Central Social Welfare Board”, p.169. 336

Government of India, Department of Women and Child Development, Annual Reports

2003-04 and 2004-05, Chapters on CSWB, p.53 and pp.163-164. 337


Annexure –XXXIX, p.146. And also Annual Report 2007-08, Annexure-XXXII, p.267.

269

Graph No. 8.6: Progress of the Scheme:

Condensed Courses of Education for Women

The following Table No.8.9 throws light on budgetary allocation related

to the scheme Condensed Courses of Education for Women during 1996-97 to

2006-07.

270

Table No. 8.9: Condensed Courses of Education for Women

(Rupees in Crore)


1996-97 9.00 … 9.00

1997-98 9.00 … 9.00

1998-99 9.00 … 9.00

1999-00 9.00 … 9.00

2000-01 1.50 … 1.50

2001-02 2.00 … 2.00

2002-03 1.80 … 1.80

2003-04 3.60 … 3.60

2004-05 5.25 … 5.25

2005-06 5.40 … 5.40

2006-07 5.40 … 5.40





It is clear from the Table No.8.9 that between the period 1996-97 and

1999-2000, the total budgetary allocation has remained same that is, it was

Rs.9.00 crore. The total outlay declined to Rs.1.50 crore in 2000-01 and it

slightly increased to Rs.2.00 crore in 2001-02 and further it declined to Rs.1.80

crore in 2002-03. No such specific information is available explaining reasons for

a steep decline from Rs.9.00 crore in 1999-00 to Rs.1.50 crore in 2000-01.

During the year 2003-04 the total budgeted amount increased to Rs.3.60 crore

and further to Rs.5.25 crore in 2004-05. For the next two fiscal years 2005-06 and

2006-07, the total budgetary allocation has remained same, that is, Rs.5.40 crore.

It can be observed that the change in budgetary provision between 1996-97 and

2006-07 in terms of percentage is -40.

Evaluation Study on Condensed Courses of Education for Women: A

National Working Group on Condensed Course of Education for Women and

Vocational Training was constituted during September 2004. The Chairman of

this Committee was Anil Bordia, Former Secretary, Education, Government of

India, for revamping/evaluation of the condensed course scheme. The Working

Group conducted an in depth study of the scheme and recommended continuation

271

of the scheme modifying objective and framework. The report is under

consideration of the Ministry of Women and Child Development338

.

8.4.9: Hostels for Working Women: The scheme of assistance for construction

or expansion of hostel buildings for working women with day care facilities for

children is being implemented since 1972-73. Under this scheme assistance is

provided to voluntary organisations, NGO‟s, cooperative bodies and other

agencies engaged in the field of women‟s welfare, women‟s education, public

sector undertakings, women‟s development corporations, local bodies,

universities, state governments, etc., for the construction of Working Women‟s

Hostels to provide suitable and economical accommodation to working women

and for the purchase of ready-built hostels for the purpose.

Objectives: The scheme is aimed at the following objectives:

1. It envisages provision of safe and affordable accommodation to working

women (single working women, widows, divorcees, separated women,

etc.).

2. It aims to provide safe accommodation for women being trained for

employment and girl students studying in post-school professional

courses.

Beneficiaries: The target beneficiaries are single working women, widows,

divorcee, separated women and girl students who are engaged in post-school

professional courses. The trainees are given permission to stay in the hostel for a

period upto one year and girl students for a period upto five years, but with the

condition that first preference would be given to working women. It is also

stipulated in the scheme guidelines that the category of women who are being

trained for employment and girl students should not exceed 30 percent of the total

338


Chapter 9, “Central Social Welfare Board”, p.147.

272

number of women in a hostel339

. This scheme has made provision of 15 percent

seats for SC women and 7.5 percent seats for ST women340

.

Progress of the Scheme: The scheme Hostels for Working Women promotes

greater mobility for women in the employment market through provision of

cheap and safe accommodation for women in lower income groups. From 1973 to

February 2002, 873 hostels were sanctioned to provide accommodation to 60,865

working women341

. During 2003-04, thirteen new hostels were sanctioned and an

amount of Rs.5.16 crore was sanctioned benefitting 1,188 women342

. The Annual

Report 2004-05 provides information that an amount of Rs.4.82 crore was

sanctioned and 6 new hostels were approved in principle benefitting 644 women

and 30 children343

. Under this scheme 5 new proposals with a total approved cost

of Rs.2,71,32,186/- and total capacity of 343 women were approved in 2005-

06344

. As on 31-01-2008, two new hostels, with a capacity to accommodate 208

women, were constructed and total amount of Rs.1.32 crore was released.

Present Status: As more and more women are entering in the labour market,

there is more demand for hostels. Therefore, The Parliamentary Committee on

Empowerment of Women examined the subject “Hostel Accommodation of

Working Women” during 2005-06345

. The scheme is revamped taking into

account the suggestions that are made by the Committee346

. The Table No.8.10

contains data related to the scheme of Hostels for Working Women for the period

1996-2007.

339


Annual, Fifty Third Edition, New Delhi, 2009. 340


Chapter 4, “Other Programmes”, p.81. 341


Sectors”. 342


2003-04, Chapter 2, “Programmes for Women”, p.14. 343






Chapter 2, “Programmes for Women”, p.28. 346

Evaluation of Working Women‟s Hostel Sanctioned under the scheme of Assistance for the

Construction/Expansion of Hostel Building for Working Women with a Day Care Centre for

Children, accessed on 14th

October 2010(www.wcd.nic.in/schemes/).

273

Table No. 8.10: Hostels for Working Women

(Rupees in Crore)


1996-97 7.75 ... 7.75

1997-98 7.75 … 7.75

1998-99 7.73 … 7.73

1999-00 7.75 … 7.75

2000-01 7.02 … 7.02

2001-02 9.00 … 9.00

2002-03 13.50 … 13.50

2003-04 9.00 … 9.00

2004-05 9.00 … 9.00

2005-06 6.00 … 6.00

2006-07 4.50 … 4.50





The total allocation during the year 1996-97 and 1997-98 was Rs.7.75

crore. The total outlay marginally declined to Rs.7.73 crore during 1998-99 but it

increased to Rs.7.75 crore during 1999-2000. In the next year 2000-01, it slightly

declined to Rs.7.02 crore and increased to Rs.9.00 crore in 2001-02 and further to

Rs.13.50 crore in 2002-03. The budgetary allocation declined to Rs.9.00 crore in

2003-04 and remained same for the next fiscal year 2004-05. It declined to

Rs.6.00 crore in 2005-06 and again to Rs.4.50 crore in 2006-07. The percentage

change during 1996-2007 is -41.93. The following Graph Nos.8.7 and 8.8 explain

the data contained in the above Table No.8.10.

274

Graph No. 8.7: Hostels for Working Women

Graph No. 8.8: Hostels for Working Women

Evaluation on Hostels for Working Women: The Research Project entitled

“Evaluation of Working Women‟s Hostels in the states of Andhra Pradesh,

Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra” studied the functioning of the

Working Women‟s Hostel (WWH) in order to evaluate their performance347

. In

respect of working women, 2,510 working women were selected under the

347

Walokar D.M., Evaluation of Working Women’s Hostels in the States of Andhra Pradesh,

Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, Tirpude College of Social Work, Nagpur,

2001-2002.

275

sampling frame. It constituted 810 working women out of 121 Working Women

Hostels in Maharashtra, 680 working women out of 42 Working Women Hostels

in Andhra Pradesh, 450 working women out of 65 Working Women Hostels in

Madhya Pradesh and 570 working women out of 26 Working Women Hostels in

Gujarat who were selected for interview for the research work.

It was observed that sufficient area of land was made available by the

hostel management for the hostel and on an average the total built up area of

Hostel was 1912.50 Square Meters in all four states covered by the study. It was

found that in a large majority (more than 90 percent) of cases „clean drinking

water‟, „bathroom and toilets‟, „kitchen‟ and „office room‟ facilities were

available in the hostel. In more than 80 percent cases „visitors room‟, „mess‟,

„dining room‟, „store room‟, „guest room‟, „common room‟ and „warden

quarters‟, facilities were available. In more than 50 percent cases the „common

lounge‟ and „play ground‟ facilities were available. In about 72 percent of the

cases day care centre facility was not available, in about 50 percent cases „play

ground‟ facilities and in about 40 percent cases „common lounge‟ facilities was

not available in WWHs. In more than 10 percent of the hostels „warden‟s

quarter‟, „common room‟, „guest room‟, „dining room‟, „store room‟, „mess‟,

„visitors room‟, facilities were not available in the hostels. Regarding medical

facility, the hostel managements stated that there is a provision of visiting doctor,

and further referral services are provided through government and private

hospitals. In majority (71%) of the hostels do not have Day Care Centre facility

for the children of working women.

8.4.10: Support to Training and Employment Programme (STEP): This

scheme was launched as a central sector scheme in 1987. The scheme endeavours

to make a significant impact on women in traditional sectors by upgrading their

skills and providing employment to such women on a project basis by mobilizing

women in viable groups, improving skills, arranging for productive assets,

creating backward and forward linkages, providing access to credit, etc. The

STEP advocates an integrated package of inputs aiming at the integrated

development of poor women in traditional sectors. The scheme is being

implemented through Public Sector Organisations, State Corporations, District

276

Rural Development Agency (DRDAs), Cooperatives, Federations and registered

voluntary organisations which have been in existence for a minimum period of

three years. The scheme covers traditional sectors of employment such as

agriculture, animal husbandry, dairying, fisheries, handlooms, handicrafts, khadi

and village industries and sericulture. The project costs are shared by government

and implementing agencies, that is, under this scheme 90 percent costs are borne

by the Union Government and 10 percent by the implementing agencies348

.

Objectives: The following are the main objectives of STEP:

1. To provide training for skill upgradation.

2. To mobilise women in small viable groups and making facilities available

through training and access to credit.

3. To provide support services for further improving training and

employment conditions of women.

4. To provide for training not only for skill up-gradation which enables

women to earn better, but also for managerial, entrepreneurial and

marketing skills which enable them to establish newer units with better

linkages, both forward and backward349

.

Services: The scheme aims at providing an integrated package of the following

services for women to enable them economically more viable, independent and

raise their socio-economic status. The different services are:

1. Up-gradation of skills through training.

2. Better and sustainable employment opportunities.

3. Facilitation of organisation of women.

4. Support services with the coverage of Health Checkups, Referral services,

Mobile Creches‟ and Education facilities.

348




2003-04, Chapter 2, “Programmes for Women”, p.11.

277

Beneficiaries: These include marginalised, assetless, rural women and urban

poor with special focus on SC/ST households, women headed households and

BPL families.

Impact: It has made a significant impact on women in traditional sectors by

upgrading skills and providing employment on project basis by mobilizing them

into viable groups, arranging for marketing linkages, support services and access

to credit.

Progress of the Scheme: According to Economic Survey 1997-98, STEP has

benefitted to about 2.58 lakh women by January 1997. A budget provision of

Rs.16 crore was made for STEP in 1997-98(RE). During the year 2001-02, 29

projects were sanctioned to benefit 87,140 women and an amount of Rs.18.57

crore was sanctioned350

. Since the inception of STEP in 1987, it has implemented

134 projects, benefitting more than 6 lakh women in the country. Of the total

projects implemented about 60 percent were in dairy sector. Around 10,000

women‟s dairy cooperatives were organised in the country. Thirty one new

projects were sanctioned in the year 2001-02, at total cost of Rs.15.56 crore to

benefit 6,600 women in three states351

. In 2003-04 eleven projects were

sanctioned, estimated to benefit 16,350 women and the total amount sanctioned

was Rs.202 crore. During the year 2004-05, 9 projects were sanctioned to benefit

15,900 women352

. In the consequent year 2005-06, 8 projects were sanctioned to

benefit 34,575 women and an amount of Rs.1717.919 lakh was released. In the

year 2006-07, an amount of Rs.1101.497 lakh was released for the 12 new

projects sanctioned benefitting 15,695 women353

.

Table No.8.11 contains data of budgetary outlay pertaining to Support to

Training and Employment Programme between 1996 and 2007.

350




Sectors”. 352




Chapter 2, “Programmes for Women”, p.24.

278

Table No. 8.11: Support to Training and Employment Programme

(Rupees in Crore)


1996-97 16.00 … 16.00

1997-98 16.00 … 16.00

1998-99 16.00 … 16.00

1999-00 15.00 … 15.00

2000-01 13.00 … 13.00

2001-02 18.00 … 18.00

2002-03 23.00 … 23.00

2003-04 22.50 … 22.50

2004-05 22.50 … 22.50

2005-06 13.50 … 13.50

2006-07 13.50 … 13.50





An allotment of Rs.16.00 crore was provided for the following years

1996-97, 1997-98 and 1998-99. The total budgetary provision, however,

decreased to Rs.15.00 crore in 1999-00 and further to Rs.13.00 crore in 2000-01.

It increased to Rs.18.00 crore in 2001-02. For the year 2002-03, Rs.23.00 crore

was allocated which declined to Rs.22.50 crore in 2003-04 and remained same

for the next year 2004-05. It is clear from the Table No.8.11 that the budgetary

allocation was Rs.13.50 crore for the next two fiscal years 2005-06 and 2006-07.

It can be noted that the percentage change during 1996-2007 was -15.62. The

following Graphs 8.9 and 8.10 depict the data contained in Table No.8.11.

279

Graph No. 8.9: Support to Training and Employment Programme

Graph No. 8.10: Support to Training and Employment Programme

280

Evaluation Study on STEP: A study entitled “Pilot Study on Impact Evaluation

of STEP in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra and Orissa was

carried out in 2004”354

. This study focused on understanding the incremental

incomes of the beneficiaries, sustainability of activities during post programme

phase, entrepreneurial competencies of the beneficiaries, control units,

implementing agencies, trainers, support providers and end users. In all, 4789

beneficiaries and 753 control units, spread over 380 villages across 81 districts in

the five states were conducted. The results revealed that 27 projects were

approved under STEP with an aggregate outlay of Rs.890.1 million, and project

inputs aimed at developing vocational skills of the beneficiaries.

It was observed that 66.8 percent beneficiaries were either landless or

owned not more than two acres of agricultural land. Dairying was the single

largest income generating activity pursued by beneficiaries. Selection of the

income generating activities was based predominantly on the implementing

agencies‟ experience and convenience. Infrastructure available for training was

rated „very good‟. The trainer base for vocational skill development of all

implementing agencies was regarded „good‟. Training inputs in terms of coverage

and quality varied widely between implementing agencies.

STEP made a definite impact on the socio-economic empowerment of

poor women in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra and Orissa. The

vocational base skills of the beneficiaries across the activities improved

considerably. Women‟s Development Cooperatives contribute close to 30 percent

of the milk procurement by implementing agencies in Andhra Pradesh,

Karnataka, Maharashtra and Orissa. The programme sustained the livelihoods of

0.169 million poor women in rural areas. Incremental incomes upto Rs.1,000 per

month was earned by 76.9 percent assisted beneficiaries. Lifestyles of the

beneficiaries improved, 38.4 percent beneficiaries felt that the programme has

had a positive impact on their children‟s education and 42.6 percent of the

beneficiaries felt that the programme had made them health conscious. The study

354

This study was conducted by Andhra Pradesh Industrial and Technical Consultancy

Organisation, Hyderabad, 2004. It was commissioned by DWCD (Research Abstracts on

Women‟s Empowerment, 1998-2008, Documentation Centre for Women and Children, New

Delhi, 2009, pp.58-59).

281

recommended that implementing agencies should be exposed to the techniques of

systematic selection of income generating activities.

8.4.11: Mahila Samridhi Yojana (MSY): Mahila Samridhi Yojana was started

on October 2, 1993. It is a central sector plan scheme implemented through the

network of post offices in rural areas. It is one of the innovative schemes for the

economic betterment of women.

Objectives: The scheme aims:

1. To provide economic security to the rural women; and

2. To promote and encourage, the saving habit among rural women and to

empower them to control over their household assets.

It covers wide base of 70 percent of total women population living in

villages. The scheme encourages rural women by providing direct cash incentives

to supplement their individual savings. Under this plan, every rural adult woman

can open their saving account in the rural post office of their own area with a

minimum of Rs.4/- or its multiplier. For an amount of up to Rs.300/- in a year

with a one year lock-in-period, government contributes 25 percent.

Present Status: A total of about 200 lakh MSY accounts were opened and total

deposits were over Rs.200 crore355

. The scheme is now merged with Indira

Mahila Yojana. Indira Mahila Yojana is retitled as Swayamsiddha in 2001356

.

Table No.8.12 sheds light on budgetary provision to Mahila Samriddhi

Yojana from 1996-97 to 2006-07.

355


Sectors”. 356


Sectors”.

282

Table No. 8.12: Mahila Samriddhi Yojana*

(Rupees in Crore)


1996-97 60.00 … 60.00

1997-98 40.00 … 40.00

1998-99 40.00 … 40.00

1999-00 2.04 … 2.04

2000-01 15.00 … 15.00

2001-02 8.00 … 8.00

2002-03 … … …

2003-04 NA NA NA

2004-05 NA NA NA

2005-06 NA NA NA

2006-07 NA NA NA





*The Scheme Mahila Samridhi Yojana has been discontinued,

hence no budget provision is made in 2002-03.

During the year 1996-97, an amount of Rs.60.00 crore was sanctioned as

total budgetary allocation. In 1997-98 and 1998-99, the provision for total

budgetary outlay declined to Rs.40.00 crore. It further declined to Rs.2.04 crore

in 1999-00 and increased to Rs.15.00 crore in 2000-01 and declined to Rs.8.00

crore in 2001-02. The scheme was discontinued, therefore, no budgetary

provision was proposed during 2002-03 and thereafter357

. It can be noticed that

the overall change in terms of percentage from 1996-97 to 2001-02 is -86.67.

8.4.12: Socio-Economic Programme: In 1956, the CSWB launched the socio-

economic programme to promote women‟s economic activities. This programme

was gradually extended to Mahila Mandals in the form of production units of

handicrafts, dairy, poultry, sheep breeding and allied activities to expand

women‟s employment. This programme extends the financial assistance to

voluntary institutions to take up a wide variety of income generating activities

357


Volume II, Notes on Demands for Grants, p.118.

283

like small industry, handloom, handicraft, dairy, animal husbandry, etc., on a

„work and wage basis‟.

Objectives: The broad objectives of Socio-Economic Programme are:

1. To provide opportunities of full time or part time work to needy women,

destitute, widows and deserted women.

2. To encourage entrepreneurs to exhibit and sell their products through

Exhibition-cum sale organised by State Boards at District level.

Beneficiaries: The beneficiaries constitute destitute women, widows, deserted

and physically handicapped women. The Central Social Welfare Board has three

types of schemes of assistance under this programme358

:

1. Agro-based Units: The Board assists voluntary organisations for setting

up agro-based units like poultry, piggery, goatery, etc., for poor and needy

women.Production Units: The voluntary organisations are encouraged to

set up production units, which can provide employment to women on full

time or part time basis.

2. Self-employment Schemes: These include the support for vegetable

vending, fish vending, supply of sewing machines, etc., to provide self

employment to women.

Present Status: The Socio-economic Programme is dropped under Zero Based

Budgeting exercise359

. Since, the programme is phased out, no budgetary

provision is made for the scheme during the year 2002-03 and thereafter. The

following Table No.8.13 provides information about the budgetary allocation of

Socio-Economic Programme for the period 1996-2007.

358





284

Table No. 8.13: Socio-Economic Programmes*

(Rupees in Crore)


1996-97 6.00 … 6.00

1997-98 15.99 … 15.99

1998-99 9.00 … 9.00

1999-00 5.00 … 5.00

2000-01 1.00 … 1.00

2001-02 1.00 … 1.00

2002-03 … … …

2003-04 NA NA NA

2004-05 NA NA NA

2005-06 NA NA NA

2006-07 NA NA NA





*This Scheme has been dropped under the Zero Based Budgeting

exercise in 2002-03.

A total provision of Rs.6.00 crore was made in budget of 1996-97; it

increased to Rs.15.99 crore in 1997-98. The total amount of money allocated

declined to Rs.9.00 crore and to Rs.5.00 crore during 1998-99 and 1999-2000

respectively. During the year, 2000-01 and 2001-02, the amount of money

allocated remained constant, that is, at Rs.1.00 crore. The Socio-Economic

Programme was dropped under the Zero Based Budgeting exercise during

2002-03, therefore, no budgetary provision was made during 2002-03 and

thereafter360

. The change in budgetary provision in terms of percentage from

1996-97 to 2001-02 is -83.34.

8.4.13: Central Social Welfare Board (CSWB): The Board was set up on 13th

August 1953. CSWB is an initiative of Pt.Jawaharlal Nehru. It is an autonomous

organisation under the Ministry of Women and Child Development. It is an apex

body at the national level for the welfare and development of women and

children.

360



285

The Central Social Welfare Board came into existence in an era when

welfare services for the disadvantaged sections of society were not systematised

and the welfare infrastructure was not yet a formally constructed. Voluntary

effort in the field of welfare in India during the early fifties was largely an

amorphous and individualistic attempt to provide proper measures in areas where

extreme marginalization was taking place. In such a perspective the first aim of

the Board was to promote voluntarism and the setting up of voluntary

organisations. Dr. Durgabai Deshmukh was the founder Chairperson of the

Board. The State Social Welfare Boards were established in 1954 in all State

Capitals to help CSWB in achieving its objectives.

Objectives: The Board is set up with the following vital objectives361

: It must,

1. Act as a change maker with a humanitarian approach by reinforcing the

spirit of voluntarism.

2. Create an enabling mechanism to facilitate networking of committed

social workers for the empowerment of women and children.

3. Develop a cadre of sensitive professionals with a gender centric vision

committed to equity, justice and social change.

4. Recommend gender specific policy initiatives to meet the new challenges

for women and children.

5. Strengthen voluntary organisations and expand coverage of „engendered‟

schemes in areas where they have not yet reached.

6. Initiate and strengthen its monitoring role to act as social audit and guide

for the voluntary sector so as to access government funds as resource.

7. Generate awareness about the challenges of a society in transition where

negative use of technologies and practices are impacting on the wellbeing

of women and children.

361

Government of India, Central Social Welfare Board, accessed on 4th

March 2010

(www.cswb.gov.in).

286

The Board has several programmes and schemes within its ambit. All

these programmes are funded by the Department. The present schemes of the

Board include: Short Stay Home for Women and Girls, Family Counselling

Centres, Condensed Courses of Education for Women, Awareness Generation

Projects for Rural and Poor Women, Working Women‟s Hostels, etc. Some of

these programmes are already discussed in earlier paragraphs and others are

discussed in the following pargraphs.

8.4.14: Training–cum Production Centres: The Department of Women and

Child Development under the Ministry of Human Resource Development,

Government of India, introduced this scheme in 1998-99. This scheme was

formerly known as Employment-cum-Income Generating and Training-cum-

Production Units (Women‟s Economic Programme) and is changed to

Swawlamban362

. The scheme is partially funded by Norwegian Agency for

International Development Cooperation (NORAD), Norway.

Objectives: This scheme has following objectives:

1. Providing skill upgradation training for such underprivileged women to

take up income generating activities.

2. Training of women belonging to weaker sections in the traditional and

non-traditional trades and then employing them on sustained basis.

3. Financial assistance to public sector undertakings, corporations,

autonomous bodies, voluntary organisations to train women in

non-traditional sectors like electronics, electrical watch manufacturing,

computer programming, printing and binding, garment making, tourism,

bakeries and confectioneries, etc.

Beneficiaries: This scheme is targeted at the poor and needy women in urban and

rural areas including migrant labourers, women from weaker sections such as SC

and ST, families headed by women and BPL women. The State Women

Development Corporations (WDCs) are the nodal agencies for the

362



287

implementation of the scheme mostly through the voluntary organisations of the

state. Financial assistance is provided to Women Development Corporations/

Public Sector Corporations/autonomous bodies and registered voluntary

organisations. Wherever the State Women Development Corporations do not

exist, the scheme is implemented through the State Social Welfare Advisory

Board.

Components: This programme provides training in trades like computer

programming, medical transcription, electronics, watch assembling, radio and

television repairs, garment making, handloom weaving, community health work,

embroidery, etc. For hiring training-cum-production sheds, financial assistance is

given to the grantee organisations. The upper ceiling for assistance under this

scheme is confined to Rs.8,000 per beneficiary363

. The scheme was transferred to

the states w.e.f. from 1/4/2006.

Progress of the Scheme: A sum of Rs.10 crore was made during 1996-97 under

the scheme of training cum production centres for destitute women364

. A total

amount of Rs.17 crore was made available under the scheme of training-cum-

production centres for destitute women during 1997-98365

. According to

Economic Survey 1998-99, 178 projects were sanctioned to benefit 36,095

women. During 2002-03, 902 projects were sanctioned, 58,458 women received

benefits366

.

Present Status: The name of the scheme „Training-cum-Production Centre‟ was

changed to „Swawlamban‟367

. The budgetary allocation remained same for the

year 2004-05 as in 2003-04 because the matter to transfer the scheme to the states

was under consideration. The „Swawlamban‟ scheme was transferred to states

363




Sectors”. 365

Government of India, Ministry of Finance , Economic Survey 1997-98, Chapter on “Social

Sectors”. 366





288

from April 1, 2006 as per the decision taken by Planning Commission368

. To

maintain continuity of implementation, the states are requested to make

budgetary provision in their Annual Budgets for the „Swawlamban‟ scheme. The

details regarding the budgetary allocation of the scheme Training-cum-

Production Units is shown in the below Table No.8.14.

Table No. 8.14: Training-cum-Production Centres*

(Rupees in Crore)


1996-97 8.00 … 8.00

1997-98 18.00 … 18.00

1998-99 18.00 … 18.00

1999-00 15.00 … 15.00

2000-01 13.00 … 13.00

2001-02 18.00 … 18.00

2002-03 22.00 … 22.00

2003-04 22.50 ... 22.50

2004-05 22.50 … 22.50

2005-06 14.00 … 14.00

2006-07 1.80 … 1.80





*The name of the scheme has been changed to Swawlamban.

An amount of Rs.8.00 crore was provided in the year 1996-97. The

budgetary provision increased to Rs.18.00 crore in 1997-98 and 1998-99 which

declined to Rs.15.00 crore and further to Rs.13.00 crore during the year 1999-00

and 2000-01 respectively. In 2001-02 an amount of Rs.18.00 crore was

sanctioned for this scheme. The budgetary allocation increased to Rs.22.00 crore

in 2002-03 and it remained at Rs.22.50 crore for the years 2003-04 and 2004-05.

It, however, decreased to Rs.14.00 crore in 2005-06 and to Rs.1.80 crore in

2006-07. The scheme „Swawlamban‟ is transferred to states, therefore only

368



289

residual allocation for previously sanctioned projects was made in 2006-07369

.

The percentage change in total budgetary allocation between 1996-97 and

2006-07 was -77.5. This decline is not a worrying factor because the scheme is

transferred to the states.

Evaluation of Training-cum-Production Centre: Several evaluation studies

including independent studies commissioned by NORAD, reveal that nearly 50-

60 percent of the women trained under the programme have been able to get

employment or self-employment370

. From 1996-97 onwards, the assistance by

NORAD was supplemented with domestic resources. Government of India has

decided to discontinue receiving assistance from small bilateral donors including

Norway, in accordance with the new aid policy. The NORAD assistance,

therefore, now is not available371

. As many as 463 proposals benefitting 71,240

women were approved during 2003-04 at cost of Rs.20.22 crore372

. In 2004-05,

an amount of Rs.633.09 lakh was released and 195 new projects were approved

for the benefit of 24,560 women373

. Around 75 proposals, involving an amount of

Rs.112.06 lakh, benefitting 4,380 women was sanctioned during 2006-07374

.

8.4.15: Short Stay Homes (SSH): The scheme „Short Stay Homes‟ was

launched in the year 1969 to protect and rehabilitate those women and girls who

are facing social, economic and emotional problems due to family stress, social

ostracism, moral danger, etc375

. The programme was transferred to CSWB for

implementation with effect from April 1999.

369




2002-03, Chapter 6, “ Programmes for Women”, p.84. 371








Chapter 2, “Programmes for Women”, p.25. 375


Annual, Fifty Third Edition, New Delhi, 2009, p.995.

290

Objectives: The major objectives of Short Stay Homes Scheme are:

1. To prevent trafficking of women and children through social mobilization

and involvement of local communities, awareness generation

programmes, generate public discourse through workshops/seminars and

such events and any other innovative activity.

2. To facilitate rescue of victims from the place of their exploitation and

place them in safe custody.

3. To provide rehabilitation services both immediate and long-term to the

victims by providing basic amenities such as shelter, food, clothing,

medical treatment including, counselling, legal aid and guidance and

vocational training.

4. To facilitate reintegration of the victims into the family and society at

large.

5. To facilitate repatriation of cross-border victims to their country of origin.

Implementing Agencies: The implementing agencies can be Social Welfare/

Women and Child Welfare Department of State Government, Women

Development Corporations, Women Development Centres, Urban Local Bodies,

Voluntary Organisations, etc.

Services: During their stay in SSH women are provided services like, medical

care, psychiatric treatment, casework services, occupational therapy, education,

vocational and recreational activities and social facilities of adjustments.

Progress of the Scheme: In the year 1997-98, there were approximately 330 old

and 15 new Short Stay Homes 376

. At the end of December 2002, an amount of

Rs.751.76 lakh was released to 289 Short Stay Homes, which also includes 39

new Short Stay Homes377

. During the year 2003-04, an amount of Rs.1507 lakh

376

Government of India, Ministry of Finance, Government of India, Union Budget 1996-97,

Expenditure Budget, Volume II, Notes on Demands for Grants, p.126. 377


2002-03, Chapter 13, “Central Social Welfare Board”, p.167.

291

was released for 341 Short Stay Homes378

. During the year 2004-05, assistance

was provided for the maintenance of 272 Short Stay Homes throughout the

country379

. Women who are victims of natural calamities need more care and

attention. Short Stay Homes are set up in the cyclone affected areas of Orissa,

Jammu and Kashmir in Kargil war affected areas, in earthquake affected areas of

Gujarat, in Tsunami affected areas of Tamil Nadu and Andaman and Nicobar

Islands380

. An amount of Rs.1649 lakh was released to 339 Short Stay Homes

and Rs.1750 lakh was allocated during the year 2006-07381

.

Present Status: This scheme launched in 1969, was earlier implemented by the

Department of Women and Child Development. The scheme was handed over to

CSWB with effect from April 1999. The power to sanction new Homes still vests

with the Department, the responsibility of supervision and monitoring of the

existing Homes are transferred to CSWB. The scheme of Short Stay Home is also

revised in June 1999 to make it more relevant and effective382

. The statistical

information pertaining to Short Stay Homes for the period 1996-2007 may be

found in Table No.8.15.

378








Chapter 9, “Central Social Welfare Board”, p.149. 382



292

Table No. 8.15: Short Stay Homes

(Rupees in Crore)


1996-97 2.75 2.07 4.82

1997-98 2.75 2.00 4.75

1998-99 10.00 2.00 12.00

1999-00 13.52 1.90 15.42

2000-01 12.00 2.51 14.51

2001-02 10.00 2.84 12.84

2002-03 13.50 2.84 16.34

2003-04 13.50 2.50 16.00

2004-05 13.50 1.50 15.00

2005-06 13.50 1.50 15.00

2006-07 14.40 1.50 15.90





It can be seen from Table No.8.15 that the total budgetary outlay was

Rs.4.82 crore in 1996-97, it marginally declined to Rs.4.75 crore in the year

1997-98. It stepped up to Rs.12 crore in 1998-99 and to Rs.15.42 crore in

1999-00. During the year 2000-01, the budgetary outlay declined to Rs.14.51

crore and to Rs.12.84 crore in 2001-02. The budgetary allocation increased to

Rs.16.34 crore in 2002-03 and continuously declined from 2003-04 to 2005-06. It

was Rs.16.00 crore in 2003-04, Rs.15 crore in 2004-05 and 2005-06 and it

slightly increased to Rs.15.90 crore in 2006-07. In terms of percentage the overall

increase in budgetary provision from 1996-97 to 2006-07 was 229.8.

Evaluation of Short Stay Homes: The study “Status Appraisal of Short Stay

Homes (SSHs) in Uttar Pradesh” was carried out in 2007383

. This study covered 8

SSHs, that is, 25 percent of the total 30 SSHs functioning in UP, situated at

Lakhimpur Kheri, Raebareli, Kanpur, Pratapgarh, Mirzapur, Allahabad, Deoria

and Saharanpur. SSHs were implementing programmes like women helpline,

family counselling centre, creches, SHGs, vocational training, income generation

383

This study was conducted by NIPCCD, Regional Centre, Lucknow, Central Social Welfare

Board, State Social Welfare Board(UP) and Social Welfare Department of Government, UP,

2009 (Research Abstracts on Women‟s Empowerment, 1998-2008, Documentation Centre for

Women and Children, NIPCCD, New Delhi, 2009, pp. 87-88).

293

activities, medical care and other programmes in the areas of health, education,

agriculture and welfare. The inmates residing in SSHs were victims of marital

disputes and family discord (50.55%), victims of harassment and facing moral

danger (34.26%), destitute women (10.66%), victims of trafficking (2.25%) and

2.24 percent women who ran away from home. Unmarried inmates constituted

63.48 percent and only 36.5 percent were married. It was found that 11.23

percent were illiterate, 65.73 percent were educated upto 8th

standard, 15.16

percent were matriculate, 5.61 percent were intermediate and 2.24 percent

women were graduates.

8.4.16: Awareness Generation Programme: The Central Social Welfare Board

is implementing this programme to create awareness in the community on issues

relating to status, rights and problems of women. This programme was introduced

by Central Social Welfare Board in the year 1986-87384

. It is inculcating a spirit

of organised activity among rural women for identifying their needs/problems

and for chalking out plans of action to face various challenges. It enables women

to actively participate in decision making both at family and community level and

to deal issues including atrocities on women and children.

Objectives: The Awareness Generation Programme focuses on the following

objectives385

:

1. To identify the needs of rural and poor women; and

2. To increase their active participation in decision-making, both in the

family and community, on development issues including atrocities on

women and children.

Components of the Scheme: The components of the Scheme are:

1. Survey of the Area: The voluntary organisations shall survey the area

where they want to organise awareness camp and prepare target group.

384



Government of India, Central Social Welfare Board, Schemes of Assistance, accessed on 5th

November 2009 (www.cswb.gov.in).

294

2. Training of Organiser: The training of the organiser is one of the

conditions under the scheme that will be imparted by the identified

training institute to be determined by the Board.

3. Organising of Camps: Duration of camp of eight days will be organised.

An amount of Rs.1000/- is paid per camp.

4. Follow-up Action: Follow-up action will be taken by the grantee

organisation within six months after completing the camp so as to assess

the impact of the camp in the area.

5. Beneficiaries: In this programme there are around 20-25 women

beneficiaries in each group.

Coverage: Issues such as status of women, women and law, evils of female

foeticide, community health and hygiene, technology for women, environment

and economy are taken up in the Awareness Generation Camps386

.

Progress of the Scheme: During the year 2000-01 more emphasis was laid to

cover the tribal and remote villages and budgetary allocation of Rs.4.00 lakh was

made during this year. Till December 2001, around 1455 awareness generation

camps were organised, which were attended by 36,375 women387

. An amount of

Rs.162.76 lakh was sanctioned and Rs.140.01 lakh was released and 1490

awareness generation camps were sanctioned to 769 institutions benefitting

37,225 women. The voluntary organisations under this programme are provided a

grant of Rs.10,000 for five to eight day camps including two days follow up

programme388

. During the year 2003-04, 6602 camps were sanctioned for which

an amount of Rs.499.94 lakh was released389

and in the year 2004-05, 335 camps

were sanctioned for which an amount of Rs.143.98 lakh was released390

. An

386


2003-04, Chapter 7, “Central Social Welfare Board”, pp.51-52. 387




2002-03, Chapter 13,“Central Social Welfare Board”, p.169. 389




2004-05, Chapter 9, “Central Social Welfare Board”, p.163.

295

amount of Rs.67.76 lakh was released in 2005-06 (upto 31-10-2005) to support

for organising 5070 camps benefitting 125.00 lakh women391

. During the year

2006-07, 1429 awareness generation camps were sanctioned for which an amount

of Rs.307.18 lakh was released involving participation of 1,03,220 women392

.

The below Table No.8.16 contains data on budgetary outlay for Awareness

Generation Programme during 1996-2007.

Table No. 8.16: Awareness Generation Programme

(Rupees in Crore)





A total amount of Rs.2.25 crore was sanctioned during 1996-97, 1997-98

and 1998-99. In 1999-00, the budgetary provision was enhanced to Rs.4.00 crore,

which decreased to Rs.1.80 crore in 2000-01. During the year 2001-02, a total

outlay of Rs.4.00 crore was made and it declined to Rs.3.80 crore in 2002-03.

The budgetary provision remained at Rs.4.50 crore for the next three years,

2003-04, 2004-05 and 2005-06 respectively. In 2006-07, it slightly increased to

Rs.5.00 crore. The percentage change in budgetary provision was 122.23.

391


2005-06, Chapter 9, “Central Social Welfare Board”, pp.159-160. 392




1996-97 2.25 … 2.25

1997-98 2.25 … 2.25

1998-99 2.25 … 2.25

1999-00 4.00 … 4.00

2000-01 1.80 … 1.80

2001-02 4.00 … 4.00

2002-03 3.80 … 3.80

2003-04 4.50 … 4.50

2004-05 4.50 … 4.50

2005-06 4.50 … 4.50

2006-07 5.00 … 5.00

296

Evaluation on Awareness Generation Programme: A project “Impact

Assessment of Awareness Generation Project: A Comprehensive Project” was

carried out in 2006393

. The objectives of the present study are to assess the

activities of AGP and its impact on beneficiaries. Data was collected from five

states namely Uttar Pradesh (UP), Tamil Nadu (TN), Delhi, Gujarat and West

Bengal (WB), through interviews of 804 women beneficiaries who attended the

camps, 119 chief functionaries of voluntary organisations and 110 organisers.

It was found that nearly 50 percent of all voluntary organisations were

new and they had been first time recipients of grants. The amount given for

training participants was not sufficient for quality training. The areas most liked

by trainees related to women‟s status, family conflict and income generation, but

they did not like talks on HIV/AIDS and STDs. Most of the respondents pointed

out that major problems of women were violence against them, alcoholic

husbands, illiteracy, general and reproductive health issues, lack of infrastructural

facilities. In AGP camps, lecture method was commonly used to teach which

created boredom. Most women felt that AGP camps were appropriate, but they

criticised the duration of camps as lengthy and tedious.

Awareness level of participants on domestic violence, female foeticide,

dowry, reproductive and child health issues increased. Majority of women

wanted training on income generation activities to raise their financial status. The

study showed that AGP scheme suffered due to non-availability of support

services, absence of a network at district and local level, shortage of funds, time

lag in organising camps and lack of proper planning for sustained action.

8.4.17: National Commission for Women: The National Commission for

Women is a statutory body set up in January 1992 under the National

Commission for Women Act, 1990394

. The main task of the Commission is to

study and monitor all matters relating to the constitutional and legal safeguards

provided for women and to review the existing legislations and suggest

393

This was conducted by Vidyasagar School of Social Work, Kolkata, 2006. (Research Abstracts

on Women‟s Empowerment, 1998-2008, Documentation Centre for Women and Children,

NIPCCD, New Delhi, 2009, pp.6-7). 394

National Commission for Women, Home Page, accessed on 1st October 2010

(www.ncw.nic.in).

297

amendments, where necessary. The Commission is in the forefront of the national

endeavour to improve the status of women and for their empowerment. The

Commission consists of a chairperson, five members and a member-secretary

nominated by the central government.

Functions: The Commission shall perform all or any of the following functions,

namely:

a) Investigate and examine all matters relating to the safeguards provided for

women under the Constitution and other laws;

b) Present to the central government, annually and at such other times as the

Commission may deem fit, reports upon the working of those safeguards;

c) Make in such reports, recommendations for the effective implementation

of those safeguards for improving the conditions of women by the Union

or any State;

d) Take up the cases of violation of the provisions of the Constitution and of

other laws relating to women with the appropriate authorities;

e) Look into complaints and take suo moto notice of matters relating to:

i) Deprivation of women‟s rights;

ii) Non-implementation of laws enacted to provide protection to women

and also to achieve the objective of equality and development;

iii) Non-compliance of policy decisions, guidelines or instructions aimed

at mitigating hardships and ensuring welfare and providing relief to

women, and take up the issues arising out of such matters with authorities;

f) Participate and advise on the planning process of socio-economic

development of women;

g) Evaluate the progress of the development of women under the Union and

any State;

h) Fund litigation involving issues affecting a large body of women;

298

i) Any other matter which may be referred to it by Central Government.

Strategies: The strategies of the National Commission for Women are:

1. Economic Empowerment: It promotes women‟s economic

empowerment through building up skills and securing access to gainful

employment.

2. Political Empowerment: It helps for the political empowerment through

awareness, training and mobilisation for equitable representation in all

forms, prevention of violence and discrimination against women, both

inside and outside the home, through legal reforms and sensitive

enforcement.

3. Amelioration of Conditions of Disadvantaged Women: This includes

help to physically challenged women including those who are visually

disabled or mentally affected and socially challenged women including

SC/ST women, widows and prostitutes.

The NCW is empowered to monitor the proper implementation of all the

legislations made to protect the rights of women to enable them to achieve

equality in all spheres of life and equal participation in the development of the

nation. For the empowerment of women, it has initiated several steps. It receives

large number of complaints and acts suo moto in several cases to provide speedy

justice, sponsors legal awareness programmes, Parivarak Mahila Lok Adalats and

organises workshops, consultations, etc.

The details of budgetary allocation of National Commission for Women

can be found in Table No.8.17.

299

Table No. 8.17: National Commission for Women

(Rupees in Crore)


1996-97 2.00 … 2.00

1997-98 2.00 … 2.00

1998-99 2.50 … 2.50

1999-00 3.50 … 3.50

2000-01 3.50 … 3.50

2001-02 5.00 … 5.00

2002-03 5.40 … 5.40

2003-04 4.05 1.46 5.51

2004-05 5.40 1.60 7.00

2005-06 3.60 2.17 5.77

2006-07 3.60 2.45 6.05





During 1996-97 and 1997-98 a total outlay of Rs.2.00 crore was provided.

In 1998-99 the budgetary provision slightly increased to Rs.2.50 crore. It again

enhanced to Rs.3.50 crore in 1999-00 and remained unchanged in 2000-01. In

2001-02 the budgetary provision was Rs.5.00 crore, which continuously

increased to Rs.5.40 crore in 2002-03, to Rs.5.51 crore in 2003-04 and to Rs.7.00

crore in 2004-05. The total budgetary outlay declined to Rs.5.77 crore in 2005-06

and it increased to Rs.6.05 crore in the year 2006-07. It can be noted that the

overall increase in terms of percentage was 202.5.

8.4.18: Rashtriya Mahila Kosh (RMK): RMK is also known as National Credit

Fund for Women. It is the most outstanding micro-finance apex organisation

providing micro-finance service to women in India. RMK is an innovative

scheme which was initiated in March 1993 to facilitate credit support/micro-

financing to poor and asset-less women, struggling in the informal sector. RMK

works through the medium of NGOs as its channelising agencies for

identification of borrowers, delivery of credit support and also recovery.

300

RMK is an independent registered society of the Department of Women

and Child Development with an initial corpus of Rs.31 crore395

. It gets its support

through non-governmental organisations, women development corporations,

women cooperative societies in which 1/3rd

of its members are women396

, Indira

Mahila Block Samities under the Indira Mahila Yojana and suitable state

government agencies. This new venture does not replace the banking sector but it

helps to fill the gap between what the banking sector offers and what the poor

need.

Objectives: The Rashtriya Mahila Kosh is set up with the following specific

objectives. They are:

1. To provide the micro-credit facilities to poor women for income

generation activities or for asset creation.

2. To demonstrate and replicate participatory approaches in the organisation

of women‟s groups for thrift and savings and effective utilisation of

credit.

3. To cooperate and to secure cooperation of the Government of India, state

governments, union territory administrations, credit institutions, NGOs

and others in promoting the objective of the Kosh.

4. To disseminate information and experience among all these above

agencies in the government and non-government sectors in the area of

micro finance for poor women.

5. To receive grants, donations, loans, etc., for the furtherance of the aims

and objectives of the kosh.

Beneficiaries: It is working exclusively for poor women and the loans are

entirely available to this target group.

395

Government of India, Rashtriya Mahila Kosh, accessed on 28th

September 2010

(www.rmk.nic.in). 396


2004-05, Chapter 11, “Rashtriya Mahila Kosh”, p.182.

301

Activities under RMK: The activities under RMK‟s programme are the income

generating activities, production activities, part of the loan could be utilised

toward consumption activities, house construction activities, education and skill

up-gradation and purchase of land, redemption and land leasing.

Progress: From the date of its inception on 30th

March 1993 to December 2002,

the achievements of RMK are397

:

1. Credit of Rs.118 crore has been sanctioned.

2. Under RMK 4,45,535 women have received benefits under various

schemes.

3. Alliance is made with 1,066 NGO‟s throughout the country.

4. Under various schemes of RMK, Rs.89 crore is disbursed.

5. As on 31st December 2007, RMK had sanctioned loans of Rs.229.40 crore

benefitting 5,95,937 women398

.

The following Table No.8.18 contains data on budgetary allocation to

Rashtriya Mahila Kosh between 1996 and 2007.

397


2002-03, Chapter 15, “Rashtriya Mahila Kosh”, p.188. 398


Chapter 11, “Rashtriya Mahila Kosh”, p.195.

302

Table No. 8.18: Rashtriya Mahila Kosh

(Rupees in Crore)


1996-97 NA NA NA

1997-98 NA NA NA

1998-99 NA NA NA

1999-00 0.01 … 0.01

2000-01 3.00 … 3.00

2001-02 1.00 … 1.00

2002-03 1.00 … 1.00

2003-04 1.00 … 1.00

2004-05 1.00 … 1.00

2005-06 0.01 … 0.01

2006-07 10.00 … 10.00





From 1996 to 1999 no data is available. A sum of Rs.0.01 crore was kept

during the year 1999-00 which increased to Rs.3.00 crore in 2000-01, and

declined to Rs.1.00 crore in 2001-02. For the consecutive years 2002-03, 2003-04

and 2004-05, there is no change in the budgetary provision, that is, it remained at

Rs.1.00 crore. It was Rs.0.01 crore in 2005-06 which stepped up to Rs.10.00

crore in 2006-07.

Evaluation on RMK: After the formation of RMK, seven micro-credit studies

were conducted to evaluate the experiences of borrowers of RMK loan. The

findings helped RMK to redesign their policies, procedures and loan products to

suit its borrowers. Again, in March 2000, DWCD sponsored an All India study

on RMK credit and its impact on the economic and social status of its

borrowers399

.

The profile of RMK shows that Other Backward Castes form a substantial

proportion of borrowers as compared to Scheduled Tribes. A vast majority of the

borrowers were Hindus (80.7%). Fifty five percent of the borrowers were

399

CARE India, Microfinance and Women’s Empowerment: Programme and Policy Review,

Policy and Advocacy, Review of Four Programmes with Micro-credit Component, Annexure IV,

New Delhi, 2007, pp.85 -89.

303

illiterate or just literate and almost 14 percent were educated upto high school and

above including 1 percent graduates.

Around 91.9 percent of the borrowers reported no difficulty in accessing

RMK loans. The RMKs NGO partners in the respective states do not adequately

facilitate SHG formulation and stabilisation. Availability of RMK micro-credit

gave women the choice and resource to start new economic activities, expand

their existing activities and shift in occupation from, e.g., casual worker to a

producer.

The family‟s access to food/nutrition increased. Eleven percent more

borrowers than non-borrowers report improvement in taking ration from fair

price shop though they are still less than half(43.7 %) of the borrowers. There

was a positive shift with respect to improvement in nutrition of the family

members by a majority (60 %) of borrowers against only a little more than half of

this shift (35.6 %) among non-borrowers. All borrowers said that they were

active participants in Gram Panchayats and their committees and simple

participants in the Gram Sabhas, while the non-borrowers reported that they did

not participate at all.

8.4.19: Balika Samridhi Yojana: This scheme was launched on October 2, 1997

and was revised in 1999400

. The scheme is aimed at altering the perspective

toward the girl child. It endeavours to generate awareness amongst families about

the needs of the girl child and protection of girls to bring them at par with boys.

Under this scheme, the mother of a girl child, girl child born on or after August

15, 1997 in a family below the poverty line in rural and urban areas will be given

a grant of Rs.500/-. It also provides scholarship for the education of the girl child

when she attends school. The Balika Samridhi Yojana launched with the specific

aim to change the community‟s attitude toward the girl child has been further

recast in June 1999, that is, in the recast scheme, the post-delivery grant of

Rs.500/- per child is deposited in an interest-bearing account in the name of the

400


Sectors”.

304

new born girl child. In addition, the benefit of scholarships granted will also be

deposited in the same account.

Objectives: A few of its important objectives are as under:

1. To change the negative attitude of the family toward girl child at birth and

toward her mother;

2. To improve the enrollment and retention of the girl child in school;

3. To raise the age at marriage of girls; and

4. To assist the girls to undertake income generating activities.

Beneficiaries: Under Balika Samridhi Yojana, the girl child belonging to BPL

families, as defined by the Government of India in rural and urban areas, are

given benefit. It targets BPL girls and daughters of rag pickers, pavement

dwellers and the like. The girls who are born on or after 15th

August 1997 are

provided benefit. The benefits are restricted to two girl children in a household

irrespective of number of children in the household.

Components: From the start of the scheme the mother of the girl child is given

Rs.500/- and annual scholarships are also awarded when the girl child starts

attending school. The girl child under Balika Samridhi Yojana avails the

following benefits:

a) A post delivery grant of Rs.500/- .

b) Annual scholarships ranging from Rs.300/- to Rs.1000/- per annum from

class I to X.

On the recommendations of Group of Ministers, the Balika Samridhi

Yojana was recast in 1999401

. The said amount can also be deposited either in the

Post Office or in the Bank in an interest bearing account in the name of the girl

child and is to be paid to the girl child after she attains the age of 18 years. It is

reported in the Economic Survey 2002-03 that the scheme has benefitted 3.5

million children in 2001-02. The scheme is implemented through ICDS

401


Sectors”.

305

infrastructure in rural areas and through functionaries of Health Department in

urban areas.

Present Status: As per the decision of Planning Commission, the Balika

Samridhi Yojana is soon to be transferred to states and hence token provision is

reflected in Union Budget 2006-07402

. The total budgetary provision for the

Balika Samridhi Yojana during 1996-2007 can be had from Table No.8.19.

Table No. 8.19: Balika Samriddhi Yojana

(Rupees in Crore)


1996-97 NA NA NA

1997-98 NA NA NA

1998-99 60.00 … 60.00

1999-00 40.00 … 40.00

2000-01 27.00 … 27.00

2001-02 25.00 … 25.00

2002-03* … … …

2003-04** 13.50 … 13.50

2004-05 0.03 … 0.03

2005-06 0.03 … 0.03

2006-07 0.03 … 0.03





*In the Tenth Plan it was decided to transfer this scheme to the state

governments. Therefore, no budget provision is made in budget

estimates for 2002-03. ** National Development Council has not

approved the transfer of this scheme to states, therefore the budget

provision is again made in 2002-03 Union Budget.

In the year 1998-99, the total expenditure was Rs.60 crore. A perusal of

the Table No.8.19 shows that the total expenditure continuously declined

between 1998-99 and 2006-07. During 1999-00 the total amount sanctioned

reduced to Rs.40 crore. The total amount budgeted further declined to Rs.27

402



306

crore and to Rs.25 crore in 2000-01 and 2001-02 respectively. An amount of

Rs.13.50 crore was total budgetary allocation in 2003-04. For the consecutive

years 2004-05, 2005-06 and 2006-07 the total amount of money has remained

same, that is, Rs.0.03 crore. In terms of percent the outlay from 1998-99 to

2006-07 has declined by 99.95. This decline, however, is not a worrying factor

because the scheme is transferred to the states.

8.4.20: Integrated Projects for Development of Women (Swa-shakti) (also

known as Rural Women’s Development and Empowerment Project): The

„Integrated Projects for Development of Women‟ Project was sanctioned on 16th

October 1998 as a centrally sponsored scheme for implementation in the states of

Bihar, Chattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh,

Uttaranchal and Uttar Pradesh for duration of five years with an outlay of Rs.186

crore. An additional amount of Rs.5 crore was provided for the project for

facilitating setting up of revolving funds for giving interest-bearing loans to

beneficiary groups, primarily during formative stages. It is an externally aided

project and is implemented through Women‟s Development Corporations and

Societies403

.

The project is jointly funded by the World Bank and the International

Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and Government of India. The

overall objective of the project is development and empowerment of women,

particularly those engaged in “on farm” activities, in rural areas, through Self–

Help groups404

. In 2000-01, Integrated Project for Development of Women

(Rural Women‟s Development and Empowerment Project) was renamed as

Swa-shakti Project405

. The name Swa-shakti itself emphasises the recognition of

one‟s inner strength406

.

403


2002-03, Chapter 6, “Programmes for Women”, pp.77-78. 404




Sectors”. 406

Swa-shakti Project, “Gender –A Swa-shakti Working Paper”, Swa-shakti Publications, p.6,

accessed on 4th

January 2010 (www.vanbandhukalyanyojana.gujarat.gov.in/Swa-Shakti).

http://www.vanbandhukalyanyojan/

307

Objectives: The specific objectives of the scheme are to:

1. Establish Self Help Groups which build self-reliance and self-confidence

and provide them greater access to and control over resources;

2. Sensitise and strengthen institutional capacity of support agencies;

3. Augmenting income of poor women through income generation activities;

4. Developing linkages to credit financing;

5. Improving access to better health-care and education.

Core Components of Swa-shakti Project407

: The core components of the

scheme are as under:

1. Community Assets: This is an important activity of the project that has helped

women members to meet some of their basic needs as well as creating a sense of

ownership in the community. A total of 1612 community assets were created so

far covering 2956 villages. The total value of assets created is Rs.73.01 lakh of

which the project fund was Rs.16.63 lakh against the quantum of external fund,

that is, Rs.56.38 lakh, which is channelised from other sources.

2. Income Generation Activity/ Micro Enterprise Development: Women

started micro-enterprises with improved access to credit and skill up-gradation.

The project has linked its members with good quality training providers like

Krishi Vigyan Kendras, various research institutions of Indian Council of

Agricultural Research (ICAR), Agricultural Universities and local consultants. A

total of 82,163 on-farm activities and 48,733 non-farm activities were started

under the project. The average income of women engaged in income generating

activities went up from about Rs.513/- per month to about Rs.922/- per month.

3. Networking: The major activity under this component is the group

mobilisation and capacity building for functioning of self-help groups and

407


2004-05, Chapter 2, “Programmes for Women”, pp.20-22.

308

formation of clusters. Around 1221 clusters covering around 1400 SHGs were

formed.

4. Bank Linkage: The project has helped to link SHG members to formal

financial institutions, which increased over the project period. The number of

SHGs linked with banks increased from 5,258 in June 2003 to 10,000 in

September 2004, an increase of almost 100 percent.

5. Business Counselling: The project has helped to set up Business Counselling

Centres. These centres provide various kinds of assistance to rural women

entrepreneurs, namely, preparing business plan, marketing and financial linkages,

counselling on banking procedures, business plans, application procedures, etc.

Progress of the Scheme: At the end of 2003-04, 17647 SHGs were formed

under the project against the target of 16000 SHGs covering about 2.40 lakh

women beneficiaries408

. It was implemented in 335 blocks of 57 districts of 9

states, namely, Haryana, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Madhya

Pradesh, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh and Uttaranchal409

.

Project Achievements: The 8th

Round of Concurrent Monitoring and Evaluation

describes its achievements as under410

:

1. The SHG membership has inculcated the habit of regular savings, which is

evident from the fact that 80 percent of groups are saving regularly, 82 percent of

groups are conducting meetings regularly with attendance of more than 80

percent members.

2. About 90 percent of SHG members are able to visit places both within and

outside their village for various reasons including training, exposure visits, banks

and meeting with government officials.

408







309

3. In family decision-making, percentage of members having a say in sending

daughters to school recorded a major increase from under 0.5 percent in the year

2000 to almost 90 percent during 2004-05.

4. Another notable achievement was the fact that 38 percent of groups attend

grass root level meetings compared to 2.4 percent at the year 2000 baseline.

5. The percentage of expectant SHG members in accessing ante-natal care

facilities increased from 53 percent in 2000 to above 80 percent in 2004.

6. The percentage of members having a girl child in the age group of 6-14 years

was found to be around 33 percent out of which 93 percent were being sent to

school as compared to below 65 percent in 2000.

7. Access to appropriate services rose from 37 percent in 2000 to 76.5 percent in

2003.

8. Similarly, access to safe drinking water rose from about 25 percent in 2000 to

almost 50 percent in 2003.

Present Status: The project culminated in June 2005411

. The total outlay related

to Integrated Projects for Development of Women between 1996-1997 and

2006-07 is given in the below Table No.8.20.

411


2005-06, Chapter 2, “Programmes for Women”, p.27.

310

Table No. 8.20: Integrated Projects for Development of Women*

(Rupees in Crore)


1996-97 NA NA NA

1997-98 NA NA NA

1998-99 19.30 … 19.30

1999-00 12.81 … 12.81

2000-01 15.00 … 15.00

2001-02 15.00 … 15.00

2002-03 25.00 … 25.00

2003-04 40.00 … 40.00

2004-05 25.00 … 25.00

2005-06** 5.00 … 5.00

2006-07 2.00 … 2.00





*From 2000-01 Integrated Project for Development of Women has

been renamed as Swa-shakti Project.

** The programme is closed in June 2005.

A sum of Rs.19.30 crore was provided in the year 1998-99. It declined to

Rs.12.81 crore in 1999-00 and to Rs.15.00 crore in 2000-01 and 2001-02. The

total outlay budgeted in 2002-03 was Rs.25 crore, which stepped up to Rs.40

crore in 2003-04. In the year 2004-05, the budgetary provision declined to Rs.25

crore and further it has considerably declined to Rs.5.00 crore in 2005-06 and to

Rs.2.00 crore in 2006-07. The overall decline in percentage is -89.6. The decline

is on account of culmination of the Swa-shakti project in June 2005.

8.4.21: Indira Mahila Yojana (IMY) (Swayamsiddha): The IMY was launched

in August 1995 on pilot basis in 200 blocks of the country. The vital objective of

IMY is to give a forward thrust to the education, awareness, income-generation

capacities and the empowerment of women. This scheme emphasises the

constitution of Indira Mahila Block Societies (IMBS) at the block level and

Indira Mahila Kendras (IMK) at the Anganwadi level. At the grass root level

under every Anganwadi, there should be women‟s self-help groups.

311

Swayamsiddha: Swayamsiddha was approved during February 2001412

. It is an

integrated scheme for the development and empowerment of women.

Swayamsiddha is envisaged to recast Indira Mahila Yojana into an integrated

programme for women‟s empowerment, renamed as „Swayamsiddha‟.

Objectives: The long-term objective of the programme is the all round

empowerment of women by ensuring their direct access to, and control over,

resources through a sustained process of mobilisation and convergence of all the

on-going sectoral programmes. The immediate objectives are413

:

1. Establishment of self-reliant women‟s self-help groups;

2. Creation of confidence and awareness among members of SHGs

regarding women‟s status, health, nutrition, education, sanitation and

hygiene, legal rights, economic upliftment and other social, economic and

political issues;

3. Strengthening the saving habits among rural women;

4. Improving access of women to micro credit and involvement of women in

local level planning;

5. Convergence of services of DWCD and other departments.

Coverage: This scheme covers 650 blocks in the country including 238 IMY

blocks in 335 districts. Under this scheme 53100 SHGs, comprising 9,29,250

beneficiaries, shall be set up throughout the country414

.

Components: Important components of the programme are, the formulation,

implementation and monitoring of block-specific composite projects for four to

five years.

412




2001-02, Chapter 7, “Programmes for Women”, pp.1-2. 414



312

Progress of the Scheme: During the period 2002-03 to 2006-07, 2, 31,133 poor

women have been benefitted from the scheme and an amount of Rs.8587.86 lakh

is released415

.

Present Status: Indira Mahila Yojana has been recast and replaced by a new

scheme Swayamsiddha416

. The following Table No.8.21 contains information

pertaining to Indira Mahila Yojana during 1996-2007.

Table No. 8.21: Indira Mahila Yojana*

(Rupees in Crore)


1996-97 NA NA NA

1997-98 NA NA NA

1998-99 NA NA NA

1999-00 10.00 … 10.00

2000-01 18.00 … 18.00

2001-02 19.50 … 19.50

2002-03 18.50 … 18.50

2003-04 18.00 .. 18.00

2004-05 18.00 .. 18.00

2005-06 18.50 … 18.50

2006-07 27.00 … 27.00





*This scheme has been recast and replaced by a new scheme

Swayamsiddha

The outlay for the year 1999-00 was Rs.10.00 crore. It increased to

Rs.18.00 crore in 2000-01 and again to Rs.19.50 crore in 2001-02. During the

year 2002-03, a total budgetary provision of Rs.18.50 crore was allocated and it

slightly declined to Rs.18.00 crore for the next two years 2003-04 and 2004-05.

A provision of Rs.18.50 crore was made in 2005-06 which augmented to Rs.27

415


Annual, Fifty Third Edition, New Delhi, 2009, p.994. 416



313

crore in 2006-07. The overall percentage increase between 1998-99 and 2006-07

was 170.

Evaluation of Swayamsiddha Scheme: The scheme Swayamsidha was

evaluated by an external agency, that is, Indian Institute of Public Opinion

Private Limited (IIPO), New Delhi, in 2005417

. Under Swayamsiddha, SHG

formation target was 65,000 for 650 blocks. Most of the states have achieved

their targets. It is found that attendance is 100 percent except where the revenue

villages are scattered over several kilometers. Women in Swayamsiddha Blocks

have been benefitted a lot. It has helped women by increasing income, decision-

making process, participation in political field, knowledge of legal rights, health

issues, etc418

.

8.4.22: Swadhar: Swadhar was introduced in the year 2001-02 to address the

needs and requirements of women in distress in diverse situations under different

conditions419

, like destitute widows deserted by their families in religious places

like Vrindavan, Kashi and women prisoners, etc.

Objectives: The following are the objectives of the scheme:

1. To meet primary need of shelter, food, clothing and care to the

marginalised women/girls living in difficult circumstances who are

without any social and economic support;

2. To provide emotional support and counselling to such women;

3. To rehabilitate them socially and economically through education,

awareness, etc.

4. To arrange specific clinical, legal and other support for women/girls in-

need;

5. To provide help line or other facilities to such women in distress; and

417


Chapter 2, “Programmes for Women”, pp.24-25. 418


Chapter 2, “Programmes for Women”, pp.24-25. 419



314

6. To provide such other services as will be required for the support and

rehabilitation of such women.

Beneficiaries: The beneficiaries of the scheme include, widows deserted by their

families and relatives, women prisoners released from jail without family

support, women who are victims of natural calamities, mentally disordered

women, victims of trafficking or similarly placed women in difficult

circumstances.

Components: The scheme shall have the following main components, namely,

assistance for construction of buildings for the centres, rent for the shelters,

assistance for the management of the centres, provision for food, shelter and

clothing for women and their children below age of 18 years, counselling for

women in difficult circumstances, clinical, legal support and help line facilities

for such women.

Progress of the Scheme: During 2003-04, an amount of Rs 1.10 crore was

released and 400 women received benefits420

. An amount of Rs.123.87 lakh was

released for 24 new projects benefitting 1,250 women in 2004-05421

. During the

year 2006-07, an expenditure of Rs.6.05 crore was incurred. Twenty Swadhar

shelter homes including 2 under construction and 23 Women Helplines project

have been sanctioned422

. Table No.8.22 throws light on the budgetary allocations

to the Swadhar scheme from 1996-2007.

420


2003-04,Chapter 2, “Programmes for Women”, p.14. 421





315

Table No. 8.22: Swadhar*

(Rupees in Crore)


1996-97 NA NA NA

1997-98 NA NA NA

1998-99 NA NA NA

1999-00 NA NA NA

2000-01 NA NA NA

2001-02 NA NA NA

2002-03 NA NA NA

2003-04 13.50 … 13.50

2004-05 2.70 ... 2.70

2005-06 5.50 … 5.50

2006-07 7.00 … 7.00





*This is a new scheme introduced in the year 2003-04

Swadhar scheme was started in the year 2003-04423

, therefore no

budgetary provision was made from 1996-97 to 2002-03. A provision of Rs.13.50

crore was made in the budget estimate for 2003-04. The budget allocated for the

year 2004-05 was Rs.2.70 crore, which increased to Rs.5.50 crore in 2005-06 and

further to Rs.7.00 crore in 2006-07. The overall percentage change between

2003-04 and 2006-07 is -48.14.

8.4.23: Scheme for Rescue of Victims of Trafficking: This is a new scheme

that aims at supporting the efforts of the NGOs in rescue operations of victims of

trafficking. To encourage NGOs, it is proposed to provide assistance to NGOs to

meet the cost of transporting the trafficked victims to shelter homes and

temporary stay of inmates in the shelter homes, etc. The following Table No.8.23

shows budgetary allocation to the Scheme for Rescue of Victims of Trafficking

from 1996 to 2007.

423



316

Table No. 8.23 Scheme for Rescue of Victims of Trafficking*

(Rupees in Crore)


1996-97 NA NA NA

1997-98 NA NA NA

1998-99 NA NA NA

1999-00 NA NA NA

2000-01 NA NA NA

2001-02 NA NA NA

2002-03 NA NA NA

2003-04 NA NA NA

2004-05 3.00 … 3.00

2005-06 0.25 … 0.25

2006-07 0.45 … 0.45





*This scheme was introduced in the year 2004-05.

Between 1996 and 2004 there was no budgetary provision as the scheme

was launched in 2004-05424

. During the year 2004-05, the total budgeted amount

was Rs.3.00 crore. A total provision of Rs.0.25 crore and Rs.0.45 crore was made

in 2005-06 and 2006-07 respectively. The percentage change between 2004-05

and 2006-07 was -85.

8.4.24: National Nutrition Mission (NNM): The Prime Minister in his

Independence Day Speech on 15th

August 2001 had announced that a National

Nutrition Mission would be set up and that food grains at subsidised rates would

be made available to adolescent girls and expectant and nursing mothers

belonging to BPL families.

Objectives: The vital objective of NNM is reduction of malnutrition and

elimination of micronutrient deficiency and reduction in chronic energy

deficiency by providing subsidised food425

. It aims to provide subsidised food

424



Government of India, Planning Commission, accessed on 4th

December 2010

(www.planningcommission.nic.in).

317

grains to adolescent girls, expectant and nursing mothers belonging to BPL

families. The following Table No.8.24 highlights the budgetary allocation to the

scheme National Nutrition Mission from 1996-97 to 2006-07.

Table No. 8.24: National Nutrition Mission

(Rupees in Crore)


1996-97 NA NA NA

1997-98 NA NA NA

1998-99 NA NA NA

1999-00 NA NA NA

2000-01 NA NA NA

2001-02 NA NA NA

2002-03 1.00 … 1.00

2003-04 0.03 … 0.03

2004-05 0.03 … 0.03

2005-06 0.03 … 0.03

2006-07 0.03 … 0.03





During 2002-03, a sum of Rs.1.00 crore was allocated. It is clear from the

Table No.8.24 that the budgetary provision remained constant in the next four

years, i.e., 2003-04, 2004-05, 2005-06 and 2006-07 respectively. The overall

decline in terms of percentage from 2002-03 to 2006-07 is -97.

8.4.25: Other Schemes of Nutrition: The Non-Plan infrastructure of the Food

and Nutrition Board, undertakes measures for promoting the directives of the

National Nutrition Policy at Centre and State levels and implements programmes

for creating nutritional awareness at different levels. Nutrition orientation of grass

root level functionaries and their trainers is undertaken by organising Integrated

Nutrition Education Camps and Orientation Training Courses426

. The Table

No.8.25 has data pertaining to „Other Schemes‟ on Nutrition from 1996-97 to

2006-07.

426



318

Table No. 8.25: Nutrition-Other Schemes

(Rupees in Crore)


1996-97 2.31 3.75 6.06

1997-98 2.31 3.70 6.01

1998-99 2.51 3.80 6.31

1999-00 3.25 5.50 8.75

2000-01 2.90 6.15 9.05

2001-02 4.00 6.15 10.15

2002-03 1.80 6.07 7.87

2003-04 1.80 5.96 7.76

2004-05 1.80 5.93 7.73

2005-06 5.04 6.46 11.50

2006-07 5.04 7.10 12.14





During the year 1996-97 the budgetary allocation was Rs.6.06 crore, it

declined to Rs.6.01 crore in 1997-98 and it slightly increased to Rs.6.31 crore in

1998-99. It can be observed from the Table No.8.25 that the allotment increased

to Rs.8.75 crore in 1999-00, to Rs.9.05 crore in 2000-01 and further to Rs.10.15

crore in 2001-02. In the next year 2002-03 and in 2003-04, the budgetary

allocation declined to Rs.7.87 crore and further to Rs.7.76 crore respectively. It

further marginally declined to Rs.7.73 crore in 2004-05. The total allocation

increased to Rs.11.50 crore in 2005-06 and further to Rs.12.14 crore in 2006-07.

There is a 100.34 percent increase in budgetary allocation from 1996-97 to

2006-07.

8.4.26: Budgetary Provision to DWCD: 1996-97 to 2006-07

The following Table No.8.26 sheds light on the total expenditure of the

Union Government and the budgetary provision to the Department of Women

and Child Development from 1996-97 to 2006-07.

319

Table No. 8.26: Total Expenditure of the Union Government and Allocation

to the Department of Women and Child Development

(Rupees in Crore)

Year Total Expenditure

DWCD

In Percent *

1996-97 202024 875.07 0.434

1997-98 232176 948.10 0.408

1998-99 267927 1274.23 0.475

1999-00 283882 1371.83 0.483

2000-01 338487 1512.00 0.447

2001-02 375223 1705.00 0.454

2002-03 410309 2253.64 0.549

2003-04 438795 2653.91 0.604

2004-05 477829 2454.19 0.513

2005-06 514344 3931.11 0.764

2006-07 563991 4852.94 0.860





* Shows the budgetary allocation of DWCD as proportion of Total

Union Government Expenditure

Table No.8.26 shows that the total expenditure of the government and the

budgetary allocation to DWCD has continuously increased from 1996-97 to

2006-07. During the year 1996-97, total expenditure was Rs.202024 crore and

allocation to the Department of Women and Child Development was Rs.875.07

crore. As a percent of the total government expenditure, this constitutes about

0.434 percent. In 1997-98, the total expenditure was Rs.232176 crore and

budgetary provision to DWCD was Rs.948.10 crore, that is, 0.408 percent of the

320

total expenditure. In 1998-99, the total expenditure increased to Rs.267927 crore

and budgetary allocation to DWCD increased to Rs.1274.23 crore, that is, 0.475

percent of the total expenditure. The total expenditure increased to Rs.283882

crore and budgetary provision for DWCD increased to Rs.1371.83 crore, which

is, 0.483 percent of the total expenditure in 1999-00. During the years 2000-01

and 2001-02 the total expenditure was Rs.338487 crore and Rs.375223 crore and

budgetary allocation to DWCD was Rs.1512.00 crore , i.e, 0.447 percent of the

total expenditure and Rs.1705.00 crore i.e., 0.454 percent of the total expenditure

respectively. In 2002-03 the total expenditure increased to Rs.410309 crore and

budgetary allocation for DWCD also increased to Rs.2253.64 crore. It was 0.549

percent of the total Union Government expenditure. The total expenditure again

increased to Rs.438795 crore, to Rs.477829 crore, to Rs.514344 crore and to

Rs.563991 crore during 2003-04, 2004-05, 2005-06 and 2006-07 respectively.

Similarly, the budgetary allocation to the DWCD also increased to Rs.2653.91

crore (0.604 % of the total expenditure) in 2003-04, to Rs.2454.19 crore (0.513 %

of the total expenditure) in 2004-05, to Rs.3931.11 crore (0.764 % of the total

expenditure) in 2005-06 and to Rs.4852.94 crore (0.860 % of the total

expenditure) in the year 2006-07.

It can be observed from the above Table No.8.26 that the budgetary

allocation to DWCD has continuously increased from 1996-97 to 2006-07. The

budgetary allocation of the DWCD, however, as a percent of the total

government expenditure was around 0.45 percent between 1996-97 and 2001-02,

thereafter, it has continuously increased except in the year 2004-05. The figures

in the above Table No.8.26 indicate that the total allocation to the Department of

Women and Child Development is not even one percent of total expenditure

between 1996-97 and 2006-07.

The following Graph Nos.8.11 and 8.12 depict the data contained in Table

No.8.26.

321

Graph No. 8.11: Allocation to the Department of Women and Child Development

Graph No. 8.12: Allocation to the Department of Women and Child Development

8.4.27: Total Budgetary Allocation to DWCD Programmes/Schemes

(1996-97 to 2006-07): The following Table No.8.27 contains data related to the

changes in budgetary allocation of DWCD programmes/schemes between

1996-97 and 2006-07.

322

Table No. 8.27:

Total Budgetary Allocation to DWCD

Schemes/ Programmes (1996-97 to 2006-07)

Source: Government of India, Ministry of Finance, Union Budgets from 1996-97 to 2006-07,

Expenditure Budget, Volume II, Notes on Demands for Grants, Ministry of Human Resource

Development, Department of Women and Child Development.

Sl.No. Schemes/Programmes of DWCD Amount

(In Crores) In Percent

1. ICDS: Budgetary Provision 16667.71 69.93

2. World Bank Assisted ICDS Projects 2257.91 9.47

3. Expenditure on Training Programme 483.8 2.03

4. Day Care Centres 364.9 1.53

5. Contribution of GOI to UNICEF 36.99 0.15

6. Budgetary Provision of NIPCCD 98.56 0.41

7. Other Schemes: Budgetary Provision 92.24 0.38

8. Condensed Courses for Women Education 60.95 0.26

9. Hostels for Working Women 89 0.37

10. Support to Training and Employment

Programme 189 0.79

11. Mahila Samriddhi Yojana 165.04 0.69

12. Socio-Economic Programmes 37.99 0.15

13. Training-cum-Production Centres 172.8 0.72

14. Short Stay Homes 142.58 0.59

15. Awareness Generation Programme 38.85 0.16

16. National Commission for Women 48.23 0.20

17. Rashtriya Mahila Kosh 17.02 0.071

18. Balika Samriddhi Yojana 165.59 0.69

19. Integrated Projects for Development of

Women 159.11 0.67

20. Indira Mahila Yojana 147.5 0.61

21. Swadhar 28.7 0.12

22. Scheme for Rescue of Victims of

Trafficking 3.7 0.015

23. National Nutrition Mission 1.12 0.004

24. Nutrition-Other Schemes 93.33 0.39

323

According to Table No.8.26, the grand total budgetary allocation to

DWCD between 1996-97 and 2006-07 amounted to Rs.23832.02 crore. Table

No.8.27 sheds light on the total budgetary allocation for various

schemes/programmes of the Department of Women and Child Development

between 1996-97 and 2006-07. It can be noticed that highest budgetary provision

is made for ICDS which is Rs.16667.71 crore (69.93%) and lowest budgetary

provision is for National Nutrition Mission which is Rs.1.12 crore (0.004%). The

other significant programmes/schemes were, 1) World Bank Assisted ICDS

Projects (9.47%); 2) Day Care Centres (1.53%); 3) Budgetary Provision of

NIPCCD (0.41%); 4) Condensed Courses for Women Education (0.26%); 5)

Hostels for Working women (0.37%); 6) Short Stay Homes (0.59%); 7) Rashtriya

Mahila Kosh (0.071%); 8) Balika Samriddhi Yojana (0.69%); 9) Indira Mahila

Yojana (0.61%); 10) Swadhar (0.12%), etc. It is eminently clear from Table

No.8.27 that budgetary allocation to „women exclusive‟ programmes/schemes is

less than budgetary allocation to „women-child‟ programmes/schemes.

It is learnt from the above discussion that the Government of India has

made Department of Women and Child Development as the nodal agency. This

Department of Women and Child Development runs several schemes and

manages different programmes. However, an in depth analysis brings this fact to

our notice that the allotment to Department of Women and Child Development is

meager. Further, within this department huge disparities in allocation exist. It is,

in the interest of gender equality, necessary that allocation to DWCD should go

up and within DWCD, the allocation to its different programmes should have

semblance.

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