Year End Review-2021: Ministry of Women and Child Development

Year End Review-2021: Ministry of Women and Child Development

Part of: Prelims

• Bill on prohibition of Child Marriage (amendment) Act, 2021 introduced in lok sabha for raising the age of marriage of women from 18 to 21 years
• Sex ratio at birth (srb) improved by 19 points at national level, from 918 in 2014-15 to 937 in 2020-21
• Beti Bachao Beti Padhao: The scheme is being implemented across India and covering 640 districts (as per Census 2011) across the country.
• POSHAN Tracker: To promote the nutritional status of women and children, a transparent and enabling environment is being created that nurtures health, wellness and immunity. Poshan Tracker application has been built on latest technology for ensuring real-time monitoring of supplementary nutrition and providing information for prompt supervision and management of services.  
• Over 2 crore beneficiaries benefitted under Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana scheme for pregnant women and lactating mothers. The Scheme envisages providing cash incentive amounting to INR 5,000/- in three installments directly to the Bank/Post Office Account of Pregnant Women and Lactating Mother (PW&LM) in DBT Mode during pregnancy and lactation. It is a measure for women empowerment through wage compensation and promotion of health seeking behavior.
• Web portal for PM Cares For Children Scheme launched for registration and identification of beneficiaries to support children orphaned due to Covid pandemic

• Over 54 lakh women provided assistance under One Stop Centre Scheme

• Childline (1098) services started at bus stands in addition to railway stations
• Decision to distribute 100% fortified rice to states/UTs under Supplementary Nutrition Programme to address malnutrition among women and children
• Amendment In Juvenile Justice (Care And Protection Of Children) Act to strengthen implementation and monitoring mechanism under the act. Among others, the JJ Amendment Act, 2021 empowers the District Magistrate including Additional District Magistrate to effectively coordinate and monitor the functions of the agencies responsible for implementation of JJ Act, 2015 and decides the cases of adoption under the provisions of the Act and also introduces eligibility conditions for appointment of the members of Child Welfare Committee.
• Simplification of adoption procedure for children adopted under the Hindu Adoption & Maintenance Act, 1956 by persons who desire to relocate the child abroad
• Registered overseas citizens of India granted parity with non-resident Indians in the matter of adoption

News Source: PIB