NEW DELHI: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on Thursday approved continuation of the Rs 41,000-crore Anganwadi Services, Scheme for Adolescent Girls, Child Protection Services and National Crache Scheme till November 30, 2018.
Briefing reporters after the Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, IT, Law and Justice Minister and Cabinet spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad said the approved schemes include sub schemes of Anganwadi Services, Scheme for Adolescent Girls, Child Protection Services and National Crache Scheme under umbrella scheme “Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS)”.
More than 11 crore children, pregnant women and lactating mothers and adolescent girls will be benefited through this scheme.
The Cabinet also approved implementation of Scheme for Adolescent Girls for out-of-school girls in the age group of 11-14 years, its phased expansion; phasing out of the on going Kishori Shakti Yojana for out-of-school girls in the age group of 11-14 years, the minister said.
The decision also provides for conversion of National Crache Scheme from Central Sector to Centrally Sponsored Scheme with the revised cost sharing between Centre and States in the ratio of 60:40 for all states and UTs with legislature, 90:10 for NER and Himalayan States and 100% for UTs without legislature and implementation of the Scheme through States/UTs instead of existing implementation agencies.
The Anganwadi Services (ICDS) and Child Protection Services are already in operation in the entire country. The scheme for adolescent girls will be expanded in a phased manner. National Creche Scheme will continue to be implemented in 23,555 creches and approval for National Nutrition Mission shall be obtained separately.
The ongoing schemes have been rationalised by the Government in financial year 2016-17 and have been brought under umbrella ICDS as its sub-schemes. These sub-schemes need to be continued for delivering the child related services to the intended beneficiaries.
The Anganwadi Services (ICDS) aims at holistic development of children under the age of six years and its beneficiaries are children of this age group and pregnant Women & Lactating Mothers.
The sub-schemes listed are not new schemes but are continuing from the XIIth Five Year Plan. The programme through targeted interventions will strive to reduce the level of malnutrition, anaemia and low birth weight babies, ensure empowerment of adolescent girls, provide protection to the children who are in conflict with law, provide safe place for day-care to the children of working mothers, create synergy, ensure better monitoring, issue negative alerts for timely action, encourage States/UTs to perform, guide and supervise the line Ministries and States/UTs to achieve the targeted goals and bring more transparency.
The scheme for adolescent girls aims to facilitate, educate and empower them to enable them to become self-reliant through improved nutrition and health status, promoting awareness about health and hygiene.
The objective of Child Protection Services are to provide safe and secure environment for children in conflict with law and children in need of care and protection while the National Creche Scheme aims at providing a safe place for mothers to leave their children while at work, and at the same time, it is also an intervention towards protection and development of children in the age group of 6 months to 6 years. (agencies)
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