Government Welfare Schemes and Programs for Women and Children
The delivery architecture
Schemes reach the ground through Anganwadi centres, One Stop Centres (Sakhi), the Women Helpline 181, Childline 1098, and district Women and Child Development offices. A supervisor's core task is convergence - nutrition, health, protection and education all meet at the Anganwadi.
Core schemes and their numbers
- Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (2015) - nodal MWCD; awareness and enforcement, not a cash transfer.
- Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana (2015) - account for a girl below 10; annual deposit limits with Section 80C benefit.
- Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (2017) - ₹5,000 for the first living child, and ₹6,000 if the second child is a girl, subject to registration and immunisation conditions.
- Janani Suraksha Yojana (2005) and JSSK (2011) - safe motherhood and zero-expense delivery care.
- POSHAN Abhiyaan (2018), ICDS (1975), Mission Shakti (2021, with Sambal and Samarthya sub-schemes), Mission Vatsalya for child protection.
- Madhya Pradesh: Ladli Laxmi Yojana (launched 2006) for girl children, and Ladli Behna Yojana (2023), a monthly direct transfer to eligible women.
Worked example. A mother has one son, then a daughter. What does PMMVY pay her in total? Reasoning: ₹5,000 for the first living child, and the second child earns ₹6,000 only if it is a girl, a condition designed to discourage sex-selective practices. Total = ₹11,000, subject to eligibility and Aadhaar–bank linkage.
Traps
- Treating BBBP as a scholarship or cash scheme.
- Swapping 181 (women) and 1098 (children).
- Forgetting that PMMVY is conditional, not universal.