Latest news with #MinistryofWomenandChildDevelopment
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Business Standard
2 days ago
- Business
- Business Standard
Centre unveils portal to boost gender budgeting across ministries, states
Union Minister for Women and Child Development Annpurna Devi on Thursday launched a web portal titled Gender Budgeting Knowledge Hub, which will serve as a digital repository of all information related to gender budgeting processes. The launch took place during a national consultation on gender budgeting held at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi. The knowledge hub is intended for use by central and state government ministries and departments, as well as other stakeholders. Addressing the gathering, the Union Minister said that gender budgeting has evolved from being a fiscal exercise to becoming a strategic instrument for inclusive governance. 'Our government believes that when we invest in women, we are not merely allocating resources; we are shaping a more just, empowered, and Viksit Bharat,' she said. For the financial year 2025–26, the government has allocated ₹4.49 lakh crore towards the gender budget — a 37 per cent increase over the previous year's allocation, she added. The Union Minister further highlighted that over the past 11 years, gender budget allocations have increased four-and-a-half times — from ₹0.98 lakh crore in 2014–15 to ₹4.49 lakh crore in 2025–26. The consultation — the first of its kind — deliberated on measures to strengthen gender budgeting processes across all sectors. It also included the sharing of initiatives and good practices from central ministries, departments, and state governments under their respective schemes, the Ministry of Women and Child Development said in a statement. The journey of Twenty Years of Gender Budgeting in India: Achievements and Challenges was discussed during the national consultation. Deliberations were also held on a draft Training Manual on Gender Budgeting, developed by the Ministry as an important capacity-building tool and practical guide to understanding various aspects of gender budgeting in India. Senior officers from 40 central ministries and departments, and 19 states, along with representatives from UN Women, the Asian Development Bank, and experts from national-level institutes, participated in the day-long consultation.
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Business Standard
4 days ago
- Politics
- Business Standard
Centre to launch gender budgeting portal to aid inclusive governance
The Central government will launch on Thursday a dedicated portal to support policymakers and stakeholders with data, resources and tools to strengthen gender budgeting practices. According to an official statement, the Ministry of Women and Child Development will hold wider consultations, bringing together key stakeholders from across the country to reinforce the government's commitment to gender-responsive governance. Union Minister for Women and Child Development Annpurna Devi will kickstart the consultations and also launch the Gender Budgeting Knowledge Hub, which will be a dedicated portal providing data, resources and tools to strengthen gender budgeting practices. The day-long event will see participation from 45 Central ministries and departments, 20 states, representatives from international organisations such as UN Women and the Asian Development Bank, as well as leading national institutions. The consultation aims to foster dialogue and promote innovative approaches to gender budgeting at both Central and state levels. "As India works towards the vision of Viksit Bharat @2047, gender budgeting will be instrumental in ensuring that growth is inclusive and equitable," the ministry said in a statement. The Knowledge Hub will serve as a one-stop platform to share best practices, policy briefs, and gender-disaggregated data, it added.
The Hindu
7 days ago
- Health
- The Hindu
Rajasthan's cash plus model pushes up early breastfeeding rate, dietary diversity among new mothers
The recently released report card on Rajasthan's Cash Plus model — India's first State-led pilot to converge Direct Benefit Transfers (DBT) with Behaviour Change Communication (SBCC) for improving maternal and child nutrition — indicates a 49% rise in early breastfeeding (now reaching 90% of newborns), 44% of women being more receptive to home-based counselling, 49% improvement in dietary diversity among pregnant women, and 54% more women using cash specifically for nutrition. The State government scheme augments the national Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY), which provides financial assistance to pregnant and lactating women for their first living child. It aims to improve the health and nutrition of mothers and their infants by offering cash incentives. The scheme is implemented by the Ministry of Women and Child Development. Rajasthan carried out the assessment of its enhanced programme through a three-year field study starting 2021. 'Rajasthan is the first to combine cash support for pregnant women with social and behaviour change interventions (SBCI), such as counselling, home visits, and sessions on nutrition and health. It also includes second-time mothers. This model is already showing a real impact on diet, early registration, and check-ups,' said Om Prakash Bunkar, Director, Women and Child Development Department, Rajasthan. The scheme was started at the end of 2020 in five districts: Udaipur, Banswara, Dungarpur, Pratapgarh, and Baran, as a pilot. It was scaled up to cover the entire State in 2022. The announced budget for the scaled-up version of the scheme is ₹210 crore, targeting around 3.5 lakh second-time pregnant women in the State per year, as per the budget announcement. Digital media Through the programme, pregnant and lactating women are offered home-based and group nutrition counselling on maternal and child health and nutrition. The programme also includes community and social engagements to drive local behaviour change, and the use of digital media to target younger audiences and male household members. While Rajasthan is focused on reducing mortality rates and improving overall well-being, the challenges it faces includes — incomplete data collection (maternal deaths), disparities in care with the large part of this densely populated State being rural and tackling poverty and lack of education cover. Meanwhile, the initiative promotes healthy dietary practices, encourages institutional healthcare utilisation, and strengthens community support systems. To date, it has directly benefited over 3.3 million women, driving measurable improvements in maternal and child health outcomes across the state. As per the survey report, 80% of women reported improved affordability and access to nutritious food, attributing this to greater household awareness and counselling support. Speaking about how the scheme has helped her, Raju Kumari from rural Rajasthan shared: 'During pregnancy, the Anganwadi worker registered me and ensured I got vaccinations and checkups. My anemia was detected early, and I was given iron treatment and nutrition advice. With full support from my mother-in-law and others at home I had a normal delivery at a government hospital, and my baby weighed over 3 kg.'
Time of India
31-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Amul's new liquid infant formula sparks backlash from activists for alleged IMS Act violation
Amul's recent launch of what it claimed to be 'India's first liquid infant formula' has triggered sharp criticism from public health activists , who have accused the dairy giant of violating the Infant Milk Substitutes (IMS) Act. The activists have filed a formal complaint with key government bodies, including the Ministry of Women and Child Development, Ministry of Health , FSSAI, and the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights. The IMS Act strictly prohibits the promotion of breastmilk substitutes for children under the age of two. Activists argue that the manner in which Amul's new product was launched and reported in the media amounts to a clear case of promotion — which is banned under Section 3(c) of the law. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch vàng CFDs với sàn môi giới tin cậy IC Markets The coverage of the product highlighted its convenience, calling it 'ideal to carry' and 'good for working mothers'. Activists contend that this framing 'directly positions the product as a substitute for breastfeeding and this action as promotion.' They also pointed out that Amul's use of a teddy bear graphic on the label may be in breach of IMS Act provisions that ban 'pictures or other graphic material or phrases designed to increase the saleability of infant milk substitute or infant food.' Live Events In response, Amul issued a clarification on social media, saying: 'Amulspray is one of India's oldest and most trusted infant milk food brands and is in complete compliance of the IMS Act…' However, public health advocates remain unconvinced. 'Amul's actions constitute a clear case of promotion of an infant milk substitute — an act explicitly prohibited under Section 3(c) of the IMS Act,' they maintained. The complainants have called for an official enquiry into the launch and marketing of the product, the removal of the teddy bear graphic from the packaging, issuance of media guidelines for IMS-compliant reporting, and strict enforcement of the Act.
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First Post
25-05-2025
- Politics
- First Post
Decriminalise consensual relationship under Pocso, form sex education policy, SC advises govt
The Supreme Court has urged the Centre to rethink the strict application of the Pocso law in cases involving consensual teenage relationships. It also called for a national policy on sexual and reproductive health education. read more The Supreme Court has asked the Centre to consider decriminalising consensual relationships between teenagers so they are not jailed under the strict Pocso law. It also suggested creating a policy on sexual and reproductive health education. A bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan issued a notice to the Centre, asking the Ministry of Women and Child Development to set up an expert panel to study the issue and submit a report by July 25. The court said it will issue further directions after reviewing the report. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD This is a developing story.
