ANNUAL REPORT 2016-17 MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT Government of India Annual Report 2016-17 i CONTENTS Page No. Chapter 1. Introduction 1 Chapter 2. Women Empowerment and Protection 5 Chapter 3. Child Development 25 Chapter 4. Child Protection and Welfare 53 Chapter 5. Gender Budgeting 79 Chapter 6 Plan, Statistics & Research 87 Chapter 7. Other Programmes & Activities 95 Chapter 8. Food and Nutrition Board 109 Chapter 9. National Institute of Public Cooperation and Child Development 119 Chapter 10. Central Social Welfare Board 129 Chapter 11. National Commission for Women 141 Chapter 12. Rashtriya Mahila Kosh 157 Chapter 13. National Commission for Protection of Child Rights 165 Chapter 14. Central Adoption Resource Authority 183 Annexures 193 Annual Report 2016-17 iii 1 Introduction Annual Report 2016-17 1 Chapter 1 Introduction 1.1 The Ministry of Women and Child Mission - Children Development, Government of India, came into existence as a separate Ministry with effect 1.4 Ensuring development, care and protection from 30th January, 2006. In 2014, the Ministry of children through cross-cutting policies and was headed for the first time by a Cabinet rank programmes, spreading awareness about their Minister. It has the nodal responsibility to advance rights and facilitating access to learning, nutrition, the rights and concerns of women and children institutional and legislative support for enabling who together constitute 67.7% of the country’s them to grow and develop to their full potential. population, as per 2011 Census. The Ministry was Constitutional and Legal Provisions for constituted with the prime intention of addressing Women and Children gaps in State action for women and children and for promoting inter-ministerial and inter-sectoral 1.5 The makers of our Constitution were convergence to create gender equitable and child- concerned for the equality and rights of women centered legislation, policies and programmes. and children, and promoting their well-being The function of the Ministry is to promote the to ensure a better future for them. This vision is empowerment and protection of women and enshrined in constitutional provisions which are children and ensure their equitable and wholesome listed at Annexure - I. To further the interests development. of the women and children of the country, the Vision Government has also enacted a number of laws which are listed at Annexure - II. 1.2 Empowered women living with dignity and contributing as equal partners in development Subjects allocated to the Ministry of Women in an environment free from violence and and Child Development discrimination. And, well-nurtured children with full opportunities for growth and development in 1.6 The subjects allocated to the Ministry of Women and Child Development are listed at a safe and protective environment. Annexure - III. Mission - Women 1.7 The Ministry has been preparing its 1.3 Promoting social and economic policies and programmes in accordance with the empowerment of women through cross-cutting priorities outlined in the Five Year and Annual policies and programmes, mainstreaming gender Plans for inclusive growth and development of concerns, creating awareness about their rights and women and children. facilitating institutional and legislative support for enabling them to realise their human rights and 1.8 The Ministry has evolved policies, plans develop to their full potential. of action, legislations, programmes and schemes for advancement of women and children and Annual Report 2016-17 3 has been implementing them with the support its aegis, besides two Statutory Commissions of State Governments/UTs, Government and namely, National Commission for Women (NCW) Non-Government Organisations for achieving its and National Commission for Protection of Child mandate. Rights (NCPCR). NIPCCD, RMK and CARA are Societies registered under the Societies Organisational Structure of the Ministry Registration Act, 1860. CSWB is a charitable 1.9 After the formation of 16th Lok Sabha, company registered under section 25 of the Indian Smt. Maneka Sanjay Gandhi, has taken over the Companies Act, 1956. These organizations are charge as Cabinet Minister of the Ministry of funded by the Government of India and they Women and Child Development. Smt. Krishna assist the Ministry in its functions including Raj has assumed the charge of Minister of State for implementation of programmes/schemes. The Women and Child Development on 5th July, 2016. Food and Nutrition Board (FNB) is an attached Ms. Leena Nair, took charge as the Secretary of office of the Ministry. the Ministry with effect from 1st June, 2016, on 1.11 The National Commission for Women superannuation of Shri V. Somasundaran on 31st (NCW) is a national apex statutory body set up May, 2016. Secretary (WCD) is assisted by two in 1992 for protecting and safeguarding the rights Additional Secretaries, four Joint Secretaries, a of women. National Commission for Protection Financial Adviser, an Economic Adviser and a of Child Rights (NCPCR) was set up on 5th Statistical Adviser. Organizational chart of the March, 2007 as envisaged in the Commission for Ministry is at Annexure - IV. Protection of Child Rights Act, 2005. Organisations under the aegis of the Achievements of the Ministry during Ministry 2016-17 1.10 The Ministry has four Autonomous 1.12 The Policy initiatives and Plan Organizations viz. National Institute of Public interventions for the development, welfare and Cooperation and Child Development (NIPCCD), protection of women and children and other major Central Social Welfare Board (CSWB), Rashtriya achievements of the Ministry during 2016-17 are Mahila Kosh (RMK), and Central Adoption discussed in the succeeding chapters. Resource Authority (CARA) working under 4 Introduction 2 Women Empowerment & Protection Annual Report 2016-17 5 Chapter 2 Women Empowerment & Protection I. INTRODUCTION years has evolved from purely welfare oriented approach, to recognizing women’s centrality 2.1 As per Census 2011, the population of in the development processes and adopting an India is 1210.19 million comprising 586.47 empowerment approach. This paradigm shift from million women which constitute about half of the women’s development to women’s empowerment total population. The empowerment of women ensured that the benefits of development from is fundamental for the progress of the country. different sectors do not bypass women and special The Constitution of India conveys a powerful programmes are implemented to complement mandate for equality and rights of women as the general programmes. The policy to earmark citizens in its Preamble, Fundamental Rights and specific percentage of allocations for women in all Duties and also provides for specific provisions anti-poverty schemes in rural and urban areas was for affirmative action. India is also signatory to adopted. a number of International Conventions, primarily the Convention on Elimination of all Forms 2.3 The concept of Women’s Component Plan of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), was introduced in the Ninth Plan, where identified and has recently endorsed the 2030 Sustainable Ministries were mandated to indicate and ensure Development Goals (SDGs) which will further the flow of benefits to women’s development. change the course of development by addressing Recognizing that women’s issues cut across various key challenges including gender equity. The sectors, the National Policy for Empowerment of Government of India and the Ministry of Women Women, 2001 was also prepared. The focus was and Child Development in particular is leading a given to creation of Self-Help Groups (SHGs) number of schemes, programmes and legislations and the efforts continued during and after Tenth to improve the status of women as equal partners Plan as well. During this period, for the first and active agents of change in the social, economic, time, monitorable targets were set for a few key cultural and political progress of the country. indicators of human development, which include reduction in gender gaps in literacy, wage rates II. PLANNING PROCESS AND and reduction in maternal mortality rate. The WOMEN EMPOWERMENT Twelfth Plan focuses on women’s agency through 2.2 Women secured a special place in the identified strategies to address the challenges national plans and planning process primarily posed by traditional determinants of women with thrusts on health, education and employment. empowerment such as economic empowerment, Empowerment of women has been recognized and social and physical infrastructure, enabling accepted as a distinct strategy since the Eighth legislations, women’s participation in governance Five Year Plan. The planning process over the and engendering national policies /programmes. Annual Report 2016-17 7 Hon’ble Minister WCD with women Secretaries to the Government of India III. NATIONAL POLICY FOR architecture, enacting new legislations and WOMEN 2016 reviewing/ harmonizing legislations, engaging with stakeholders for advocacy and awareness 2.4 The Ministry is in process of finalization generation, strengthening institutionalization of National Policy for Women (NPW) 2016. The of gender budgeting and creating an effective discourse on women’s empowerment has gradually gender based data base. The Draft Policy was evolved over the last few decades, from seeing placed online to seek public comments through women as mere recipients of welfare benefits to the MyGov portal. Consultations were also held mainstreaming