JHARKHAND GOVT. ROLLS OUT MONTHLY AID SCHEME FOR WOMEN AHEAD OF ELECTIONS

Why in the news?

Jharkhand Hemant Soren, Chief Minister of Jharkhand, introduced the Jharkhand Mukhyamantri Maiyan Samman Yojana (JMMSY), which provides a monthly ₹1,000 help to women aged 21 to 50 from poor families.

Key Details

  • Scheme Details: JMMSY seeks to empower women by giving direct financial assistance to meet their fundamental needs. This policy is significant since it targets women from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, ensuring that they receive regular financial help.
  • Beneficiaries: Initially, the plan will assist 81,000 women. Over time, the plan intends to broaden its reach to include more qualified women throughout the state.
  • Political Context: The scheme’s rollout soon before the elections underlines its potential to influence the female electorate in Jharkhand. Women voters constitute a significant portion of the electorate and can be a decisive factor in elections.
  • Financial implications: This initiative has an annual budget of ₹105.80 crore. This scheme is part of a bigger package of social programs implemented by the Soren government, which includes 215 other projects addressing diverse issues such as agriculture loans, food security, and job creation.
  • Demographic Data: More than 75% of Jharkhand’s population lives in rural areas. The state’s literacy rate is approximately 67.63% (Census 2011), with women lagging behind men. Schemes such as JMMSY seek to alleviate these gaps by granting women financial independence.
What are the main initiatives and accomplishments of Ministry of Women and Child Development (MoWCD)?

  • All of the MowCD’s programs are being implemented under three verticals to allow for better monitoring and efficient execution:
    • Saksham Anganwadi & Poshan 2.0 for Nutrition Support for Children, Adolescent Girls, Pregnant Women, and Lactating Mothers; and
    • Mission Shakti for Early Childhood Care & Education, which focuses on women’s safety, security, and empowerment;
    • Mission Vatsalya, with an increased budget over the 15th Finance Commission, for the safety and well-being of children.
  • POSHAN Tracker: An environment that is transparent, supportive, and fosters health, wellbeing, and immunity is being established in order to improve the nutritional status of women and children.This has made it easier for expectant mothers and nursing moms to migrate between Anganwadi Centers (AWCs) both inside and outside of states.
  • POSHAN Pakhwada: In 2022, Poshan Pakhwada was organized to guarantee broad participation in a mass movement focused on nutrition for Poshan Abhiyaan. This was aligned with the Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA) and the Ministry of Jal Shakti (MoJS).
  • Mission Shakti: Mission Shakti consists of two subschemes, Samarthya and Sambal, which are designed to empower and ensure the protection and security of women, respectively.
  • Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY): The Plan aims to give pregnant women and lactating mothers (PW & LM) a cash incentive of Rs. 5,000/-in two installments directly to their bank or post office account under the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mode during their pregnancies and lactations. The program has also been expanded to offer maternity benefits for a second child up to Rs. 6000, but only if the second child is a girl.
  • Beti Bachao Beti Padhao: A multi-sectoral intervention is being used to implement the program in every district of the nation.
  • One-Stop Centers: Across States and UTs, One-Stop Centers or Sakhi Centers offer a variety of integrated services under one roof to women who have experienced violence and are in need of support. These services include assistance in interacting with law enforcement, medical and legal aid, counseling, and psycho-social counseling. Additionally, a toll-free women’s helpline offers both emergency and non-emergency assistance.
  • Nirbhaya Fund: In 2022, the Empowered Committee (EC) of Officers convened. The EC evaluated further projects for funding under the Nirbhaya Fund in addition to monitoring the progress of implementing previously authorized projects and programs.
  • Juvenile Justice Amendment Act: Notifications of the Adoption Regulations, 2022 and the Juvenile Justice Model Amendment Rules, 2022 were sent in September of 2022. As of right now, the District Magistrates (DMs) are the district-level point of contact for all issues pertaining to child safety, empowerment, and safety, including the issuing of adoption orders.
  • The Portal for Restoration and Repatriation of Children (GHAR): It has been designed to operationalize the protocol guaranteeing children’s digital tracking and monitoring, was also introduced.