Important Government Schemes and Policies for Gender Equality in India

India implements targeted schemes and legal frameworks to eliminate gender disparities, safeguard rights, and promote female leadership across socio-economic sectors. Coordinated by the Ministry of Women and Child Development alongside other central ministries, these interventions address female foeticide, maternal health, educational dropouts, economic credit access, workplace safety, and political representation. The policy architecture shifts from basic welfare to women-led development, aligning national goals with Sustainable Development Goal 5.

Umbrella Frameworks and Safety Initiatives

Mission Shakti Architecture

• Launched as an integrated women empowerment umbrella scheme by the Ministry of Women and Child Development.
• Comprises two sub-schemes: Sambal (focusing on safety and security) and Samarthya (focusing on empowerment).
• Sambal includes One Stop Centres (Sakhi Centres), Women Helpline (181), Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, and Nari Adalats.
• Samarthya includes Working Women Hostels (Sakhi Niwas), National Creche Scheme (Palna), Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana, and Gender Budgeting initiatives.

Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP)

• Launched on January 22, 2015 at Panipat, Haryana, as a tri-ministerial initiative of WCD, Health, and Education ministries.
• Targets the declining Child Sex Ratio (CSR) in the 0-6 age group and promotes secondary school enrollment for girls.
• Eliminates gender-biased sex-selective elimination through strict enforcement of the PC-PNDT Act, 1994.

One Stop Centre (OSC) and Women Helpline

• OSCs (Sakhi Centres) deliver medical aid, legal counsel, police facilitation, psycho-social advice, and temporary shelter under one roof.
• Financed through the non-lapsable Nirbhaya Fund established in 2013 following the 2012 New Delhi gang rape incident.
• Universalized 181 Women Helpline provides 24×7 emergency response and links distress calls directly with OSCs and police authorities.

Health, Education, and Social Protection Schemes

Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY)

• A direct benefit transfer conditional cash scheme implemented under Section 4 of the National Food Security Act, 2013.
• Provides financial assistance of ₹5,000 for the first child to compensate for wage loss during pregnancy and lactation.
• Extends an additional incentive of ₹6,000 for the second child, provided the second child is a girl child, to curb female foeticide.

Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana (SSY)

• Launched in 2015 as a small deposit savings scheme under the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao campaign.
• Allows parents or legal guardians to open an account for a girl child below 10 years of age in post offices or commercial banks.
• Offers tax exemptions under Section 80C of the Income Tax Act, allowing partial withdrawal up to 50% for higher education when the girl turns 18.

Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY)

• Safe motherhood intervention under the National Health Mission providing direct cash incentives for institutional delivery.
• Focuses on low-performing states to reduce maternal mortality ratio and infant mortality rate among low-income households.

Economic Empowerment and Financial Inclusion Initiatives

Stand-Up India and Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana

• Stand-Up India facilitates bank loans between ₹10 lakh and ₹1 crore to at least one female borrower per bank branch for greenfield enterprises.
• Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana provides collateral-free loans up to ₹10 lakh, with women entrepreneurs securing over 68% of total disbursed loans.

DAY-NRLM and Women Self-Help Groups (SHGs)

• Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission organizes poor rural women into Self-Help Groups.
• Lakhpati Didi Initiative: Aims to train and support women SHG members to earn a sustainable annual income of at least ₹1 lakh per household.
• Namo Drone Didi Scheme: Provides 15,000 women SHGs with agricultural drones and flight training for liquid fertilizer application and crop monitoring.

Mahila Samridhi Yojana and Housing Ownership

• Provides micro-credit and low-interest term loans to women entrepreneurs belonging to backward classes.
• Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) mandates sole or joint ownership of allocated housing units in the name of the female head of the household.

Political Representation and Legislative Protections

Key Facts

• Mission Shakti serves as the primary umbrella scheme for women’s safety, protection, and empowerment in India.
• The 106th Constitutional Amendment Act, 2023 reserves one-third of seats in Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies for women.
• Beti Bachao Beti Padhao was launched in Panipat, Haryana on January 22, 2015.
• The Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act of 2017 expanded paid maternity leave to 26 weeks for women working in formal establishments.
• The Nirbhaya Fund was established in 2013 as a dedicated non-lapsable fund for women’s safety projects.
• Under the Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana, a girl child account can be opened anytime from birth up to 10 years of age.
• Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana provides ₹6,000 for the birth of a second child if the child is female.
• The Namo Drone Didi scheme equips women Self-Help Groups with agricultural drones and operational training.
• Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana mandates female ownership or joint ownership in the allocation of government-subsidized houses.
• The POSH Act of 2013 requires an Internal Complaints Committee in every organisation employing 10 or more individuals.