The Ministry of Women and Child Development is implementing Centrally Sponsored Schemes for the welfare of women and children, which are placed under three verticals, viz.
- Mission Shakti: For safety, protection and empowerment of women
- Saksham Anganwadi & Poshan 2.0: For improving nutrition & health indicators of women and children in the country
- Mission Vatsalya: For protection and welfare of children in difficult circumstances.
About Misson Shakti
| Objective | Strengthening interventions for women’s safety, security and empowerment |
|---|---|
| Core Focus | Proposes strategies to improve convergence across Ministries/Departments and different levels of governance |
| Components (Structure) | Comprises two sub-schemes |
| 1. Sambal – For safety & security of women | |
| 2. Samarthya – For empowerment of women | |
| Sambal Sub-Scheme | Focused on safety and security of women |
| Components of Sambal | |
| · One Stop Centres (OSCs) | |
| · Women Helpline (WHL) | |
| · Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) | |
| · Nari Adalat | |
| Samarthya Sub-Scheme | Focused on empowerment of women |
| Components of Samarthya | |
| · Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY) | |
| · Shakti Sadan | |
| · Sakhi Niwas | |
| · Palna | |
| · SANKALP: Hub for Empowerment of Women (HEW) | |
| Nature of Scheme | Demand-driven Centrally Sponsored Scheme |
| Fund Flow Mechanism | Funds are released to States/UTs for implementation of various components |
| SANKALP: HEW Role (Supportive Action for Nurturing and Knowledge-Based Advancement, Last-Mile Delivery and Potential Realization of Women : Hub for Empowerment of Women) | Functions as a Project Monitoring Unit (PMU) for all components of Mission Shakti |
| · Single Window Function (HEW): Acts as a single window system to bridge information and knowledge gaps regarding schemes and facilities available for women | |
| · Facilitation Role (HEW): Guides women to avail benefits and entitlements under various schemes |
About Hub for Empowerment of Women (HEW)
| Definition | Institutional mechanism for empowerment of women under Mission Shakti |
|---|---|
| Institutional Setup | Established at National, State, and District levels |
| Core Objective | Empower women by enabling them to realize their full potential |
| Convergence Role | Facilitates inter-sectoral convergence of schemes and programs for women at Central, State/UT, and District levels |
| Governance Focus | Promotes inter-ministerial and inter-sectoral coordination |
| Policy Role | Addresses gaps in state action for women |
| Process Strengthening: Strengthens processes for holistic empowerment of women | |
| Access Improvement: Enhances access and utilization of government schemes and services | |
| Social Impact Goal: Creates an enabling environment conducive to social change |
Government Measures to rnhance Institutional Credit Flow to Agriculture
The Government has taken several measures to increase institutional credit flow to the agriculture sector and allied sectors, including to the underserved agricultural segments.
| Measure/Scheme | Objective / Impact | Key Features / Provisions |
|---|---|---|
| Ground Level Credit (GLC) Targets | Ensures adequate and targeted credit flow to agriculture and allied sectors | • Annual targets set for agriculture & allied sectors |
| • Categorised region-wise, agency-wise (SCBs, RRBs, Cooperative Banks) and loan-wise (crop & term loans) | ||
| • Since 2021–22, separate targets for allied sectors (dairy, fisheries, animal husbandry) | ||
| Priority Sector Lending (PSL) Norms | Promotes inclusive agricultural credit, especially for small farmers | • Minimum 18% of ANBC/CEOBSE to agriculture |
| • Sub-target of 10% for Small & Marginal Farmers (SMFs) | ||
| • Applies to Commercial Banks, RRBs, SFBs, LABs, UCBs | ||
| PSL Incentive/Dis-incentive Framework | Ensures balanced regional distribution of agricultural credit | • Incentives for districts with low credit flow |
| • Dis-incentives for districts with excess credit flow | ||
| Kisan Credit Card (KCC) | Enhances access to short-term credit for farmers and allied activities | • Provides timely and affordable credit for inputs and working capital |
| • Extended since 2019 to animal husbandry, dairying, fisheries | ||
| Modified Interest Subvention Scheme (MISS) | Reduces cost of borrowing and encourages timely repayment | • Loans at 7% interest via KCC |
| • Additional 3% incentive on prompt repayment, reducing effective rate to 4% | ||
| Collateral-Free Loan Limit Enhancement | Improves credit access for small and marginal farmers by removing collateral barriers | • Increased from ₹1.60 lakh to ₹2.00 lakh (effective Jan 2025) |
| Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF) | Enhances credit absorption capacity in rural areas | • Managed by NABARD |
| • Supports rural infrastructure creation | ||
| PM Dhan Dhaanya Krishi Yojana (PM-DDKY) | Ensures availability of both short-term and long-term agricultural credit | • Launched in Union Budget 2025–26 |
| • Focus on districts with low credit disbursement | ||
| Strengthening Rural Financial Institutions | Improves efficiency and outreach of rural credit institutions | • Technology upgradation • Support to RRBs and Cooperative Banks |
Measures undertaken by NABARD to Enhance Credit Flow to Agriculture
| Measure / Initiative | Objective / Impact | Key Features / Provisions |
|---|---|---|
| Potential Linked Credit Plan (PLP) | Enables scientific planning and targeted credit allocation in agriculture | • Prepared annually for each district under RBI’s Lead Bank Scheme |
| • Estimates credit potential under priority sector | ||
| • Aggregated at State level to guide Ground Level Credit (GLC) targets | ||
| Ground Level Credit (GLC) Target Setting | Ensures adequate and need-based credit flow to agriculture | • Based on PLPs, past trends and government priorities |
| • Finalised by Government in consultation with NABARD | ||
| Refinance Support (General) | Strengthens lending capacity of financial institutions | • NABARD provides refinance to banks to supplement resources |
| • Covers both short-term and long-term lending | ||
| Short-Term (ST) Refinance | Ensures timely availability of working capital for farmers | • Provided to State Cooperative Banks (StCBs), RRBs and SFBs |
| • Supports crop loans and allied agricultural activities | ||
| Long-Term (LT) Refinance | Promotes capital formation and long-term agricultural development | • Provided to RRBs, SCBs, SFBs and NBFCs |
| • Supports investment credit for agriculture and allied sectors | ||
| Sector-Specific Concessional Refinance | Encourages diversification and targeted sectoral growth | • Micro food processing |
| • Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development | ||
| • Solar rooftop | ||
| • Aspirational and low PSL districts |