Underfunding and Inefficiency in Women and Child Development Ministry

A recent report by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education, Women, Children, Youth and Sports under the chairmanship of Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP has revealed a significant budgetary shortfall for the Ministry of Women and Child Development, hindering the effective implementation of crucial welfare programs.

The report states that the Ministry was allocated Rs 26 crores under Budget Estimate 2025-26, a mere 0.53 percent of the total budget allocation, despite the fact that the Ministry caters to 67 percent of the country’s population. The committee expressed concerns over the ministry’s actual utilisation of funds, which stood at only 70.89 per percent of the budget estimate for 2024-25.

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Problems Identified: Severe Underutilisation of Resources

The report identified several problems, especially those related to allocation and underutilisation of resources. It stated that staff at One Stop Centres (OSCs), a centrally sponsored scheme to support women affected by violence and those in distress, are not properly trained and are hired on a contractual basis with low salaries.

Several schemes, including Saksham Anganwadi and POSHAN 2.0, Mission Vatsalya, and Mission Shakti, had substantial unutilised funds. These schemes aim to address challenges of malnutrition among children, pregnant women, lactating mothers, and adolescent girls.

There are vacant posts in the National Commission for Women (NCW), and contractual appointments are prevalent. The committee also observed that there were huge vacancies of around 2.13 lakh Anganwadi Workers and Anganwadi Helpers, affecting the functioning of the Anganwadi Centres and consequently the success of the Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 schemes.

The report observed that there have been significant variations in allocations across different schemes, with some schemes receiving considerably less than the projected amounts.

The actual utilisation of funds by the Ministry has been inconsistent, with unutilised funds remaining in some schemes such as Saksham Anganwadi and POSHAN 2.0, Mission Vatsalya, and Mission Shakti, which had substantial unutilised funds, it stated.

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Recommendations to the Ministry of Women and Child Development and the Ministry of Finance

The report also includes a series of recommendations to the Ministry of Women and Child Development and the Ministry of Finance, aimed at improving fund allocation, utilisation, and the overall effectiveness of its programmes:

• Seeking more funds from the Ministry of Finance at the revised estimate stage to ensure that schemes/plans are not hindered by a shortage of funds.
• The finance ministry should be consulted to avoid substantial reductions in allocations at the revised estimate stage, ensuring the effectiveness of the schemes.
• Adhering to Rule 56(3) of the General Financial Rules, streamline expenditure during 2025-26, and avoid concentrating expenditure in the last quarter of the financial year.
• Reviewing the projections made to the finance ministry and actual allocations for each scheme to make implementation more realistic.
• Monitoring the physical and financial progress of the schemes to prevent them from suffering due to reduced allocations.
• The finance ministry should allocate funds to the Ministry of Women and Child Development liberally, considering that the ministry serves more than half of the country’s population and runs critical schemes for their well-being and development.

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Recommendations for the Anganwadi Workers

The parliamentary committee made several key recommendations. Some of them related to Anganwadi workers include:

• Ensuring that the funds under Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 are fully utilised.
• Upgradation of all Anganwadis into Saksham Anganwadis cum crèches with childcare facilities available for all children from 6 months to 6 years.
• Investigating the reasons for the difference between sanctioned and operational Anganwadi Centres (AWCs) and taking concrete steps to ensure all sanctioned AWCs are operational.
• Conducting a geo-social caste census to map anaemia and malnutrition across caste communities.
• Setting up a national mission to eradicate malnutrition and anaemia by 2032.
• Filling up of nearly 2.13 lakh vacant positions in Anganwadis by the end of 2025.
• Taking steps for the provision of safe and potable drinking water and toilet facilities in all AWCs.
• Ensuring 100 percent electric connections in all AWCs and Saksham Anganwadis at the earliest.
• Doubling the honorarium of Anganwadi Workers (AWWs) and Anganwadi Helpers (AWHs). It should not be below the minimum wages prescribed in the country.
• Monitoring the issue of the replacement of smartphones distributed to Anganwadi workers.
• Fast-tracking the process of creating Ayushman Bharat cards for AWWs and AWHs and also supporting the establishment of a Welfare Board for Anganwadi workers.
• Appointing an additional AWW to enable the educational component of ECCE in Anganwadis.
• Creation of a comprehensive National Framework for Children to reconcile all laws, policies and stakeholders relating to children’s welfare.