Union Minister of Women and Child Development, Annapurna Devi, emphasized on Saturday that empowering women and ensuring their safety is a top priority for the Central government. She highlighted several concrete steps taken by the Central government to safeguard women and called on state governments to effectively implement these schemes.
While addressing a gathering at Mahatma Mandir during the inauguration of the seventh edition of “Poshan Maah,” a nationwide nutrition month celebrated in September, Devi was accompanied by Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and state Women and Child Welfare Minister Bhanuben Babaria.
“Empowering women and providing them a safe environment is the Indian government’s top priority. The government has taken many concrete steps to ensure the safety of women. But it is also the responsibility of the state governments to take advantage of these schemes and implement them,” she noted.
“Poshan Maah” showcases Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s commitment to the holistic health and nutrition of children, mothers, and sisters. The campaign focuses on key aspects like awareness about anaemia, growth monitoring, nutrition education, appropriate dietary supplements, technology-based transparency, and environmental protection. The initiative aims to reach grassroots levels through anganwadis.
The campaign seeks to holistically improve nutritional outcomes among pregnant women, expectant mothers, adolescent girls, and children under six years. As part of the campaign, 3.7 crore community-based events have been organized since the launch of “Poshan Maah.”
The primary objective of this campaign is to develop India’s human capital and adopt a life cycle approach to nutrition. The mission is based on four pillars: good governance, convergence, capacity building, and collective participation. To ensure the overall development of children, the Centre has introduced the “Poshan Bhi Padhai Bhi” (nutrition along with education) program in anganwadis.
“Anganwadi workers are receiving special training for the smooth functioning of the program. In the next two years, they will be trained to become both food providers and teachers for our young children,” she added. Anganwadi workers have established 6.42 lakh nutrition gardens at anganwadis to ensure beneficiaries receive fresh vegetables and fruits.
Under Saksham Anganwadi and Mission Poshan 2.0, more than 1.36 lakh anganwadis have been approved for upgrades. The ministry has also included various millet types in the supplementary nutrition program to enhance nutritional quality. Poshan Tracker represents a significant shift in making Mission Poshan 2.0 more effective and better evaluated.
Devi reiterated the importance of women’s empowerment in achieving the vision of a developed India, highlighting the prime minister’s focus on women-led development. This is evident in the more than Rs 3 lakh crore budget allocation for projects related to women and adolescent girls.
She further stated that Gujarat’s “double engine” government is dedicated to women’s safety, citing the 181 helpline for women as a model for other states to emulate.
(This report has been published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. Apart from the headline, no editing has been done in the copy by ABP Live.)
