The government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been paying special attention to the welfare of women and children. It is particularly keen to ensure that women become empowered and self-reliant and children are healthy and grow up in an atmosphere that can help them become good citizens when they reach adulthood.
The NDA government has taken a series of initiatives to achieve these objectives, the most important of these being Mission Shakti, Mission Poshan and Mission Vatsalya. While the first one aims at ensuring the security of women and making them self-reliant, the other two focus on the health and proper growth of children. Mission Poshan has an exclusive emphasis on providing children with the right kind of nutrition to keep them healthy and Mission Vatsalya ensures that their basic rights are not violated in any way.
Schemes under all these missions are being carried out in convergence with state governments, which have the responsibility of implementing them properly. The Modi government has been holding nationwide consultations with state government officials and other stakeholders to ensure proper implementation of these schemes.
Among these stakeholders are non-government organizations as well as Anganwadi workers who receive help from the government. District magistrates have been given important powers for the proper implementation of the schemes under which new Anganwadi centres are being opened and old ones are being renovated.
Technology is being used as an important tool to ensure the proper implementation of the schemes under these missions, which have drawn the praise of people across the country, especially women who were badly in need of support from the government. Technological tools such as Poshan Tracker are being used to keep a close watch on the nutrition needs of children in different areas of the country. The tracker gives authorities a fair idea of how the schemes under Mission Poshan are being carried out and where there is a need for immediate intervention.
Both state governments, as well as central authorities, have been asked to maintain the relevant statistics with regard to the progress of schemes under these missions. Feedback of states and stakeholders is considered important as they are the people who will be implementing the schemes on the ground.
The approach of the central government speaks volumes about the importance Prime Minister Modi attaches to the idea of cooperative federalism. He takes particular care to ensure that states are involved in the implementation of schemes that can be effective only through the combined efforts of state governments as well as the Centre. Many chief ministers have appreciated this approach of the Prime Minister and willingly extended their hand of cooperation as they realize that India as a nation can progress only when they join hands.
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