Prelims Special: Child Welfare Schemes for UPSC 2025

Child welfare schemes form a crucial part of India's social development framework, focusing on improving the health, education, nutrition, and protection of children. For UPSC Prelims, questions often appear on centrally sponsored schemes, implementing ministries, and key objectives.

Understanding major initiatives like ICDS, POSHAN Abhiyaan, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, Mission Vatsalya, and PM CARES for Children helps aspirants link constitutional provisions (Articles 15, 21A, 24) with governance and welfare mechanisms. These schemes reflect India's commitment to nurturing its youngest citizens and achieving inclusive growth.

Prelims Special: Child Welfare Schemes

Child Welfare Schemes in India are designed to promote the holistic development and protection of children, ensuring their right to survival, growth, and education. These initiatives aim to eliminate child labour, improve health and nutrition, and create a safe and empowering environment for all children. For UPSC Prelims, knowing the objectives, ministry, and components of each scheme is key to scoring high in questions under Social Sector and Welfare Initiatives.

1. Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS):

• Launched: 1975

• Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Women and Child Development (MoWCD)

• Objective: Provide nutrition, health check-ups, immunization, and preschool education for children under 6 years and support for pregnant and lactating mothers.

• Components: Anganwadi services, health education, and nutrition supplementation.

2. POSHAN Abhiyaan (National Nutrition Mission):

• Launched: 2018

• Aim: Improve nutritional outcomes for children, adolescent girls, and women.

• Features: Convergence of various ministries, real-time monitoring through the POSHAN Tracker, and community-based events.

3. Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP):

• Launched: 2015

• Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Women and Child Development with Health & Education Ministries

• Objective: Address the declining Child Sex Ratio (CSR) and promote education and empowerment of girls.

• Key Focus: Awareness campaigns, enforcement of laws, and improvement in service delivery.

4. Mission Vatsalya (Earlier ICPS):

• Launched: 2022

• Nodal Ministry: MoWCD

• Objective: Ensure child protection and rehabilitation, focusing on orphans, abandoned, and vulnerable children.

• Implementation: Through child care institutions, adoption, and foster care systems.

5. PM CARES for Children Scheme:

• Launched: 2021 (for COVID-19-affected children)

• Objective: Support children who lost both parents or guardians to COVID-19 with education, health insurance, and a corpus fund.

• Managed by: Ministry of Women and Child Development.

6. National Creche Scheme (NCS):

• Objective: Provide daycare facilities for working women's children (6 months-6 years).

• Benefit: Ensures proper nutrition, education, and safety during working hours.

7. Mid-Day Meal (MDM) / PM POSHAN Scheme:

• Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Education

• Objective: Provide nutritious meals to school-going children to improve enrolment, retention, and learning outcomes.

8. Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan:

• Objective: Integrate school education from pre-primary to senior secondary levels, ensuring access, equity, and quality education for children.

UPSC Relevance:

These schemes directly connect with Prelims static and current affairs, especially under Governance, Social Development, and Child Welfare topics. They can also be quoted in Mains GS2 (Welfare of Vulnerable Sections) and Essay Paper. Questions often test knowledge about launch years, ministries, and key features.