How Mission Palna helps retain women in workforce and child rearing

New Delhi: The Union government has come up with numerous schemes for women and girls in India. Ever since coming to power at the Centre, the BJP government led by PM Narendra Modi has taken several steps to help women live a life with dignity. One such scheme is the Palna Scheme of the government which is credited with helping retain women in the work force.

Palna Scheme of the government is a day-care crèche facility provided by the government to working women. The government christened the erstwhile National Creche Scheme as Palna Scheme in 2022. This scheme works as a sub scheme of ‘Samarthya’ of ‘Mission Shakti’. The scheme is sponsored by the Centre, but works with the participation of both the Centre and the States. The scheme works on a funding ratio of 60:40 between Centre and State Governments and UTs with legislature, except for the states of North East and Special Category States. In North East states and the special category states, the fund division is in the 90:10 ratio. Also in the Union Territories, where there is no legislature, the funding comes entirely from the Central government.

The Palna Scheme aims to provide for quality crèche facility in a safe and secure environment for children between the ages of 6 months to 6 years. The scheme also aims for providing nutritional support and cognitive development of children. Not only that, monitoring the health of children and growth and immunization of children is also included under the scheme. The facilities under Palna Scheme can be availed by all women, even if they are not working.

This scheme formalises the child care facilities in the country and is helping those working women who live in nuclear families. Creche facility formalises child care, usually considered a part of domestic work. The creche facilities being offered to women is in tune with the Sustainable Development Goal of decent work and economic growth.

The key services available to children under Mission Palna are:

1. Day care facilities, including sleeping arrangement for children

2. Early stimulation activities for children below 3 years

3. Pre-school education for children between 3 years to 6 years

4. Supplementary nutrition for children

5. Growth monitoring, health check ups and immunization.

The creche facility must be made available in all facilities with 50 or more employees, according to the order passed by the Ministry of Labour and Employment.

There are 2 types of creches under the Palna scheme.

1. Standalone Crèches: In standalone creches, there are 2 employees. One is the creche worker and one helper.

2. Anganwadi-cum-Crèches: In Anganwadi-cum-Crèches, apart from the Anganwadi worker and an Anganwadi helper, there is a Creche Helper and Creche worker

In fact Anganwadi centers are the world's largest childcare institutions. They provide essential care and support to children ensuring delivery of care facilities till the last mile. The Creche facility provided by the government, along with Anganwadis aim at increasing the women workforce participation in the economy. The Ministry of Women and Child Development aims at establishing 17,000 new Anganwadi cum creches under the Palna Scheme in 2024-25.

According to guidelines under Mission Shakti, creche facilities will be available for 7.5 hours per day for 26 days in a month. These creche timings however need to be flexible and must be decided based upon the work schedule of the majority of the mothers in the area.In order to maintain quality care, each creche takes in maximum 25 children.

The creche workers and helpers are honorary workers. There is no provision of a fixed salary for them under this scheme. However it provides for an honorarium for the workers and helpers.In case of standalone creches, the worker is entitled to an honorarium of Rs 6,500, while the gets Rs 3,250. In case of Anganwadi cum Crèche the worker will get Rs 5,500 while the helper gets Rs 3,000.

Since these Central schemes are implemented by the States they may provide an additional amount of honorarium to Creche Worker/ Helpers, as a Top-Up from their own funds. There is no bar or restriction from the Central Government about this.

After the Palna Scheme was introduced, the government in 2022-23 allocated Rs 35 crore for the scheme. Of this however, only Rs 4.68 crore was released. In 2023-24, the amount allocated increased to Rs 85 crore, and the amount finally released was Rs 64.15 crore. This fiscal, (2024-25) the government has allocated Rs 150.11 crore, of which Rs 43.66 crore has already been released.