In a recent response in Parliament, the Ministry of Women and Child Development provided a detailed breakdown of how many people are benefiting from key welfare schemes in Punjab and how much money is being spent. Let’s break down the numbers in simple terms.
The Big Picture: Three Main Missions
The government has grouped all its women and child welfare schemes into three main “missions”:
- Mission Saksham Anganwadi & Poshan 2.0: Focuses on nutrition, health, and early education for children, pregnant women, and mothers.
- Mission Shakti: Focuses on women’s safety, security, and empowerment.
- Mission Vatsalya: Focuses on the protection and care of vulnerable children.
Part 1: Who is Benefiting in Punjab? (Beneficiary Count)
Here’s a look at how many people in Punjab are currently supported by these missions (data as of Dec 2025/Jan 2026):
A. Nutrition & Health (Mission Poshan 2.0)
This is the largest reach, supporting the youngest citizens and mothers.
- Pregnant Women: 70,173
- New Mothers (Lactating): 97,675
- Children (0-6 years): 12.97 Lakhs (nearly 1.3 million)
- Adolescent Girls (14-18 years in focus districts): 30,375
B. Women’s Safety & Support (Mission Shakti)
- Women Helpline (181): A staggering 3.58 lakh (358,291) women assisted.
- One Stop Centres (for violence survivors): 25,489 women assisted.
- Maternity Benefit (PMMVY): 4.28 Lakh women received cash benefits in the last three years.
- Working Women Hostels (Sakhi Niwas) & Creches (Palna): Over 1,400 children in creches and 30 women in shelter homes (Shakti Sadan) recently.
C. Child Protection (Mission Vatsalya)
- Children in Institutional Care: 506
- Children in Non-Institutional Care (foster care, sponsorship): 2,483
Part 2: How Much Money is Being Spent? (Funds Released)
The Central Government released the following funds to Punjab over the last three financial years:
(Amount in ₹ Crores)
| Financial Year | Nutrition & Health (Mission Poshan 2.0) | Child Protection (Mission Vatsalya) | Women’s Empowerment (Mission Shakti) | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-23 | 75.31 | 10.69 | 20.71 | ~106.71 |
| 2023-24 | 307.87 | 15.44 | 42.89 | ~366.20 |
| 2024-25 | 265.48 | 14.76 | 38.05 | ~318.29 |
Key Takeaway: Funding saw a significant jump in 2023-24, especially for nutrition and health schemes, before settling at a still-elevated level in 2024-25. Nutrition missions consistently receive the largest share of the budget.
Part 3: What Special Steps Are Being Taken?
The government’s answer also highlighted specific actions to tackle core issues:
- Fighting Malnutrition: Moving beyond just calories, the focus is now on diet diversity and quality. This includes providing fortified rice, promoting millets, setting up nutrition gardens (Poshan Vatikas) at Anganwadi centres, and using a community-based approach to identify and treat severely malnourished children.
- Skilling Adolescent Girls: A special pilot project called NAVYA has been started in convergence with the Skill Development Ministry. It aims to train girls aged 16-18 in non-traditional skills to improve their future job prospects.
- Addressing Domestic Violence: Schemes like One Stop Centres and the 24×7 Women Helpline (181) are the primary interventions. A new initiative called Nari Adalat (Women’s Court) is being piloted to provide alternative dispute resolution and justice at the community level.
In a Nutshell:
The data shows a wide-reaching welfare infrastructure in Punjab, directly supporting over 1.4 million children, mothers, and pregnant women with nutrition, and assisting hundreds of thousands through safety and support services. With an annual investment ranging from ₹ 300 to 366 crores recently, the government is channeling significant funds into these areas, with a clear focus on improving nutritional outcomes and women’s safety through integrated “missions.”
Source: Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 113, answered by the Ministry of Women & Child Development on February 6, 2026.
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