Question : Creches for Children of Jail Employee

(a) whether the Government has any proposal to open crèches for children of jail employees in different States;
(b) if so, the details and present status thereof, State/UT-wise especially in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Odisha;
(c) if not, the reasons therefor;
(d) the details of women employed in jails, State/UT wise especially in Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Odisha; and
(e) the details of funds allocated and steps taken by the Government to ensure women do not drop out of the job due to domestic obligations?

‘Prisons’ is a State subject as per entry 4 of List II of the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution of India. The administration and management of prisons is primarily the responsibility of respective State Governments. However, the Government of India has been providing regular guidance/ advisory to States and Union Territories on various aspects of prison reforms including facilities to inmates and the requisite infrastructure in prisons.
The Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 2017 requires every establishment having fifty or more employees to have the facility of crèche within a prescribed distance. The State Governments, who are the appropriate Government under the Maternity Benefit Act for establishments other than mines and circus, are required to frame rules for the purposes of the Act, including inter alia for prescribing amenities and facilities required to be provided in such crèches, in light of which the Ministry of Labour and Employment has already requested all State Governments.
Ministry of Women and Child Development is implementing the National Crèche Scheme for the children of working mothers as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme through States/ UTs with effect from 01.01.2017 to provide day care facilities to children (age group of 6 months to 6 years) of working mothers. As per National Crèche Scheme guidelines, the concerned States/ UTs assess the demand and analyse the requirement of crèches in States and UTs.

(d) to (e) Data on provision of mandatory crèche services at establishments including jails and their women employees, is not maintained centrally. A baseline survey is conducted by State Governments and the implementing agencies to ascertain the needs of community, identification of location, as well as the requirement/ willingness of children to attend the crèches. The norms for setting up and running of crèches have been stipulated under guidelines of the National Crèche Scheme for the children of working mothers.


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