(a) the position of India in the area of Child Development Index and Gender Inequality as per the latest report of United Nations Development Programme on Human Development Index;
(b) whether the Government has taken/ proposes to take steps to improve its ranking in this regard; and
(c) if so, the details and the outcome thereof ?
MINISTER OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT (SHRIMATI MANEKA SANJAY GANDHI)
(a): As per United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Report, 2014, India ranks 127 (out of 139 countries) in respect of Gender Inequality Index. However, Child Development Index is not covered in this report.
(b) & (c): Ending gender based inequities is of utmost priority for the Government. The Government of India has already enacted a number of legislations to address gender based discrimination. These include the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005; Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961; Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act, 1986; the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 and the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act,2006 (PCMA), Equal Remuneration Act, 1976, Maternity Benefit Act, 1961, and 73rd - 74th Amendment of the Constitution mandating 33% reservation for women in the local governance. Further, to address the issue of declining Child Sex Ratio (CSR), the Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao (BBBP) programme has been initiated with the objectives to empowering the girl child and enabling her education through a mass campaign and focussed intervention in 100 critical districts low CSR. Gender Budgeting, which aims at translating gender commitments in to budgetary commitments, has been adopted as a tool for mainstreaming gender perspective at various stages of planning, budgeting, implementation, impact assessment and revisiting of policy/ programme objectives and allocations, with an objective of influencing and effecting a change in the Ministries’ policies, programmes in a way that could tackle gender imbalances, promote gender equality and development and ensure that public resources through the Ministries budgets are allocated and managed accordingly;
To overcome gender based inequalities/discrimination, the Government of India conducts awareness generation programmes and publicity campaigns on rights of women. This includes gender sensitization through workshops, fairs, cultural programmes, seminars, training programmes, street plays, Nari ki Chaupals, Beti Janmotshav at the district level. In collaboration with the Ministry of Panchayati Raj Special (Mahila) Gram Sabhas have also been conducted. Advertisements in the press and electronic media educating peoples about issues of domestic violence, Child Sex Ratio and Child Marriage are also being taken up. Platforms such as the International Women’s Day and the National Girl Child Day are used to create awareness on issues related to women and to bring to the centre stage issues such as sex selective abortions and child marriage
To improve the Child Development Index, the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012 has been enacted to provide protection to children under the age of 18 year from the offences of sexual assault, sexual harassment and pornography.
Sabla programme of this Ministry, is being implemented for all-round development of adolescent girls of 11-18 years by making them self-reliant by facilitating access to learning, health and nutrition.
Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) is being implemented to provide a package of services comprising supplementary nutrition, immunization, health check up and referral services and pre-school non-formal education to children aged 0-6 years.
The Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS) is being implemented to provide a protective environment for children in difficult circumstances, and other vulnerable children, as well as to reduce vulnerabilities to situations and actions that lead to abuse, neglect, exploitation, abandonment and separation of children.