Women and Child Welfare: NBSE Class 9 Environment

Summary

In the past, women and girls faced a lot of hardship. Many were denied education and basic needs. Some parents even killed girl babies before birth or ignored their health and learning. Earlier, in the Vedic period, women had equal rights and education. But later, their condition worsened.

Now, the government is working to improve the lives of women. Free education is provided in many states. Women are taking part in jobs like teaching, science, and medicine. Many plans and schemes support women. These include Swayamsidha, which helps women through self-help groups, and Swashakti, which gives health services and skill training. Other schemes like Swavlamban and Swadhar offer job skills and help to women in need. Hostels are built for working women. Rashtriya Mahila Kosh provides small loans. Mission Shakti works for safety and growth of women.

There are many laws to protect women. These include laws against dowry, domestic violence, and workplace harassment. Women have rights to equal pay, safe work, and maternity benefits. There are also laws to protect Muslim women and to stop sex selection and abortion of girl children.

Women are also active in protecting the environment. In the Chipko Movement, Amrita Devi and others hugged trees to stop them from being cut. She gave her life for the trees. Her last words meant that a life is worth less than a tree. This shows the deep love for nature. Women in the Himalayas also stopped logging through peaceful protests. In Kenya, Wangari Maathai started the Green Belt Movement. Women planted trees and improved both the environment and their lives.

Children also need care and support. Many face violence, child labour, abuse and early marriage. Child welfare means keeping children safe, healthy and happy. The government has passed laws like the Juvenile Justice Act, Child Marriage Act, and Child Labour Act. Schemes like Mid-Day Meal, ICDS, Sabla, and PM CARES support children’s health, food and education. Children have rights to survival, protection, development, and participation.

UNICEF also helps children by giving food and care. Many schemes aim to help street children, working children, and girls. Beti Bachao Beti Padhao encourages people to save and educate girl children. The government is working to stop child labour and support children in need.

These efforts help make sure women and children live safe, healthy and strong lives.

Textbook solutions

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)

1. Chipko Movement is the movement of:

A. An animal
B. Women’s movement
C. Both (a) and (b)
D. None of these

Answer: B. Women’s movement

2. Hindu Marriage Act was formed in:

A. 1966
B. 1970
C. 1955
D. 1960

Answer: C. 1955

3. When did UNICEF become a permanent part of the United Nations?

A. 1950
B. 1960
C. 1952
D. 1953

Answer: D. 1953

Very Short Answer Questions

1. What do you mean by women welfare?

Answer : Women welfare refers to the policies, programs, and practices aimed at improving the social, economic, and political status of women.

2. Write full form of ICDS.

Answer : The full form of ICDS is Integrated Child Development Services.

3. Define Mid-day Meal Scheme.

Answer : The Mid-day Meal Scheme is a government initiative in India aimed at providing free meals to children in primary and upper primary schools. It provides hot cooked mid-day meals to children studying in class I to VIII in Government, Government-aided, local body schools, as well as children studying in the National Child Labour Project (NCLP) schools and centres run under the Education Guarantee Scheme (EGS).

Short Answer Questions

1. Explain at least two rights of children.

Answer : (i) Right to Survival: A child’s right to survival begins before a child is born. According to the Government of India, a child’s life begins after twenty weeks of conception. Hence, the right to survival is inclusive of the child’s rights to be born, the right to minimum standards of food, shelter, and clothing, and the right to live with dignity.
(ii) Right to Development: Children have the right to all forms of development: Emotional, Mental, and Physical. Emotional development is fulfilled by proper care and love of a support system, mental development through education and learning, and physical development through recreation, play, and nutrition.

2. What do you mean by Integrated Child Development Services?

Answer : Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) is a government program in India aimed at improving the nutritional and health status of children under the age of six and promoting childhood education. It was launched in 1975 with the following objectives: to improve the nutritional and health status of children in the age group 0-6 years; to lay the foundation for proper psychological, physical, and social development of the child; to reduce the incidence of mortality, morbidity, malnutrition, and school dropout. The services provided include supplementary nutrition, immunization, regular health check-ups, pre-school non-formal education, and nutrition and health education.

3. Write three child welfare schemes and explain them.

Answer : (i) Mid-Day Meal Scheme : Mid-day meal scheme is a government initiative in India aimed at providing free meals to children in primary and upper primary schools. It provides hot cooked mid-day meals to children studying in class I to VIII in Government, Government-aided, local body schools, as well as children studying in the National Child Labour Project (NCLP) schools and centres run under the Education Guarantee Scheme (EGS).
(ii) Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) : ICDS is a government program aimed at improving the nutritional and health status of children under the age of six and promoting childhood education. It provides an integrated package of services including supplementary nutrition, immunization, regular health check-ups, pre-school non-formal education, and nutrition and health education.
(iii) Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana : Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana is a small deposit scheme for the girl child, launched as a part of the ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’ campaign, which fetches an attractive interest rate and provides income tax rebate.

4. Write a note on women’s rights.

Answer : Women’s rights are protected and promoted through various legislations in India. These include:

Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act (2005), which is a comprehensive legislation to protect women from all forms of domestic violence, covering women in relationships with abusers who are subjected to any kind of violence—physical, sexual, mental, verbal, or emotional.
Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act (1986), which prohibits indecent representation of women through advertisements, publications, writings, paintings, figures, or in any other manner.
Dowry Prohibition Act (1961), which prohibits the giving or taking of dowry at or before or any time after marriage.
Maternity Benefit Act (1961), which regulates the employment of women in certain establishments for a period before and after childbirth and provides for maternity benefits and other related benefits.
Equal Remuneration Act (1976), which ensures equal remuneration for men and women workers for the same work or work of a similar nature and prevents discrimination based on sex against women in recruitment and service conditions.
Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (Prohibition of Sex Selection) Act (1994), which prohibits sex selection before or after conception and prevents the misuse of prenatal diagnostic techniques for sex determination leading to female foeticide.
Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act (2013), which provides protection to women from sexual harassment at all workplaces, both in public and private sectors, whether organized or unorganized.

These legislations aim to safeguard women from various forms of exploitation, ensure their safety, and promote gender equality.

5. Write a note on children’s rights.

Answer : Children’s rights include the right to survival, protection, participation, and development. According to the Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS), child protection involves keeping children safe from risks or harmful situations and recognizing their vulnerability.

Right to Survival : A child’s right to survival begins before birth and includes the right to be born, access to minimum standards of food, shelter, clothing, and the right to live with dignity.
Right to Protection : Children have the right to be protected from neglect, exploitation, and abuse at home and elsewhere.
Right to Participation : Children have the right to participate in decision-making processes that involve them directly or indirectly, depending on their age and maturity.
Right to Development : This ensures emotional, mental, and physical development through proper care, education, recreation, play, and nutrition.

Other rights include equality (Article 14), protection against discrimination (Article 15), personal liberty and due process of law (Article 21), protection from trafficking and forced bonded labor (Article 23), protection for minorities (Article 29), protection for weaker sections from social injustice and exploitation (Article 46), and the right to nutrition, standard of living, and improved public health (Article 47).

Long Answer Questions

1. What do you mean by women welfare? Describe schemes launched by the government in the favour of women.

Answer : Women welfare refers to the policies, programs, and practices aimed at improving the social, economic, and political status of women.
The schemes launched by the government in favor of women include:

Swayamsidha : Swayamsidha is an integrated scheme for the development and empowerment of women through self-help groups. It covers services, access to microcredit, and promotes microenterprises.
Swashakti Project : Swashakti Project aims at increasing women’s access to resources for better quality of life through the use of time reduction devices, by providing health and education services, and by imparting skills to women for income-generating activities.
Support to Training and Employment Programme for Women : This scheme provides new skills and knowledge to poor assetless women in agriculture, animal husbandry, dairying, fisheries, sericulture, handlooms, handicrafts, khadi, and village industry sectors of employment.
Swavlamban : This scheme provides training and skills to women to enable them to obtain employment or become self-employed. The trades in which training is imparted include computer programming, medical transcription, electronic assembling, electronics, radio and TV repairs, garment making, handloom weaving, handicrafts, secretarial practice, embroidery, and community health.
Hostels for Working Women : Under this scheme, financial assistance is provided for construction and expansion of hostel buildings for working women. It also includes provisions for safe and affordable accommodation to working women (single or married), those getting training for employment, and girl students studying in professional courses.
Swadhar : This scheme provides integrated services to women without support from their families such as widows living at Vrindavan and Kashi; prisoners released from jail; survivors of natural calamities; women/girls rescued from brothels and other places; victims of sexual crimes, etc. The scheme includes such services as food, clothing, shelters, healthcare, counselling, legal aid, and rehabilitation through education awareness, skill formation, and behavioral training.
Rashtriya Mahila Kosh : The National Credit Fund for Women is meant to facilitate credit support or microfinance to poor women to start income-generating schemes such as agriculture, dairying, shop-keeping, vending, and handicrafts.
Mission Shakti : The Government of India launched ‘Mission Shakti’—an integrated women empowerment programme as an umbrella scheme for the safety, security, and empowerment of women for implementation during the 15th Finance Commission period. Mission Shakti has two sub-schemes—’Sambal’ and ‘Samarthya’. While the “Sambal” sub-scheme is for the safety and security of women, the “Samarthya” sub-scheme is for the empowerment of women.

Extras

Additional questions and answers

1. Define women welfare.

Answer : Women welfare refers to the policies, programs, and practices aimed at improving the social, economic, and political status of women.

Q. When was the Department of Women and Child Development established?

Answer : The Department of Women and Child Development was established in 1985 as a part of the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India.

Q. Name the two sub-schemes under Mission Shakti.

Answer : The two sub-schemes under Mission Shakti are ‘Sambal’ and ‘Samarthya’.

Q. What is the main objective of the Swashakti Project?

Answer : The main objective of the Swashakti Project is to increase women’s access to resources for better quality of life through the use of time reduction devices, by providing health and education services, and by imparting skills to women for income-generating activities.

Q. Mention the purpose of the Rashtriya Mahila Kosh scheme.

Answer : The purpose of the Rashtriya Mahila Kosh scheme is to facilitate credit support or microfinance to poor women to start income-generating schemes such as agriculture, dairying, shop-keeping, vending, and handicrafts.

Q. Write the full form of PMMVY?

Answer : Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana.

Q. When did the United Nations create UNICEF?

Answer : The United Nations created UNICEF on December 11, 1946.

Q. Define child welfare.

Answer : Child welfare refers to the promotion and safeguarding of the well-being of children, ensuring their physical, mental, emotional, and social development through various measures aimed at protecting them from harm, neglect, and exploitation while providing access to essential services such as healthcare, education, nutrition, and a safe environment.

Q. What does ICPS stand for?

Answer : Integrated Child Protection Scheme.

Q. Write any two objectives of the Mid-Day Meal Scheme.

Answer : Two objectives of the Mid-Day Meal Scheme are:

(i) To improve the nutritional status of children in classes I-VIII.
(ii) To encourage poor children, belonging to disadvantaged sections, to attend school more regularly and help them concentrate on classroom activities.

Q. When was Sukanya Samriddhi Yojna launched?

Answer : Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana was launched in January 2015.

Q. What were the conditions faced by women and girls in earlier times?

Answer : In earlier times, the condition of women and girls was very bad as they had to suffer a lot. A few decades back, women used to fetch water and firewood from sources that were miles away. Women were deprived of their rights, and the condition of the girl child was merciless. Many parents did not like the girl child, either killing her in the mother’s womb or neglecting her health and education.

Q. Mention two steps taken by the government to improve women’s education.

Answer : (i) The government started literacy programs for women.
(ii) In many states, women’s education in schools was made totally free, and a large number of job vacancies were reserved for them.

Q. What was the role of women in the Chipko Movement?

Answer : Women played a significant role in the Chipko Movement by leading an ecological movement in the Garhwal Himalayas in Uttarakhand. They employed Gandhian methods of satyagraha and non-violent resistance to stop logging. They hugged the trees to prevent loggers from cutting them down, which led to the movement becoming popular as the Chipko Movement.

Q. Explain briefly the Green Belt Movement.

Answer : The Green Belt Movement was led by Nobel Prize winner Wangari Maathai in Kenya. It began on World Environment Day in June 1977 and became one of the biggest movements in women and environmental history. Initially, a few women planted seven trees in Maathai’s backyard, and by 2005, 30 million trees had been planted by participants on public and private lands. The movement aimed to bring environmental restoration along with society’s economic growth while empowering rural women through environmental preservation by emphasizing the planting of indigenous trees.

Q. What are the main aims of the Swadhar scheme?

Answer : The Swadhar scheme provides integrated services to women without support from their families, such as widows living at Vrindavan and Kashi, prisoners released from jail, survivors of natural calamities, women/girls rescued from brothels and other places, and victims of sexual crimes. The scheme includes services such as food, clothing, shelter, healthcare, counseling, legal aid, and rehabilitation through education, awareness, skill formation, and behavioral training.

Q. Write briefly about the Equal Remuneration Act (1976).

Answer : The Equal Remuneration Act (1976) provides for the payment of equal remuneration to both men and women workers for the same work or work of a similar nature. It also prevents discrimination on the ground of sex against women in recruitment and service conditions.

Q. State two key features of the Maternity Benefit Act (1961)?

Answer : (i) The Maternity Benefit Act (1961) regulates the employment of women in certain establishments for a specific period before and after childbirth.
(ii) It provides for maternity benefit and certain other benefits to women during this period.

Q. Explain briefly the Integrated Programme for Street Children?

Answer : The Integrated Programme for Street Children aims at weaning away street children from a life of deprivation and vagrancy and rehabilitating them. It includes a wide range of initiatives such as 24-hour drop-in shelters, night shelters, nutrition, healthcare, sanitation, hygiene, safe drinking water, education, recreational facilities, and protection against abuse and exploitation. Additionally, the Child-line Service, a toll-free telephone service, is available to children in distress, responding to their emergency needs and providing referral services.

Q. What are the main objectives of the Creche/Day Care Centres Scheme?

Answer : The main objectives of the Creche/Day Care Centres Scheme are:
(i) To provide day care services to children aged 0-5 years whose parents’ income does not exceed ₹1,800 per month.
(ii) The services include sleeping and day care facilities, recreation, supplementary nutrition, immunization, and medicine.

Q. Mention any two child rights related to the Indian Constitution?

Answer : (i) Right to equality (Article 14).
(ii) Right against discrimination (Article 15)

Q. Discuss the government’s role in women welfare in India?

Answer : The government’s role in women welfare in India includes the following initiatives and actions:

(i) In the last few decades, the government has started literacy programs for women.
(ii) Women’s education in schools was made totally free in many states, and a large number of job vacancies were reserved for them.
(iii) The condition of women has started improving in many parts of India, leading to increased participation of educated women in economic activities.
(iv) Women are coming forward as scientists, doctors, engineers, teachers, computer operators, and professionals in many other fields while also managing their families.
(v) Since India gained independence, the government has been focusing on the welfare and progress of women.
(vi) The five-year development plans of India included a special section on the development of women and children.
(vii) From an initial plan outlay of 4 crores to 2000 crores, the government has been making efforts to lift the status of women socially, economically, and politically at par with men. (viii) The Government of India has set up forums and made action plans for the welfare of women. The National Plan of Action for the Girl Child ensures the survival, protection, and development of the girl child.
(ix) The National Nutritional Policy focuses on improving the nutritional status of women and children.
(x) The Sharm Shakthi report recommended areas related to improving employment opportunities, training, and skill development for women.

Q. Explain the provisions of the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act (2005)?

Answer : The Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act (2005) is a comprehensive legislation to protect women in India from all forms of domestic violence. It covers women who have been or are in a relationship with the abuser and are subjected to violence of any kind—physical, sexual, mental, verbal, or emotional.

Q. Write a brief note on the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act (2013)?

Answer : The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act (2013) provides protection to women from sexual harassment at all workplaces, both in public and private sectors, whether organized or unorganized.

Q. Describe the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection) Act, 2000.

Answer : The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection) Act, 2000, amended in 2015, is one of the core child protection legislations in India aimed at safeguarding the rights and well-being of children. It addresses the care, protection, and rehabilitation of children who are in conflict with the law or need care and protection.

Q. Explain the objectives of the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) scheme.

Answer : The objectives of the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) scheme, launched in 1975, are as follows: to improve the nutritional and health status of children in the age group 0-6 years; to lay the foundation for proper psychological, physical, and social development of the child; to reduce the incidence of mortality, morbidity, malnutrition, and school dropout. It provides supplementary nutrition, immunization, regular health check-ups, pre-school non-formal education, and nutrition and health education.

Q. Describe the purpose and beneficiaries of the Balika Samriddhi Yojana.

Answer : The purpose of the Balika Samriddhi Yojana, launched on 2nd October 1997, is to raise the overall status of the girl child and bring about a positive change in family and community attitudes. The scheme covers up to two girl children born on or after 15th August 1997 in families living below the poverty line as defined by the Government of India. A one-time grant of ₹500 is provided to mothers giving birth to a girl child in Below Poverty Line (BPL) families. The coverage of beneficiaries under the scheme includes 12,357 girl children as of the latest data available.

Q. Explain the key elements of the Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao campaign.

Answer : The key elements of the Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao campaign include enforcement of the PC&PNDT Act, a nation-wide awareness and advocacy campaign, and multi-sectoral action in select 100 districts that are low on the Child Sex Ratio in the first phase. There is also a strong emphasis on mindset change through training, sensitization, awareness raising, and community mobilization on the ground.

Q. What are the objectives and components of Mission Shakti?

Answer : Mission Shakti is an integrated women empowerment programme launched by the Government of India as an umbrella scheme for the safety, security, and empowerment of women. It has two sub-schemes: ‘Sambal’ and ‘Samarthya’. The ‘Sambal’ sub-scheme focuses on the safety and security of women and includes components such as One Stop Centre, Women Helpline, and Beti Bachao Beti Padhao with modifications. The ‘Samarthya’ sub-scheme focuses on the empowerment of women and includes erstwhile schemes like Ujjwala Homes, Swadhar Greh, Working Women Hostel, National Crèche Scheme for children of working mothers, and Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana with modifications. It also consists of HUBS at national, state, and district levels for the empowerment of women.

Q. Explain the Sabla Scheme and its target beneficiaries.

Answer : The Sabla Scheme was introduced by the Government of India in November 2010 with the objective of improving the nutritional and health status of adolescent girls in the age group of 11-18 years and empowering them by providing education in life-skills, health, and nutrition. The scheme also aims to equip girls with information on family welfare, health and hygiene, existing public services, etc., and to draw out-of-school girls into the formal or non-formal education systems. The focus of the scheme is primarily on out-of-school girls. An integrated package of services comprising nutrition and non-nutrition components is provided to adolescent girls, with the ‘Nutrition Component’ targeting out-of-school girls between 11 and 14 years and all girls in the 14-18 age group.

Q. Describe the aim and scope of the PM CARES for Children Scheme.

Answer : The PM CARES for Children Scheme was launched on 29th May 2021 with the aim of supporting children who have lost both parents or legal guardians or adoptive parents or surviving parents to the COVID-19 pandemic during the period starting from 11th March 2020 to 28th February 2022. The objective of the scheme is to ensure comprehensive care and protection of children in a sustained manner and enable their well-being through health insurance, empower them through education, and equip them for self-sufficient existence with financial support on reaching 23 years of age.

Q. Describe the historical changes in the status of women’s education in India?

Answer : The historical changes in the status of women’s education in India can be described as follows:

(i) In ancient times, women were given less education than men. The main reason for this was set social norms.
(ii) However, in the Vedic period, women had access to education, but gradually they lost this right of being educated.
(iii) Women’s education in ancient times prevailed during the early Vedic period.
(iv) Women enjoyed an equivalent position and rights in the early Vedic era.
(v) However, after 50 BC, the position of women started to decline.

Q. Discuss the contributions of women to environmental protection, referring to the Chipko and Green Belt Movements.

Answer : Women have played a significant role in environmental protection through movements like the Chipko Movement and the Green Belt Movement.

Chipko Movement :
(i) The Chipko Movement was led by women in the Garhwal Himalayas in Uttarakhand, who employed Gandhian methods of satyagraha and non-violent resistance to prevent logging.
(ii) These women hugged the trees to stop loggers from cutting them down, sending the loggers back.
(iii) This movement became widely known as the Chipko Movement.
(iv) Sacrifices were made by women such as Amrita Devi and others in Rajasthan, where they did not allow hunters and poachers in forest areas dominated by the Bishnois.
(v) Amrita Devi clung to the trees to stop loggers but was killed by an axe, and her last words were, “a chopped head is cheaper than a felled tree.”
Green Belt Movement :
(i) The Green Belt Movement was led by Nobel Prize winner Wangari Maathai in Kenya.
(ii) She founded this movement on World Environment Day in June 1977, and it became one of the biggest movements in women’s and environmental history.
(iii) In the beginning, a few women planted seven trees in Maathai’s backyard.
(iv) By 2005, 30 million trees had been planted by participants in the Green Belt Movement on public and private lands.
(v) This movement aimed to bring environmental restoration along with society’s economic growth.
(vi) Wangari Maathai emphasized empowering rural women through environmental preservation by planting indigenous trees.

Q. Discuss the rights of children as laid down in the Integrated Child Protection Scheme.

Answer : According to the Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS), child protection is about keeping children safe from a risk or perceived risk to their lives or childhood. It involves recognizing that children are vulnerable and reducing their vulnerability by protecting them from harm and harmful situations. Child protection ensures that children have a security net to depend on, and if they fall through the holes in the system, the system has the responsibility to provide the necessary care and rehabilitation to bring them back into the safety net. The rights of children include:

Right to Survival: This right begins before a child is born and includes the right to be born, the right to minimum standards of food, shelter, clothing, and the right to live with dignity.
Right to Protection: A child has the right to be protected from neglect, exploitation, and abuse at home and elsewhere.
Right to Participation: A child has a right to participate in any decision-making that involves him/her directly or indirectly, with varying degrees of participation depending on age and maturity.
Right to Development: Children have the right to all forms of development—emotional, mental, and physical. Emotional development is fulfilled by proper care and love, mental development through education and learning, and physical development through recreation, play, and nutrition.

Q. Explain the major initiatives taken by the Indian government for child welfare and protection.

Answer : The Indian government has implemented several schemes and programs for the benefit of children through various Ministries/Departments. Some of the major initiatives include:

Mid-Day Meal Scheme: This scheme aims at providing free meals to children in primary and upper primary schools. It provides hot cooked mid-day meals to children studying in classes I to VIII in Government, Government-aided, local body schools, as well as children studying in National Child Labour Project (NCLP) schools and centres run under the Education Guarantee Scheme (EGS).
Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS): Launched in 1975, this program aims at improving the nutritional and health status of children under the age of six and promoting childhood education. It provides supplementary nutrition, immunization, regular health check-ups, pre-school non-formal education, and nutrition and health education.
Pulse Polio Immunization Programme: Implemented by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, this program covers all children below five years and includes other immunization programs like Hepatitis-B, DPT, and routine immunizations.
Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya: This scheme enables opening special residential schools for the girl child belonging to SC/ST, other backward classes, and minorities in educationally backward blocks having low female literacy.
Integrated Programme for Street Children: Implemented by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, this program prevents destitution of children and facilitates their withdrawal from life on the streets, targeting children without homes and family ties who are vulnerable to abuse and exploitation.
Elimination of Child Labour: Implemented by the Ministry of Labour, this initiative sanctions projects for the rehabilitation of working children and aims at eliminating child labour by banning employment of children aged up to 14 in any form of industry and imposing a blanket ban on employing children below 18 years in hazardous industries.

Q. Describe the Mid-Day Meal Scheme, mentioning its objectives and target groups.

Answer : The Mid-Day Meal Scheme is a government initiative in India aimed at providing free meals to children in primary and upper primary schools. Its objectives include improving the nutritional status of children and encouraging school attendance and retention. The target groups are children studying in classes I to VIII in Government, Government-aided, local body schools, as well as children studying in National Child Labour Project (NCLP) schools and centres run under the Education Guarantee Scheme (EGS). Alternative and Innovative Education (AIE) centres, including Madarsas/Maktabs supported under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), are also covered under this scheme. During 2011-12, 10.54 crore children, and in 2012-13, 10.43 crore children were covered under the Mid-Day Meal Scheme in the country.

Q. Explain the significance and implementation of the Pulse Polio Immunization Programme.

Answer : The Pulse Polio Immunization Programme is being implemented by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and covers all children below five years. It aims to immunize children against polio to prevent the disease and ensure their health and well-being. The programme is part of a broader initiative that includes other immunization programmes such as Hepatitis-B, DPT, and other routine immunizations.

Q. Outline the objectives and beneficiaries of the Integrated Programme for Street Children.

Answer : The Integrated Programme for Street Children has been implemented by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment with the objective of weaning away street children from a life of deprivation and vagrancy and rehabilitating them. It aims at preventing destitution of children and facilitates their withdrawal from life on the streets. The programme targets children without homes and family ties, who are especially vulnerable to abuse and exploitation. An integrated package of initiatives is provided, including 24-hour drop-in shelters, night shelters, nutrition, healthcare, sanitation, hygiene, safe drinking water, education, recreational facilities, and protection against abuse and exploitation. Currently, 190 organizations have been operating in 22 states, benefiting 1.58 lakh street children. A special initiative, the Child-line Service, a toll-free telephone service, is available to children in distress, responding to their emergency needs and providing referral services, operating in 34 cities.

39. Discuss the initiatives undertaken by the government to eliminate child labour in India.

Answer : The elimination of child labour is being implemented by the Ministry of Labour, which sanctions projects for the rehabilitation of working children and for the elimination of child labour. The Union Cabinet has approved a proposal for amending the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986, to ban the employment of children aged up to 14 in any form of industry. It will be an offense to employ such children not only in factories or industries but also in homes or on farms if their labour is meant to serve any commercial interest. The amendment will also impose a blanket ban on employing children below 18 years in hazardous industries like mines, explosives, and hazardous occupations set forth in the Factories Act, 1948.

Additional MCQs

1. What is the main aim of women welfare?

A. Enhancing male education
B. Promoting industrial development
C. Improving women’s social status
D. Limiting female employment

Answer: C. Improving women’s social status

Q. In which period did women have access to education in ancient India?

A. Post-Vedic period
B. Gupta period
C. Early Vedic period
D. Modern period

Answer: C. Early Vedic period

Q. When did the position of women start to decline in ancient India?

A. 100 AD
B. 200 BC
C. 50 BC
D. 500 BC

Answer: C. 50 BC

Q. What has been made free for women in many states to promote literacy?

A. Transport
B. Healthcare
C. School education
D. Housing

Answer: C. School education

Q. What was the initial outlay for women welfare in India’s five-year plans?

A. 10 crores
B. 2 crores
C. 4 crores
D. 5 crores

Answer: C. 4 crores

Q. What is the current outlay for women welfare in India’s development plans?

A. 1000 crores
B. 2000 crores
C. 3000 crores
D. 500 crores

Answer: B. 2000 crores

Q. Which report focused on employment and skill development for women?

A. Mission Shakti report
B. Swayamsidha report
C. Swadhar report
D. Sharm Shakti report

Answer: D. Sharm Shakti report

Q. What does the Swayamsidha scheme promote?

A. College education
B. Self-help groups
C. Sports training
D. Foreign travel

Answer: B. Self-help groups

Q. Which project provides health and education services along with skill training for women?

A. Swadhar
B. Swashakti
C. Swavlamban
D. Samarthya

Answer: B. Swashakti

Q. The scheme that trains women in trades like embroidery and medical transcription is called?

A. Swayamsidha
B. Swashakti
C. Swavlamban
D. Samarthya

Answer: C. Swavlamban

Q. Which scheme supports construction of hostels for working women?

A. Swadhar
B. Hostel for Working Women
C. Rashtriya Mahila Kosh
D. Samarthya

Answer: B. Hostel for Working Women

Q. Who are the beneficiaries of the Swadhar scheme?

A. College students
B. Single men
C. Women without family support
D. Retired teachers

Answer: C. Women without family support

Q. What is the purpose of Rashtriya Mahila Kosh?

A. Building schools
B. Health checkups
C. Credit support for women
D. Tourism training

Answer: C. Credit support for women

Q. What are the two sub-schemes under Mission Shakti?

A. BBBP and ICDS
B. Sambal and Samarthya
C. Swadhar and Sabla
D. OSC and PMMVY

Answer: B. Sambal and Samarthya

Q. Which ministry is the nodal agency for Mission Shakti?

A. Ministry of Health
B. Ministry of Finance
C. Ministry of Women and Child Development
D. Ministry of Social Justice

Answer: C. Ministry of Women and Child Development

Q. Which act protects women from all forms of domestic violence?

A. Dowry Prohibition Act
B. Family Courts Act
C. Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act
D. Maternity Benefit Act

Answer: C. Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act

Q. In which year was the Dowry Prohibition Act passed?

A. 1955
B. 1961
C. 1986
D. 1975

Answer: B. 1961

Q. What does the Equal Remuneration Act (1976) ensure?

A. Free education
B. Free transport
C. Equal pay for equal work
D. Quota in jobs

Answer: C. Equal pay for equal work

Q. Which act provides maternity leave and benefits?

A. Family Courts Act
B. Hindu Marriage Act
C. Maternity Benefit Act
D. Pre-Natal Diagnostic Act

Answer: C. Maternity Benefit Act

Q. Which act prohibits sex selection before or after conception?

A. MTP Act
B. PC & PNDT Act
C. Equal Remuneration Act
D. Domestic Violence Act

Answer: B. PC & PNDT Act

Q. Who sacrificed her life in the Chipko movement by clinging to a tree?

A. Wangari Maathai
B. Arundhati Roy
C. Amrita Devi
D. Medha Patkar

Answer: C. Amrita Devi

Q. What were Amrita Devi’s last words?

A. “Save the forest”
B. “A chopped head is cheaper than a felled tree”
C. “No tree should fall”
D. “Let nature live”

Answer: B. “A chopped head is cheaper than a felled tree”

Q. Which movement was started in Kenya in 1977?

A. Chipko Movement
B. Green Belt Movement
C. Save Trees Movement
D. Forest Protection Movement

Answer: B. Green Belt Movement

Q. Who launched the Green Belt Movement?

A. Greta Thunberg
B. Vandana Shiva
C. Wangari Maathai
D. Medha Patkar

Answer: C. Wangari Maathai

Q. What is the main goal of child welfare?

A. Promoting business
B. Protecting biodiversity
C. Ensuring safety and development of children
D. Urban development

Answer: C. Ensuring safety and development of children

Q. What is the core child protection law enacted in 2000 and amended in 2015?

A. Child Labour Act
B. POCSO Act
C. Juvenile Justice Act
D. Education Act

Answer: C. Juvenile Justice Act

Q. When was UNICEF created?

A. 1950
B. 1945
C. 1946
D. 1953

Answer: C. 1946

Q. When did UNICEF become a permanent part of the UN?

A. 1953
B. 1950
C. 1960
D. 1948

Answer: A. 1953

Q. What is the aim of the Sabla scheme?

A. Providing pensions
B. Empowering adolescent girls
C. Reducing pollution
D. Supporting rural farmers

Answer: B. Empowering adolescent girls

Q. The Mid-Day Meal Scheme benefits children studying in which classes?

A. Class I to V only
B. Class VI to X
C. Class I to VIII
D. Nursery only

Answer: C. Class I to VIII

Q. In which year was the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) launched?

A. 1975
B. 1985
C. 1990
D. 2000

Answer: A. 1975

Q. What is the objective of Balika Samriddhi Yojana?

A. Build schools for boys
B. Raise the status of girl child
C. Offer jobs to widows
D. Increase pension

Answer: B. Raise the status of girl child

Q. When was the Balika Samriddhi Yojana launched?

A. August 15, 1995
B. October 2, 1997
C. January 26, 1996
D. July 1, 1998

Answer: B. October 2, 1997

Q. What is the amount granted under BMS to mother of a girl child?

A. INR 1,000
B. INR 2,000
C. INR 500
D. INR 750

Answer: C. INR 500

Q. Which scheme supports children orphaned by COVID-19?

A. Sukanya Samriddhi
B. Sabla Scheme
C. PM CARES for Children
D. Mission Shakti

Answer: C. PM CARES for Children

Q. When was the PM CARES for Children scheme launched?

A. May 29, 2021
B. April 15, 2020
C. June 10, 2022
D. March 11, 2020

Answer: A. May 29, 2021

Q. What is the focus of Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana?

A. Water conservation
B. Girl child savings
C. Free bus travel
D. Forest planting

Answer: B. Girl child savings

38. Which scheme was launched on January 22, 2015?

A. ICDS
B. Mid-Day Meal Scheme
C. Beti Bachao Beti Padhao
D. PM CARES for Children

Answer: C. Beti Bachao Beti Padhao

Ron'e Dutta

Ron'e Dutta is a journalist, teacher, aspiring novelist, and blogger who manages Online Free Notes. An avid reader of Victorian literature, his favourite book is Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë. He dreams of travelling the world. You can connect with him on social media. He does personal writing on ronism.

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