Pradhan Mantri Mahila Shakti Kendra (PMMSK) scheme has been approved by the Indian government for implementation from 2017-18 to 2019-20, with the goal of empowering rural women through community participation and creating an environment in which they can recognize their full potential.

This topic of “Pradhan Mantri Mahila Shakti Kendra Scheme” is important from the perspective of the UPSC IAS Examination, which falls under General Studies Paper 2 (Mains) and General Studies Paper 1 (Preliminary) and particularly in the Governance section of the UPSC Exam.

In this article, we shall discuss the PM Mahila Shakti Kendra (PMMSK) Scheme, Its Objectives, Benefits, Components, Implementation Plan, & More!

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In July 2022, the Ministry of Women and Child Development issued Detailed Guidelines for ‘Mission Shakti,’ which aims to strengthen interventions for women’s safety, security, and empowerment.

• In order to promote women’s safety, security, and empowerment during the 15th Finance Commission’s period of 202l-22 to 2025-26, the Government of India has introduced “Mission Shakti,” an integrated programme for women’s empowerment.
• In February 2022, The Pradhan Mantri Mahila Shakti Kendra Scheme (PMMSK) was discontinued, and its objectives were effectively merged into the new Umbrella scheme Mission Shakti.

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What is Pradhan Mantri Mahila Shakti Kendra Scheme?

The Pradhan Mantri Mahila Shakti Kendra scheme is a flagship scheme of the Government of India. It operates under the Ministry of Women and Child Development. It was launched in 2017. It aims to empower rural women through community participation. It strives to improve their socio-economic status.

• The scheme is implemented through Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) at village levels. 
• Each Mahila Shakti Kendra caters to approximately 5000 rural populations covering 3-4 villages.
• The Kendras seek to facilitate education, skilling, employment, and entrepreneurship opportunities for women.
• The scheme focuses on the following areas:
  • women's health and nutrition, 
  • financial inclusion, 
  • digital literacy, 
  • agricultural livelihoods, 
  • entrepreneurship,
  • awareness against social evils, etc.
• The convergence of 20 relevant schemes of 9 Central Ministries is envisaged under the scheme.

Here are facts and figures about the Pradhan Mantri Mahila Shakti Kendra Scheme for the UPSC Exam:

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Objectives of PM Mahila Shakti Kendra Scheme

The Pradhan Mantri Mahila Shakti Kendra Scheme (PMMSKS) was launched in 2017 by the Government of India. PMMSKs will be established in 115 of India's most backward districts to provide rural women with access to health, nutrition, skill development, employment, digital literacy, and other services. The scheme works with the following objectives:

• To provide a platform for rural women to access government schemes and services.
• Promote entrepreneurship among rural women.
• Enhance the capacity of rural women to participate in decision-making.
• Improve the quality of life of rural women.

About The National Mission for Empowerment of Women (NMEW)

• The National Mission for Empowerment of Women (NMEW) was launched in 2011-12 to achieve holistic women's empowerment.
• The main objective of NMEW is to bring together efforts through cross-sectoral coordination among various ministries and programmes.
• NMEW was approved for continuation as a sub-scheme of the Umbrella Scheme for Women's Protection and Development following the restructuring during the 12th Five-Year Plan period.
• NMEW also prioritizes training and capacity building to improve and strengthen understanding of gender issues.

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Pradhan Mantri Mahila Shakti Kendra Scheme: Implementation Plan

• The Pradhan Mantri Mahila Shakti Kendras have been set up at the Gram Panchayat level. They facilitate the empowerment of rural women through the convergence of government schemes.
• Each Mahila Shakti Kendra caters to around 5,000 rural population covering 3-4 villages. They act as one-stop centres for rural women.
• The Kendras are managed and operated exclusively by Women Self Help Groups (SHGs) or by NGOs. The Panchayat Samiti offers overall guidance.
• The scheme has earmarked funds of Rs.10 lakh per block for the initial establishment of Mahila Shakti Kendras. Rs.5 lakhs would be provided annually thereafter for running various programs.
• Regular monitoring of the Kendras is done at district and state levels.
• Impact assessment studies are also conducted periodically. This helps evaluate the performance and effectiveness of the Mahila Shakti Kendras.
• Necessary course corrections and improvements in implementation are made. This is done on the basis of feedback, reviews, and impact assessment studies.

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Components of Pradhan Mantri Mahila Shakti Kendra Scheme

Components of PMMSKS from National to Block Levels are discussed below:

National Level

Domain-based experts assist in the implementation of all government women-centric schemes or programs with the goal of strengthening the conceptual and programmatic foundations of such schemes through collaboration with all Ministries and State Governments and UT Administration.

State Level

• To offer the relevant government technical assistance on matters relating to women, the State Resource Center for Women (SRCW) will be established.
• The SRCW, which works for the state governments, is responsible for reviewing current policies, programmes, and legislative initiatives to improve women’s accessibility in their respective states.

District Level

• The District Level Centre for Women (DLCW) gathers information on government programmes, schemes, and services aimed at empowering women in order to serve as a link between the village or block and the state level.
• This will help in implementing women-centric programmes and schemes like Beti Bachao Beti Padao, One Stop Center, Women Helpline, Mahila Police Volunteers, Swadhar, Ujjwala Yojna, etc.

Block-Level

MSK activities were carried out at the Gram Panchayat level and facilitated by Block/Taluk level centres, which serve as focal points and are referred to as MSK-Block Level.

Funding of Pradhan Mantri Mahila Shakti Kendra Scheme

The Pradhan Mantri Mahila Shakti Kendra Scheme is funded through a mix of central and state government grants.

• The central government provides major funding support for the establishment and operation.
• During the initial phase, the central government provides a financial grant of Rs. 10 lakhs per block for setting up Mahila Shakti Kendra.
• Thereafter, an annual grant of Rs.5 lakhs per Kendra is provided by the central government. This is used for operational expenses and the running of various programs.
• The funds are released to state governments. They, in turn, disburse to district authorities for further allocation to Kendras.
• The central government funding covers 90% of total costs for northeastern and special category states. It covers 100% of the costs for union territories.
• The remaining 10% of funding for general category states is shared between the state government and individual Mahila Shakti Kendras.

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Why is the Pradhan Mantri Mahila Shakti Kendra Scheme needed?

The Pradhan Mantri Mahila Shakti Kendra scheme is needed for the following reasons:

• Despite progress, rural women in India continue to face challenges. This affects their overall development.
• Many government schemes for the welfare of women have limited reach and awareness in rural areas. This deprives women of the benefits.
• Rural women often suffer from a lack of livelihood opportunities. This keeps them economically dependent.
• Community participation and collective action are needed to tackle issues faced by rural women. This requires mobilizing women at the village level.
• There is a need to create awareness among rural women about their rights to empower them.
• Social problems like domestic violence and gender discrimination continue to affect rural women. Initiatives are needed to tackle them.
• Better convergence of relevant government schemes at the village level is needed. This helps in maximizing impact and outreach among rural women.

Benefits of Pradhan Mantri Mahila Shakti Kendra Scheme

Through the PMMSK scheme, the central government intends to establish more than 115 Mahila Shakti Kendras across the country. However, these Kendras will be established in backward rural areas where no such facilities have previously been provided by the government. Some of the benefits of the Pradhan Mantri Mahila Shakti Kendra Scheme are as follows:

• The government will attempt to connect rural women to these Shakti Kendra in order to educate them on how to exercise their community rights.
  • Thus, PMMSK provides a platform for rural women to interact with the government and claim their entitlements.

• Where women can increase their empowerment capacity through training and awareness-raising programmes.
• Additionally, Government-recruited volunteers teach rural women about their rights and other subject areas related to health and employment.
• Rural women can learn about a variety of topics at Shakti Kendras, including employability, nutrition education, digital literacy, and skill development.
• The PMMSK scheme helps rural women understand their true place in society.

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Other initiatives by the GoI for Women’s Empowerment

Making sure women have enough financial stability is one of the first steps toward their empowerment. Gender equality is much discussed in contemporary discourse, and women’s empowerment is one of the most important aspects of achieving it. However, the Indian government has been working to close gender gaps and has launched several schemes and projects aimed at empowering women, including the following:

• Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Scheme- Sukanya Samridhi Yojana
• Surakshit Matritva Aashwasan Scheme (SUMAN)
• Mission Shakti
• Poshan Abhiyaan National Nutrition Mission
• Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS)
• Mahila E-Haat
• PM Ujjwala Yojna.
• One Stop Centre Scheme
• Nirbhaya Fund, etc.

Performance Indicators and Key Deliverables of the PMMSK Scheme

Here are the Performance Indicators and Key Deliverables of the PMMSK scheme:

Performance Indicators

The PMMSK Scheme is a performance-based scheme. The performance of the scheme is measured against the following indicators:

• Number of Mahila Shakti Kendras (MSKs) set up.
• The number of rural women trained in various skills.
• The number of rural women who have accessed government schemes and services.
• The number of rural women who have started their own businesses.
• The number of rural women who have participated in decision-making at the local level.

Key Deliverables

• Provision of training to rural women in various skills, such as:
  • entrepreneurship, 
  • financial literacy, and 
  • health and hygiene.
• Facilitation of access to government schemes and services for rural women.
• Promotion of entrepreneurship among rural women.
• Empowerment of rural women through capacity building and awareness generation.

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Current Status of PMMSK Scheme

The Pradhan Mantri Mahila Shakti Kendra Scheme was intended to work at various levels, including national (domain-based knowledge support) and state (State Resource Centre for Women) technical support to respective governments on women’s issues. However, it was discontinued in 2022.

• The functioning of the MSK scheme was examined in February 2022 by the Development Monitoring and Evaluation Office (DMEO), NITI Ayog, and its recommendations were taken into account when creating the new programme under the recently introduced Mission Shakti.

Conclusion

The Constitution not only guarantees women’s equality but also empowers the state to implement measures of positive discrimination in their favour. Thus, the Indian government has put into effect numerous laws as well as a number of programmes and schemes in an effort to enhance the safety, security, and status of women, including their economic empowerment. However, despite various affirmative steps, various parameters indicate that much more needs to be done to improve women’s status in society.

UPSC Previous Year Questions

Q1. Besides the welfare schemes, India needs deft management of inflation and unemployment to serve the poor and the underprivileged sections of society. Discuss. (UPSC Mains 2022, GS Paper 2).

Q2. “Though women in post-Independent India have excelled in various fields, the social attitude towards women and the feminist movement has been patriarchal.” Apart from women's education and women empowerment schemes, what interventions can help change this milieu? (UPSC Mains 2021, GS Paper 2).

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