MPs Review Mission Vatsalya; WCD Ministers Call for Stronger Field Outreach Efforts

Smt. Annpurna Devi welcomed these inputs, emphasising that parliamentarians’ feedback is essential to ensuring that Mission Vatsalya delivers effectively across all regions.

 

The Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD) convened a high-level meeting to review the implementation of the Mission Vatsalya Scheme, bringing together Members of Parliament from both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, senior ministry officials, and Union Ministers overseeing women and child welfare initiatives.

Union Minister for Women and Child Development Smt. Annpurna Devi chaired the session, with Minister of State Smt. Savitri Thakur also in attendance. MPs including Dr. Bachhav Shobha Dinesh, Smt. Joba Majhi, Dr. Sudha Murthy, and Mrs. Manju Sharma participated actively, sharing grounded insights and field-level experiences.

Mission Vatsalya: Progress and Priorities Presented to MPs

The meeting began with a comprehensive briefing by Shri Anil Malik, Secretary, MWCD, who outlined the scheme’s objectives, operational scope and progress since its restructuring under the new Mission Vatsalya framework.

This was followed by a detailed presentation from Shri Ajeet Kumar, Joint Secretary, MWCD, highlighting:

• Institutional support mechanisms for child protection

• Strengthening of Child Care Institutions (CCIs)

• Adoption reforms and monitoring

• Infrastructure and human resource development

• Digital systems for tracking service delivery

• Partnerships with state governments and civil society

The presentation provided MPs with an updated national picture of the scheme’s reach and ongoing improvements.

MPs Share Constructive Suggestions for Strengthening Implementation

Members of Parliament offered valuable inputs on improving Mission Vatsalya’s on-ground implementation. Their suggestions focused on:

• Closing infrastructure and staffing gaps in Child Care Institutions

• Enhancing monitoring mechanisms for juvenile care

• Improving foster care and sponsorship systems

• Strengthening coordination with States and District Child Protection Units

• Ensuring transparency and community participation in child welfare services

Smt. Annpurna Devi welcomed these inputs, emphasising that parliamentarians’ feedback is essential to ensuring that Mission Vatsalya delivers effectively across all regions. She directed officials to assess the suggestions and integrate them where appropriate.

Call for Greater Field Engagement and Constituency-Level Awareness

Highlighting the importance of ground-level feedback, the Union Minister urged MPs to undertake regular field visits in their constituencies. She encouraged them to:

• Raise awareness about Mission Vatsalya schemes

• Interact with Child Care Institutions

• Identify operational bottlenecks

• Share real-time feedback with the ministry

Such engagement, she said, would help the Ministry take proactive, corrective actions, ensuring effective service delivery to children in need of care and protection.

Closing Remarks and Commitment to Continued Collaboration

In her closing remarks, Smt. Savitri Thakur, Minister of State for Women and Child Development, thanked the MPs for their active participation and constructive recommendations. She reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to incorporating stakeholder feedback and strengthening the Mission Vatsalya ecosystem nationwide.

The meeting concluded with a shared resolve among legislators and ministry leadership to ensure that Mission Vatsalya remains a robust, responsive and child-centred framework, dedicated to safeguarding vulnerable children and supporting their welfare and development.