News In Shorts

The theme of the report is Harnessing social protection for gender equality, resilience and transformation.

• It takes stock of progress, gaps, and challenges in building comprehensive, gender-responsive social protection systems.

Need for Gender responsive social protection (GRSP)

• Gender-responsive approaches for social protection actively seek to respond to gender-specific risks, vulnerabilities and constraints such as 
  • Women’s lesser access to resources, disproportionate responsibility for unpaid care and domestic work, gender based violence and lack of voice in decision making.
• GRSP approaches acknowledge the nature and intensity of risks and constraints based on gender. 

Key findings of the report

• Two billion women and girls lack access to any form of social protection, such as cash benefits, unemployment insurance, pensions or healthcare.
• Over 63 per cent of women globally still give birth without access to maternity benefits.
• Gender-specific risks and vulnerabilities are exacerbated by factors like conflict, climate change and economic shocks. 

Key recommendations 

• Address gender gaps and biases in existing social protection systems, policies and programmes.
• Improve coordination with gender-responsive employment policies and public services.
• Adapt social protection policies and programmes to meet the needs of women and girls during sudden and protracted crises.
• Take a rights-based approach to social protection delivery.

Ministry of External Affairs and Ministry of Labor & Employment launched the e-Migrate portal and mobile app.

About e-Migrate portal

• Online Platform to facilitate and manage the migration of Indian workers seeking employment abroad.
• It aims to provide various services to migrant workers including information access, documentation, helpline support etc.
• Feature a 24/7 multilingual helpline and will be integrated with Digilocker for secure document storage and obtain paperless clearance at immigration.
• It also brings foreign employers, registered recruitment agents and insurance companies on one common platform designed to promote safe & legal migration. 

Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment highlighted that impact of PM-YASASVI (PM Young Achievers Scholarship Award Scheme for Vibrant India) Initiative. 

About PM-YASASVI

• Objective: Streamline educational support for socially and economically disadvantaged students.
• It is an umbrella scheme that aims to provide quality education to students from Other Backward Classes, Economically Backward Classes (EBCs), and Denotified Tribes (DNTs).
• It subsumed earlier initiatives like Dr. Ambedkar Post-Matric Scholarship Scheme for EBCs and DNTs. 

Free Fortified Rice will be supplied under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) and other welfare schemes.

• Rice fortification involves adding Fortified Rice Kernels (containing micronutrients like Iron, Folic Acid, and Vitamin B12) to normal Rice (Custom Milled Rice) as per standards prescribed by FSSAI. 
  • Fortification is the addition of key vitamins and minerals to staple foods such as rice, wheat, oil, milk and salt to improve their nutritional content and combat malnutrition.

About Fortified Rice Initiative

• Background: The initiative launched in 2022, and the three-phase rollout of this scheme was completed successfully by March 2024. 
• Rationale:
  • Combating malnutrition: Fortification is a cost-effective method for combating Anaemia and micronutrient malnutrition. 
  • Higher reach: Rice is an ideal vehicle for supplying micronutrients as it is a staple food for 65% of India’s population. 
• Schemes covered:
  • Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS), 
  • Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), 
  • PM POSHAN (formerly the Mid-Day Meal scheme), and 
  • other welfare programs across all states and Union Territories. 
• Funding: Central Sector Initiative with 100% funding by the Centre as part of the food subsidy component of PMGKAY.
  • Under PMGKAY, free foodgrain is being provided (for 5 years) to 81.35 crore beneficiaries of the National Food Security Act 2013.