The Ministry of Women and Child Development, Government of India, successfully convened the Zonal Meeting today ( 12th July 2025 ) at Kevadia, Gujarat, as part of its ongoing efforts to enhance Centre-State collaboration and fast-track implementation of key flagship schemes in the domain of women and child development.

The meeting was chaired by Smt. Annpurna Devi, Union Minister for Women and Child Development, and graced by the esteemed presence of Smt. Savitri Thakur, Minister of State in the Ministry of Women and Child Development, Smt. Bhanuben Babariya, Minister for Women and Child Development, Government of Gujarat, Ms. Nirmala Bhuria, Minister for Women and Child Development, Government of Madhya Pradesh, and Dr. Manju Baghmar, Minister of State Women & Child Development Department, Government of Rajasthan.

The Zonal Meeting also saw active participation of senior officers from the States of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Goa. Deliberations centred around the convergence of efforts under Mission Shakti, Mission Vatsalya, and Mission Saksham Anganwadi & Poshan 2.0, with States showcasing best practices, innovative approaches, and successful interventions for mutual learning and replication.

Delivering the keynote address, Union Minister Smt. Annpurna Devi paid homage to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and underscored the importance of unified efforts in realising the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s vision of a Suposhit Bharat and inclusive national development led by empowered women and nurtured children. She highlighted that the adoption of technological tools such as the Face Recognition System (FRS) under Saksham Anganwadi is instrumental in ensuring transparency, accountability, and improved governance.

As a significant update under Poshan 2.0, it was announced that from 1^st August the beneficiary registration will be done using biometric authentication, ensuring better targeting and service delivery. Furthermore, dedicated learning modules on Mission Saksham Anganwadi & Poshan 2,0 have been developed and will be made available on the iGOT Karmayogi platform, for strengthening knowledge and capacity-building framework for State, District and field workers across the country.

The Hon’ble Minister urged States and UTs to strengthen grievance redressal mechanisms, ensure timely delivery of services at Anganwadis, and have more effective beneficiary targeting. She also emphasised the need to enhance digital literacy among adolescent girls and young mothers and reposition platforms like the Poshan Helpline from being grievance centres to platforms for citizen engagement and service quality improvement.

#𝐖𝐂𝐃𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐌𝐞𝐞𝐭 | आज केवड़िया (गुजरात) में महिला एवं बाल विकास मंत्रालय की क्षेत्रीय बैठक की अध्यक्षता की।

गुजरात, महाराष्ट्र, मध्यप्रदेश, राजस्थान, गोवा, दादरा-नागर हवेली व दमन-दीव के मंत्रीगण एवं वरिष्ठ अधिकारियों ने इसमें भाग लिया।

(1/2) ... @PIBWCD pic.twitter.com/zDosmOim5d
— Annapurna Devi (@Annapurna4BJP) July 12, 2025

... (2/2)

बैठक में सेवा वितरण, डिजिटल समावेशन, उभरती तकनीकों के उपयोग और सफल हस्तक्षेपों पर विस्तृत चर्चा हुई।

महिला सशक्तिकरण, बाल संरक्षण और समावेशी विकास की दिशा में यह बैठक बेहद सार्थक रही।#𝐖𝐂𝐃𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐌𝐞𝐞𝐭 | 📍 केवड़िया (गुजरात)@PIBWCD pic.twitter.com/Uujz6Eo0XI
— Annapurna Devi (@Annapurna4BJP) July 12, 2025

Commending the expansion of One Stop Centres and Women Helpline-181 under Mission Shakti, the Minister also highlighted the role of Aadhaar-enabled Direct Benefit Transfers under PMMVY in promoting transparency.

The Minister also urged all States and UTs to integrate the newly launched Mission Vatsalya Portal into routine operations for real-time data entry and performance monitoring. Notably, under Mission Vatsalya, 303 Master Trainers have been trained through the recently launched technical training programme hosted on the Mission Vatsalya Portal, covering all States and UTs. The training was conducted in collaboration with Savitribai Phule National Institute of Women and Child Development (SPNIWCD).

On the issue of gender budgeting, the Hon’ble Minister noted that ₹4.49 lakh crore has been allocated across 273 schemes by 49 Ministries and 5 Union Territories in the Union Budget 2025–26, advancing the Government’s commitment to gender-inclusive governance. She also recognised exemplary digital and monitoring initiatives in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Assam, and Kerala, encouraging peer learning and adaptation.

Addressing the gathering, Smt. Savitri Thakur, Minister of State for Women and Child Development, emphasised that the success of Government schemes hinges on effective grassroots implementation and active community engagement.

From the host State, Smt. Bhanuben Babariya reaffirmed the State’s commitment to meaningful collaboration with the Centre and other States for impactful delivery of women- and child-centric programmes.

Short films on the Missions of the Ministry and a video on the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar (PMRBP) highlighting the last date of nominations as 31^st July, 2025 were screened during the event, showcasing the Ministry’s integrated and forward-looking approach.

Sharing experiences from Madhya Pradesh, Smt. Nirmala Bhuria highlighted the use of integrated technology for last-mile service delivery and affirmed the State’s commitment to expanding digital reach across rural regions. Dr. Manju Baghmar from Rajasthan shared efforts on digital nutrition education for adolescent girls and mothers and expressed readiness to incorporate new models discussed during the deliberations.

Shri Anil Malik, Secretary, Ministry of Women and Child Development encouraged States to enhance performance monitoring through real-time dashboards and citizen feedback systems. He also emphasised the role of robust administrative data and gender budgeting in outcome-based planning.

In line with the Ministry’s commitment to sustainable and inclusive development, a plantation drive under the “Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam” initiative was undertaken. Delegates also visited the Children’s Nutrition Park and the Statue of Unity and participated in the Narmada Aarti and Light & Sound Show, reaffirming the Ministry’s holistic and culturally rooted approach to programme implementation.

#WCDRegionalMeet |📍केवड़िया, गुजरात@MinistryWCD की क्षेत्रीय बैठक की अध्यक्षता की,जिसमें गुजरात,महाराष्ट्र,मध्यप्रदेश,राजस्थान,गोवा,दादरा-नगर हवेली एवं दमन-दीव के मंत्रीगण व वरिष्ठ अधिकारियों ने सहभागिता की। बैठक में विभिन्न नीतिगत विषयों पर गहन चर्चा हुई।

𝐆𝐋𝐈𝐌𝐏𝐒𝐄𝐒 📸 pic.twitter.com/PMtealPK3P
— Annapurna Devi (@Annapurna4BJP) July 12, 2025

The Zonal Meeting concluded with renewed resolve among participants to accelerate progress towards the shared national vision of Viksit Bharat@2047, prioritising inclusive growth, digital innovation, and cross-sectoral coordination for the empowerment of women and the welfare of children.

***

MS

Centrestate Press Release