India Boosts Budget for Women’s Welfare by 218.8%

Nirmala Sitharaman Presents Economic Survey

The Indian government has significantly increased its budget for women’s welfare and empowerment by 218.8% from FY14 to FY25. This was highlighted in the Economic Survey 2023-2024, presented by Union Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in Parliament.

The survey emphasizes India’s commitment to transitioning from women’s development to women-led development. The budget for women’s welfare schemes has grown from Rs 97,134 crore in FY14 to Rs 3.10 lakh crore in FY25. The Gender Budget Statement (GBS) has also seen a 38.7% increase compared to FY24, with its share in the total Union Budget rising to 6.5% in FY25, the highest since GBS was introduced in FY06.

Key improvements include:

• The national sex ratio at birth improved from 918 (2014-15) to 930 (2023-24, provisional).
• The maternal mortality rate dropped from 130 per lakh live births in 2014-16 to 97 per lakh live births in 2018-20.
• Institutional deliveries increased from 78.9% in 2015-16 to 88.6% in 2019-21.

Programs like ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ and Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana have been pivotal in raising awareness and fostering the welfare of the girl child. Initiatives like the Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram and the PM Matru Vandana Yojana have positively impacted public health service utilization and birth spacing.

Government initiatives have also focused on improving women’s conditions through the construction of toilets under the Swachh Bharat Mission, clean cooking gas connections under the Ujjwala Yojana, and tap water connections under the Jal Jeevan Mission. These efforts have reduced the drudgery and care burden on women, allowing more time for productive activities.

Women’s education remains a key enabler of empowerment. Programs like Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan and the Right to Education have achieved gender parity in school enrollment. In higher education, the female Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER) has surpassed that of males for five consecutive years.

Women’s participation in skill development schemes has also increased. Under the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), participation rose from 42.7% in FY16 to 52.3% in FY24. In ITIs and National Skill Training Institutes (NSTIs), participation grew from 9.8% in FY16 to 13.3% in FY24. The Women in Science and Engineering-KIRAN (WISE KIRAN) program has benefitted nearly 1,962 women scientists between 2018 and 2023.

The Vigyan Jyoti program, initiated in 2020 to address the underrepresentation of girls in science and technology courses from grades 9 to 12, has seen an enrollment of around 21,600 female students from 250 districts as of December 2023.