Annapurna Devi

WCD min slams govts over non-implementation of women empowerment schemes

Union Women and Child Development Minister Annapurna Devi on Tuesday accused the Delhi and West Bengal governments of failing to implement crucial women's safety measures despite central funding and support. Addressing the media, she alleged that the Delhi government had not paid the staff of One-Stop Centres (OSCs) established under the Nirbhaya Fund to assist women in distress. The Delhi High Court last month asked the Delhi government's revenue department to take steps to streamline and pay outstanding salaries of the staff working at the OSCs and take action against delinquent officials. "The Centre has consistently supported states through initiatives like the Nirbhaya Fund, but it is disappointing to see delays in implementation at the state level," the minister said. Devi also criticised the West Bengal government for not operationalising Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs) to expedite cases under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. Reaffirming the ..

Safe environment for women is govt's top priority: Minister Annapurna Devi

Union Minister of Women and Child Development Annapurna Devi on Saturday said that empowering women and providing them with a safe environment is the Central government's top priority. Devi said the Central government has taken several concrete steps to ensure the safety of women. However, it is the responsibility of the state governments to take advantage of these schemes and implement them. The Union minister was addressing a gathering at Mahatma Mandir after inaugurating the seventh edition of "Poshan Maah", nationwide nutrition month, the Centre's flagship initiative celebrated annually throughout September. Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and state Women and Child Welfare Minister Bhanuben Babaria were also present. "Empowering women and providing them a safe environment is the Indian government's top priority. The government has taken many concrete steps to ensure the safety of women. But it is also the responsibility of the state governments to take advantage of this

Bengal failed to implement schemes to deal with crimes against women: WCD

Amid uproar over the rape of a doctor in West Bengal, Union minister Annapurna Devi has said the situation of women in the state has been "deteriorating" and slammed the Mamata Banerjee government for failing to implement central government schemes such as fast track courts and emergency helplines to deal with crimes against women. It is ironic that it is the only state in the country that has a woman chief minister and still the situation of women in the state is deteriorating, Women and Child Development minister Devi told PTI. "There are states like West Bengal where we are trying to get the central government schemes implemented but it is not happening. There are central government schemes, such as fast track special courts and POCSO courts, that have been established to deal with crimes against women and children but the state (West Bengal) is lagging behind in it," Devi said. "We are sponsoring the scheme so you don't have to spend money but the state has to implement it. We .

WCD minister slams WB govt over delay in enacting women's safety measures

Lambasting the West Bengal government for its alleged failure to implement crucial safety measures for women and girls, Women and Child Development Minister Annapurna Devi has said the state has not taken any step to start the remaining 11 fast track special courts in spite of a pendency of 48,600 rape and POCSO cases. In a letter to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Devi criticized the West Bengal government for failing to implement key emergency helplines such as the Women Helpline (WHL), Emergency Response Support System (ERSS) and Child Helpline. Asserting these services are essential for providing immediate assistance to victims of violence, she said the state has yet not integrated them despite multiple reminders from the Central government. This lapse, Devi argued, deprives the women and children in West Bengal of critical support in times of distress. In a pointed rebuke, she highlighted the state's inability to operationalize the Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs) allocated t

WCD minister asks states to focus on nutrition, safety of women, children

Women and Child Development Minister Annapurna Devi has urged the states and Union Territories to leverage the schemes of the ministry to focus on the nutrition and safety of women and children. Devi made the appeal on Saturday during a meeting with the ministers of women and child development and social welfare departments from various states as well as the administrators and lieutenant governors of Union Territories. To ensure their effective implementation, all major programmes of the ministry have been classified under three umbrella schemes -- Mission Poshan 2.0, Mission Vatsalya, and Mission Shakti. During the meeting, Devi emphasised the importance of collective efforts and strategic planning to enhance the effectiveness of the three schemes. She said the focus should be on the three verticals and sought regular reports from the states on them. "Our objective is to ensure that the benefits of our efforts reach the grassroots level. It is essential to work in collaboration w

Meet Annapurna Devi, women and child development minister in Modi cabinet

Annapurna Devi, 55, succeeds BJP leader Smriti Irani, who was dropped from the new National Democratic Alliance government

No shortage of NCERT textbooks, over 4 crore books distributed: MoE

There is no shortage of NCERT textbooks and over four crore textbooks have already been distributed across the country for the 2022-23 academic session, the Lok Sabha was informed on Monday. The information was shared by Union Minister of State for Education Annapurna Devi in response to a written question. "The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has informed that there is no reported shortage of textbooks in the country. "They have informed that 4.25 crore textbooks for the academic Session 2022-23 have already been distributed through 950 empanelled vendors all over the nation," the minister said. "Besides, NCERT textbooks are also distributed through its sales counters located at NCERT Headquarter, its Regional Institutes of Education (RIEs) at Ajmer, Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, Mysuru and Shillong and its regional centers at Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Kolkata and Guwahati. "Online orders for procurement of NCERT textbooks can also be placed through NCERT web ...

Annapurna Fin eyes Rs 8,500 cr in assets by March 23; mulls SME credit arm

Gets $15 mn in equity from French investors, total fundraise reaches $100 mn

Three Russian climbers missing on Nepal's Annapurna I peak: Report

Three Russian climbers have reportedly gone missing from Nepal's Annapurna I peak (8,091 meters), located in the north-central part of the country

Why Annapurna Devi chose her musical gift over a celebrity husband

Dissonant artistic visions drove Hindustani classical musician Annapurna Devi and her husband, Ravi Shankar, to separation

Legendary Hindustani classical musician Annapurna Devi dies at 92

She was a recipient of the Padma Bhushan award