Organisation : Ministry of Women and Child Development
Scheme Name : Kishori Shakti Yojana

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Kishori Shakti Yojana :
1. Various base line surveys clearly reveal that the health, nutrition, education and social status of adolescent girls are at sub-optimal level. The surveys also reveal that the adolescent girls do not have adequate access to vital health and nutrition information/ services.

Programmes aimed at improving the nutritional and health status of adolescent girls and promoting selfdevelopment, awareness of health, hygiene, nutrition, family welfare and management, it is well recognised, could significantly improve the health and nutritional status of women and children and promote the decision making capabilities of women.

There has also been persistent demand from the State Governments/ UT Administrations on the urgent need to provide cover of ICDS to adolescent girls in all the ICDS Projects.

2. In view of the facts mentioned in para 5 above, a need has been felt to extend the coverage of the Scheme with content enrichment, strengthen the training component particularly in vocational aspects aimed at empowerment & enhanced self perception and bring about convergence with other programmes of similar nature of education, rural development, employment and health sectors. Accordingly, the following guidelines may be followed by the State Governments/ UT Administrations for implementation of AG Scheme as a component of ICDS Scheme.

3. The Scheme may be called `Kishori Shakti Yojana' (KSY).

4. Objectives :
i) to improve the nutritional and health status of girls in the age group of 11-18 years;
ii) to provide the required literacy and numeracy skills through the non-formal stream of education, to stimulate a desire for more social exposure and knowledge and to help them improve their decision making capabilities;

iii) to train and equip the adolescent girls to improve/ upgrade home-based and vocational skills;
iv) to promote awareness of health, hygiene, nutrition and family welfare, home management and child care, and to take all measure as to facilitate their marrying only after attaining the age of 18 years and if possible, even later;

v) to gain a better understanding of their environment related social issues and the impact on their lives; and
vi) to encourage adolescent girls to initiate various activities to be productive and useful members of the society.

5. The Department considers that a single tailor-made Scheme for adolescent girls may not be able to achieve the objectives of Kishori Shakti Yojana as mentioned in para 8 above.

There should be a basket of programmatic options available with the State/ UT/ districts to selectively intervene for the development of the adolescent girls on the basis of State/ UT/ area specific needs and requirements. Some of the options are provided below in para 10 and the State/ UT/ district may like to choose one or more of these, for empowerment of adolescent girls.

6. The Options are as under :
6.1 The existing model of AG-I and/or AG-II Scheme may be continued.

6.2 Emphasis on nutritional and health status of AG Scheme should be given. IFA supplementation along with deworming interventions and nutrition and health education may be provided. Researches have indicated that acute inter-State and inter-regional differences in the status of adolescent girls prevail in India.

However, the most common similarity exist in low levels of iron and folic acid in AGs leading to nutritional anemia and low health status in comparison with adolescent voice. Under the option, a concerted effort is to be made to provide nutritional and health education including sanitation and personal hygiene aspects.

Under the health sector, the RCH programme has been launched in Ninth Plan with a component for adolescent girls also. The States may prepare a schematic Plan of Action stipulating convergence with RCH Scheme. Under this option, adolescent girl groups can be formed at Anganwadi Centres and regular supply of IFA and deworming tablets may be ensured along with provisions for nutritional and health education.

The other option is to emphasize life education, which may include knowledge of physical and psychological developmental processes including the psychosexual development