Mission Shakti Scheme Empowering Women In 2026

Schemes Under The Mission Shakti Initiative

There are a total of nine schemes under the shadow of the Mission Shakti initiative, as mentioned in the official Mission Shakti Guidelines. All the schemes are described below for one’s better understanding and clarity.

1. One Stop Centre

One Stop Centres (OSCs), also known as Sakhi Centres, are designed for women, specifically those who have been experiencing violence of any form or kind (physical, emotional, verbal, sexual, or economic), within their homes by their families or outside by their peers or employers. With the help of such centres, government authorities provide a range of supporting facilities to women, such as medical help, legal aid, counselling services, access to emergency response and rescue services, assistance to women in figuring out their legal rights and actions, etc.

Eligibility Criteria

• Any woman experiencing violence of any kind or form, either within her home or outside.

• Note that there are no other restrictions imposed by the government for determining a woman’s eligibility to use these centres.

Application Process

• The application process for this scheme is offline; simply visit a One Stop Centre or other authorities, like police stations, hospitals, women helpline numbers, etc., who then refer you to a nearby One Stop Centre.

2. Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao

The Beti Bachao Beti Padhao is a flagship initiative introduced by the government of India back in the year 2015 to promote the survival and protection of girl children born across the nation. It is a comprehensive initiative focused not only on protecting the girl child and addressing the dramatic difference between the survival of boys and girls, but also on educating girls and ensuring that they receive quality education, which will help them progress in their lives.

Eligibility Criteria

• Families with a girl child below the age of 10 can apply for this scheme.

• The girl child should have a Sukanya Samriddhi Account in her name.

Application Process

• The application process for this scheme is offline, and therefore, interested applicants would be required to physically visit nationalised banks or post offices and then fill out the application form.

Read More: Chief Minister Nari Shakti Yojana- Empowering Women in Bihar

3. Nari Adalat

One of the sub-schemes under the Mission Shakti initiative is the Nari Adalat initiative. As its name suggests, it is a grievance redressal or conflict resolution mechanism led by women for women at the Gram Panchayat level. Nari adalats are created to deal with small and minor conflicts, like domestic issues, property-related matters, etc., through negotiations and compromises. The main aim behind the creation of such Adalats is to make conflict resolution quick, speedy, and not financially straining.

Eligibility Criteria

• Any woman stuck in a minor dispute with family members or other members of the community.

Application Process

• There is no formal application process as it is not a regular scheme. Visit the nearest Nari Adalat or Gram Panchayat and inform them about the details of your issues.

4. Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY)

The Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana is a government initiative that began in 2017 to support pregnant women and new mothers. It is a maternity benefit programme due to the nature of the benefits, like financial aid to address issues that pregnant women and new mothers usually face. The overall aim of this social welfare scheme for women is to promote financial welfare around issues related to pregnancy and childbirth, as a majority of them experience financial strain.

Eligibility Criteria

• Women above the age of 19 years who gave birth to their first child.

• Women should necessarily meet the set income standards to successfully apply for this scheme.

Application Process

• The application process for this scheme can be done via an online portal. i.e., the website of the Ministry of Women and Child Development. Register and log in to the portal, navigate to this scheme, and then complete the needful.

5. Hub For Empowerment Of Women (HEW)

The Hub for the Empowerment of Women (HEW) comes under the Smarthya component of the Mission Shakti initiative. It is not a scheme or an initiative but a central hub created to ensure the smooth delivery and working of other women-centric social welfare schemes and services at the national, state, and district levels. Such hubs are also responsible for helping women figure out the right schemes for them based on their needs and other technical conditions.

6. Working Women’s Hostel Scheme

The Working Women Hostel Scheme is a social welfare scheme launched by the government of India under the supervision of the Ministry of Women and Child Development. It was launched back in the year 1972 with the primary aim of constructing and providing hostel facilities to working women who are away from their hometowns due to personal reasons, like jobs, education, etc. Under this scheme, priority is given to certain classes of women, such as widowed, divorced, women from poor economic backgrounds, and women working in the unorganised sector.

Eligibility Criteria

• Women who apply for this scheme must be employed or enrolled in a recognised educational institute.

Application Process

• One needs to first visit the website of the Ministry of Women and Child Development, check out the list of hostels and available rooms, and then physically visit the hostels to complete the formalities.

7. PALNA Scheme

The Palna scheme is also a part of the Samarthya component of the Mission Shakti initiative, as laid out in the official Mission Shakti PDF. The main aim of this scheme is to provide childcare facilities to women who work but have very young children to take care of as well. This is an exceptional scheme as it helps women in taking care of their children and makes them feel supported in their maternal journeys and not alone.

Eligibility Criteria

• Working women with children between the ages of 6 months and 6 years are eligible to apply for this social welfare govt scheme.

Application Process

• Please visit the nearest Anganwadi centre and request the staff to assist you with the application for this scheme. After successful enrolment, a beneficiary can leave their children at the childcare facility from 1:30 pm to 5:30 pm.

8. Women's Helpline (181)

The government of India created an official toll-free number. i.e., 181, operable 24/7. Women can use this helpline number for various purposes and services, like access to police officials, ambulance services if medical help is needed, contact with One Stop centres, etc. Whenever a woman dials this helpline number, they get connected with the Emergency Response Support System (ERSS), which will further help them out with whatever they need help and assistance with.

9. SHE Box Portal

The SHE Box portal is an online portal managed by the Ministry of Women and Child Development. It is a complaint-filing system through which women facing sexual harassment at their workplace can report it formally and officially to the authorities. The portal was created as per the provisions of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition, and Redressal) Act of 2013, also known as the POSH Act. The ultimate aim of the portal is to protect women and help them take legal actions against people who are violating their rights.