Latest news with #WomenandChildDevelopment


India.com
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- India.com
Smriti Irani was accused of…during shooting of Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, showed documents as proof to Ekta Kapoor
Actress and politician Smriti Irani, who has made her comeback on television with Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2 , has always spoken openly about her personal and professional struggles. Even during the shooting of the original Kyunki show, she faced many challenges. Smriti Irani, who served as the Minister for Women and Child Development from May 31, 2019, to June 11, 2024, revealed in a podcast with Raj Shamani that she had to return to work just three days after giving birth. 'My son was three days old when I came back to the set of Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi. Why? Because everyone wanted to watch a new episode daily at 10:30 p.m.,' she shared. What happened to Smriti Irani on the set of Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi? Smriti Irani also recalled an uncomfortable incident from Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi days when she was called to work on the sets a day after she suffered a miscarriage. Smriti's co-actor from Kyunki… told producer Ekta Kapoor that she was lying following which Smriti showed up at Ektaa's office with her medical documents as a proof. Smriti recalled, 'Somebody in the production went and told Ektaa, 'We're ready to shoot. But Smriti Irani isn't available. She is lying. Nothing has actually happened to her.' So I had to go back with my hospital reports to prove it actually happened.' Smriti Irani was replaced in a popular TV show… Irani was the highest-paid TV actors at the time. She also opened up about being replaced while she was in the hospital after giving birth. The show was Sab TV's Kuch Dil Se. She had filmed enough episodes to cover her one-month leave, but we guess that wasn't enough. She recalled, 'I was working with somebody till the last day of the ninth month. It was a daily talk show, Kuch Dil Se. I was told to record a bank of worth 30 days and come back to work after 30 days,' she said. Despite warnings from her doctors and family, she continued shooting for both shows to repay her home loan faster. Smriti Irani was fired from the show after delivering her baby. 'I'm in the hospital after giving birth to my baby, and I get a wire: 'You're fired.' And I'd just shot (for the talk show) a day before. They were just waiting for me to get into the hospital to tell me I'm fired. They'd already made a bank so they could replace me. They intended to use my hard work in favour of my replacement,' the actress said.


The Hindu
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
26.34 lakh ‘ineligible' beneficiaries will be temporarily suspended under Ladki Bahin scheme
The Maharashtra government has revealed that 26.34 lakh beneficiaries, who are ineligible under the Ladki Bahin Scheme, have been temporarily suspended for the June instalment. 'The benefits for 26.34 lakh applicants have been temporarily suspended starting from June 2025. The instalments for the month have been disbursed to 2.25 crore eligible beneficiaries,' said Minister for Women and Child Development Aditi Tatkare, adding the suspended beneficiaries' eligibility will be verified by the respective District Collectors. The Department of Women and Child Development had sought information from all government departments to verify the eligibility of all applications. 'The Information and Technology Department reported that approximately 26.34 lakh beneficiaries, despite being ineligible, became beneficiaries of the scheme,' said Aditi Tatkare, Minister for Women and Child Development, on X. The Ladki Bahin scheme was launched in August 2024 ahead of the Maharashtra Assembly election held in November 2024. The scheme was considered one of the reasons for the BJP-led Mahayuti victory in the election. However, after the elections, the government started the scrutiny of the beneficiaries availing the scheme. Since then, the government has regularly suspended ineligible beneficiaries. State government will resume the scheme benefits for those found eligible after the verification, while action will be taken against fraudulent beneficiaries who have 'misled the government' and availed benefits through 'improper means'. Ms. Tatkare pointed out that all the ineligible beneficiaries were availing benefits of multiple schemes, some families had more than two beneficiaries, or men applied for the scheme. Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Saturday expressed that stern action will be taken against men who took advantage of the scheme, saying the Ladki Bahin scheme is for poor women, and it makes no sense for men to be the beneficiaries. So, money will be recovered. Action will be taken on the non-cooperation. He was responding to reports of 14,000 men being the beneficiaries of the scheme.


New Indian Express
4 days ago
- Health
- New Indian Express
Over 14K Anganwadi cum crèche approved in the country, highest in Chhattisgarh: Minister
NEW DELHI: A total of 14,599 Anganwadi cum Crèches (AWCCs) have been approved by the Centre, the Lok Sabha was informed on Friday. In a written reply, Minister of State for Women and Child Development, Savitri Devi, said these AWCCs will ensure full-day childcare support for children, thereby ensuring their well-being in a safe and secure environment. The Anganwadi cum Crèche initiative aims to increase women's workforce participation in the economy. The maximum number of AWCCs set up so far are in Chhattisgarh (1,500), Meghalaya (1,238), Telangana (1,033), Jharkhand (1,024), Odisha (1,000), Manipur (702), and Tamil Nadu (600). The minister said that Anganwadi centres are the world's largest childcare institutions, dedicated to providing essential care and support to children, ensuring delivery of childcare services up to the last mile. In a first-of-its-kind approach, the Ministry of Women and Child Development has extended childcare services through the Anganwadi cum Crèche (AWCC) initiative. The objective of the Palna Scheme is to provide quality crèche facilities in a safe and secure environment for children (aged 6 months to 6 years), along with nutritional support, healthcare, cognitive development, growth monitoring, and immunization. Crèche facilities under Palna are provided to all mothers, irrespective of their employment status. 'During the 15th Finance Cycle, i.e., up to FY 2025–26, a total of 17,000 Anganwadi cum Crèches (AWCCs) are envisioned for establishment under the Palna Scheme. Proposals for the establishment of AWCCs are received from the respective state governments/UT administrations, who also contribute their corresponding share for the implementation of the scheme. Till date, a total of 14,599 AWCCs have been approved by the Ministry as per proposals received from various States/UTs,' Devi said.


Hindustan Times
4 days ago
- Hindustan Times
Ongoing drive rescuing child beggars also prioritises rehabilitation: Punjab minister
Chandigarh, Punjab Minister Baljit Kaur on Friday said that the ongoing drive to rescue child beggars in the state also focuses on their scientific identification, rehabilitation, and long-term integration into society. Ongoing drive rescuing child beggars also prioritises rehabilitation: Punjab minister The Social Security, Women and Child Development Minister informed that the project, launched nine months ago, has now been relaunched in an upgraded and intensified format as Jiwanjyot 2.0. "The revamped project includes social investigation reports, DNA testing, psychological counselling, and strict legal follow-up," she said here. In the last week alone, around 170 child beggars were rescued from various locations across the state. Kaur highlighted that 125 coordinated rescue raids were conducted in major cities, resulting in the rescue of these children. Among them, 80 children were identified and reunited with their parents after thorough verification and counselling to ensure they are not coerced back into begging. However, 88 children whose parents or guardians could not be traced were placed in secure, government-run childcare institutions where they would receive nutrition, education, emotional support, and medical assistance in accordance with the Juvenile Justice Act. Kaur also mentioned that 25 social investigation reports have been prepared to better understand the backgrounds, vulnerabilities, and needs of the rescued children. In the case of 16 children, their DNA identification is being undertaken. 13 samples have been collected and sent to authorised labs for parentage confirmation. Among the rescued children, 10 are from other states, and the minister assured that necessary coordination is underway to facilitate their safe repatriation in consultation with the relevant state governments. "Project Jiwanjot is not just about pulling children off the streets; it's about rebuilding their futures," Kaur stated, adding that many of these children have now been admitted to schools and linked with welfare schemes, and follow-up monitoring is underway. Issuing a stern warning to parents or guardians found forcing children into begging, Kaur asserted that such individuals will be declared "unfit guardians" under the law, and legal action will be initiated. She also reiterated the government's firm stance against organised gangs or traffickers exploiting minors, promising strict police action under relevant IPC provisions. To address the issue holistically, Kaur announced that the Punjab Government will soon establish Aasra Centres for adult beggars in major cities, including Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Amritsar, Mohali and Bathinda. These centres will provide shelter, counselling and skill training to ensure adult beggars are not forced to push children into street begging. Kaur appealed to the public to call the Child Helpline if they see a child begging anywhere in Punjab, noting that timely reporting can change a child's life. Recently, the state government directed all deputy commissioners to conduct DNA tests for children found begging alongside adults on the streets to verify their relationships and address the issue of child begging. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.


The Hindu
6 days ago
- Health
- The Hindu
Nearly 37% children under five stunted, govt data shows
About 37.07 per cent of children under five registered on the Poshan Tracker were found to be stunted, 15.93 per cent under weight and 5.46 per cent wasted, according to official data. 'Wasted' is a condition where a person, especially a child, is too thin for her or his height. In response to a question in Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Women and Child Development Savitri Thakur said Uttar Pradesh reported the highest rate of stunting at 48.83 per cent, followed closely by Jharkhand (43.26 per cent), Bihar (42.68 per cent) and Madhya Pradesh (42.09 per cent). Nearly 8.61 crore children up to the age of six were registered for these services as of June 2025, which is a slight decline from the previous year's 8.91 crore, according to the data. Further, Ms. Thakur said around two lakh Anganwadi centres are being upgraded into 'Saksham Anganwadis' with modern infrastructure and digital learning tools. As of now, 88,716 mini Anganwadis across 20 States and Union Territories have been approved for upgradation, she said in a written response.