SABLA Scheme
SABLA Scheme
The Government of India has initiated the Rajiv Gandhi Scheme for Empowerment of the Adolescent Girls (RGSEAG) – SABLA under the Ministry of Women and Child Development Department. This scheme is a centrally sponsored program that aims to enable self-development and empowerment of the Adolescent Girls. SABLA scheme works to combat the various socio-legal issues by focusing on educational, nutritional and health requirements. Let us look in detail about the SABLA Scheme in this article.
To know about SANKALP Scheme
Objectives of the Scheme
The objectives of the SABLA Scheme are given below:
- To promote empowerment of Adolescent Girls (AGs) through improved skills and knowledge to gain access to decent employment.
- To improve their nutrition and health status
- To spread awareness among about health, hygiene, nutrition, family and childcare.
- To upgrade their home-based skills, life skills and vocational skills.
- To mainstream out-of-school AGs into formal or non-formal education.
- To inform and guide them about the existing public services like Primary healthcare (PHC), Community Health Center (CHC), Post Office, Bank, Police Station, etc.
Applicability of the Scheme
The below following are the eligibility criteria of applicants to apply for the SABLA Scheme
- The scheme applies to all the adolescent girls between the age group of 11 to 18 years under all the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Projects from the selected 200 districts initially across India on a pilot basis.
- The scheme has further classified the age group of 11 to 14 years and 14 to 18 years of age keeping in view the need for a different age group and to provide proper attention to each group.
- This scheme will focus on all out of school AGs, who would gather at the Anganwadi Centres directed by the Government of India.
- The school-going girls also regularly visit the Anganwadi Centres where they will endure living skills, nourishment tips, education and awareness of socio-legal issues.
To know about Support to Training and Employment Programme for Women (STEP) Scheme
Services Under the Scheme
The ICDS infrastructure is used for the implementation of the SABLA Scheme. The Anganwadi Centers will be the focal points for the delivery of services provided under the scheme. This scheme mainly focuses on both the in-school adolescent girls and out-of-school adolescent girls. The various services under the scheme that are provided to the girls are tabulated as below.
|
S.No. |
List of Services provided under the SABLA Scheme | Details of the Services | Service Provider |
Target Group |
|
Nutrition Component |
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| 1. | The nutritional provision at Rs.5 per day | 600 calories and 18 to 20 gm protein for a maximum period of 300 days a year in the form of a hot cooked meal or take-home ration. | Anganwadi centres (AWCs) |
The age group of 11 to 14 (Out-of-school) 14 to 18 (Both) |
|
Non-nutrition Component |
||||
| 2. | Iron Folic Acid (IFA) Supplementation | 2 Iron Folic Acid (IFA) tablets per week to be administered to all AGs at the Anganwadi centres | Anganwadi centres (AWCs) |
11 to 18 (Out-of-school adolescent girls)
|
| 3. |
Health check-up and referral services
|
General health checks up every 3 months. Records of height, weight, and any other specific medical problem has to be recorded in the Kishori Cards |
Anganwadi Medical Officer |
The age group of 11 to 18 (Out-of-school adolescent girls)
|
| 4. | Nutritional and Health Education (NHE) |
Spreading awareness on the nutritional deficiency, personal hygiene, balanced diet, first aid and home remedies in Anganwadi Centers |
Anganwadi Medical Officer/Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) setup | The age group of 11 to 18 (in-school and out-of-school adolescent girls) |
| 5. | Counselling on Family welfare practices | Age-appropriate awareness sessions will be conducted on reproductive and sexual health, childcare practices and home supervision to be carried out in the Primary Health care centres | Anganwadi Medical Officer/National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) setup | The age group of 11 to 18 (in-school and out-of-school adolescent girls) |
| 6. |
Life Skill education
|
Imparting skills focused on personality development, functional literacy and accessing public services in Anganwadi centres | Anganwadi centres/NGO/Youth Affairs/Education Setup | The age group of 11 to 18 (in-school and out-of-school adolescent girls) |
| 7. | Vocational Training using NSDP | Vocational Training presented for a maximum period of 3 years with the desired level of flexibility in the location to ensure maximum benefit. | Through the Net State Domestic Product (NSDP) of the Ministry of Labour |
The age group of 16 to 18 (Out-of-school adolescent girls)
|
Funding Pattern
- SABLA Scheme is sponsored by the Government of India, as the centre will give 100% assistance support for all inputs to the State Government and UTs. But the respective centre will give up to 50% in the nutrition segment or the real cost incurred which one is minimum.
- The assistance amount (funds) would be used as part payment of the fees that are required to be paid by the Adolescent Girls under the NSDP.
- The Government of India will grant Rs.3.8 lakhs per project per annum to States/UTs which will include the cost of training kit at each Anganwadi centers, Nutrition and health education, IEC, vocational training (tie-up with the NSDP), Life Skill Education, flex funds for transportation, Health cards, the printing of registers, and referral receipts/slips. The actual expenditure in each and every project may differ from project to project based on the population, topography and number of villages and the releases will be made depending upon the actual expenditure.
- For the supplementary nutrition provision, Rs.5/- per beneficiary per day for a maximum period of 300 days will be provided. The Government of India will share the cost for the nutrition to Adolescent Girls up to the extent of 50% of the assistance support or the actual expenditure incurred whichever is less.
- Under the Nutrition Component an amount of Rs.20.63 lakhs, in which 50% School Nutrition Programs (SNP) provision will be received from the Ministry of W&CD. Under the Non-Nutrition Component Rs.0.92 lakhs will be received from the Ministry. Out of which an amount of Rs.21.37 lakhs under the Nutrition component and Rs.0.88 lakhs under the Non-Nutrition component has been utilised up to a specific year.
- An amount of Rs.170 Lakhs under the UT Share has been allotted under SABLA Scheme out of which Rs.170.49 lakhs has been utilized under this scheme till a specific year.
Under the SABLA Scheme, rice and wheat released by the Ministry for the use of Nutrition Programme of Adolescent girls. The food grains procured from the FCI, Port Blair, at Below Poverty Line (BPL) rate of 5.65 per kg for the rice and 4.15 per kg for the wheat and the same is lifted by the Civil Supplies and the distribution to the Anganwadi Centres through four ICDS projects. The rice and wheat allocation under the SABLA scheme received from the Ministry are tabulated below:
| Time Period | Food Grains | Allocation Received |
| 1st Quarter | Wheat | 41 Metric Ton (MT) |
| 2nd Quarter | Wheat | 41 Metric Ton (MT) |
| 3rd Quarter | Wheat | 41 Metric Ton (MT) |
| 4th Quarter | Rice | 41 Metric Ton (MT) |
Implementation of the Scheme
- This Centrally-sponsored Scheme is implemented through the State Governments/UTs with the 100% of financial assistance from the Government for all inputs other than the nutrition provision for which the Indian Government would share assistance to the States will be granted to the extent of 50% of the actual financial norms or the expenditure incurred by the States, whichever is less.
- The Ministry of Women &Child Development is responsible for the budgetary control and scheme administration from the respective Centre. At the State level committee, the Secretary of the Department of Women and Child Development/Social Welfare dealing with the ICDS will be responsible for the overall direction and implementation of the scheme. The director and other officials dealing with the ICDS will also implement the SABLA Scheme at State level.
- The scheme will be implemented through the Anganwadi centres which will be the focal point for the delivery of the services. The ICDS infrastructure will be used for the implementation. Where the infrastructure and facilities at the Anganwadi centres are not adequate, the Scheme would be implemented using alternate arrangements such as school building/panchayat buildings/community buildings, etc. with the space earmarked for the purpose.
- The Anganwadi Worker (AWW) will survey and register all Adolescent Girls within the jurisdiction of that Anganwadi centres and advise them to come to the Anganwadi centres. The District Probation Officer (DPO) will be responsible for the implementing the Scheme at the field level within the district and the Child Development Project Officers (CDPO) within the ICDS Project area along with the supervisors.
Application Procedure for SABLA Scheme
To apply under the SABLA Scheme, kindly follow the below procedure:
Approach the Anganwadi Center
Step 1: Firstly, the AGs will have to address the Anganwadi centre/Anganwadi Medical Officer/Ministry of Labour depends upon the services availed by the beneficiaries.
Get Application Form
Step 2: Now, get the application form from the concerned office and have to fill out an application form in a prescribed format.
Fill out the Application Form
Step 3: A duly completed application form will be sent for the verification process to the representatives.
Verification Process
Step 4: The Scheme would be verified periodically to assess the impact of this Scheme and take corrective measures. Evaluations will also be carried out by the States and UTs periodically. Baseline survey and situational analysis will also be made by the States/UTs for the identification of beneficiaries so that the end evaluation later would indicate the outcomes.
Processing of Applications
Step 5: The Register (to be opened every year) will be maintained at the AWC by the AWW with the assistance amount of Sakhi/Saheli. Project wise, physical/financial progress report and records on the quarterly or annual basis in prescribed formats will be combined by the CDPO and sent to the State Government which further will be sent to the Ministry by the Governments or UTs. Then the supervisor will ensure that accurate records of AGs are maintained at the AWC, compiled and reported in the prescribed format.
