SABLA Scheme {Rajiv Gandhi Scheme for Empowerment of Adolescent Girls (RGSEAG)}
The Rajiv Gandhi Scheme for Empowerment of Adolescent Girls or RGSEAG, also popularly known as SABLA scheme was introduced on 1st April 2011 by the Government of India along with the Ministry of Women and Child Development. The scheme aims at the empowerment of girls and the development of the Adolescent girls. This focuses on fighting socio-legal challenges by fulfilling the essential requirements like Nutrition, Education, and Health.
Objectives of the Scheme
- To enhance the health and nutrition of the girls.
- Promoting awareness about hygiene, health, childcare, family, and food among them.
- Improve life skills, home-based skills, and vocational skills.
- Providing Adolescent girls (AGs) with both formal and informal education.
- Support the AGs with empowerment by giving appropriate qualifications and knowledge to expose them to suitable employment.
- Guiding and notifying them about certain available public services like Community Health Centre, Police Station, Bank, Post Office, Primary Healthcare, etc.
Target Group
This scheme aims to cover all the adolescent girls from ages 11 to 18 years in chosen districts all over the country. For efficiency, the target group will be divided into two groups, i.e., 11 to 15 and 15-18 years. The project is regulated according to that. All the out-to-school AGs will be accumulated together at the Anganwadi Centre on the given time table by the states. Similarly, the other school-going girls will be assembling two times a month to receive education about life skills, health and nutrition, and perceptions regarding various socio-political issues.
Services Provided under the Scheme
- Nutrition provision
- Iron and Folic Acid supplementation
- Health check-up and Referral services
- Nutrition & Health Education
- Guidance on family welfare, ARSH, child care practices, and home management
- Life Skill Education and accessing public services
- Vocational training for girls aged 16 and above under National Skill Development Program
Nutrition
Every adolescent girl will be provided with Supplementary Nutrition of six hundred calories, consisting of 18-20gm protein, micronutrients, etc. every day for three hundred days a year. The adolescent girls ranging from ages 11-15 and 15-18 years will be given supplementary nutrition as THR or Take Home Ration. However, if the cooked meal is being provided, it should be up to the quality and be appropriately prepared and served fresh and hot.
Health check-up Services
All the girls will receive essential health check-ups once in every three months. They will be provided with de-worming medication by the Medical officer or ANM- Auxiliary Nurse Midwife as per the rules by the State. Weight and height measurements will also be done on that day, and ICDS will give the weight measurement scale. The girls will also be provided with Kishori Card for keeping track of the milestones.
Nutrition and Health Education
The adolescent girls will be given appropriate health and nutrition information, which will eventually lead to better health for the girls. This will result in the improvement of the whole family's overall health and nutrition while breaching the dangerous malnutrition cycle. The education will be given to all the girls under the help of AWS with ICDS or Community based Organizations. The girls will be provided with knowledge on clean cooking and eating methods, clean and safe water, hygiene, intimate hygiene, etc.
Guidance on Family Welfare and Home Management
The AGs will be advised on family welfare and home management as well. This will be provided by the ASHA, AWW, ANM, and ICDS supervisors along with the AWC via the people of NGOs. The supervisor will take care of all the regulations and facilities. They will be given knowledge about legal rights, family welfare, and child care. The age groups of 11-15 and 15-18 will be given appropriate awareness about menstrual and personal hygiene, contraception, HIV/AIDS, the right age for marriage and pregnancy, child feeding, etc. NGOs and CBOs, along with other organizations, will take care of these programs.
Life Skills Education
Life skills are a crucial part of growing up in every person's life. They need enough knowledge and skills to survive. Plus, this will benefit them long, and it will also help develop positive and healthy behavior. They will be taught about fundamental human rights, communication skills, literacy, confidence-boosting skills, awareness, decision making, critical thinking, etc.
Vocational Training
Vocational training will also be given to adolescent girls for socioeconomic growth. The national skill development program will provide professional training to the girls of 16 years or older. They will be taught skills in a simple way of income source and services after the age of 18. The training will be given under NSDP along with the Vocational training providers.
Implementation by the State Government
- ICDS will help implement the scheme in all the state and union territories.
- There will be state and district level workshops arranged for the better understanding of the system to the ICDS ministries.
- They will be regular conduction surveys for the recognition of the beneficiaries.
- There will be the promotion of the scheme by the IEC for generating awareness about the project among the people.
- The State will also set up an efficient union mechanism at all levels for the competence of the scheme.
- The selection of NGOs/NGOs/CBOs for the system will be selected after the consultation with DPOs and CDPOs.
- Various monitoring committees will be set up at different levels for the production run of the scheme.
You can learn more about this scheme on its official website.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What is SABLA scheme?
The SABLA scheme is for the adolescent girls, which is aimed at empowering the girls and combating the socio-legal issues.
Q. When was this scheme launched?
This scheme was launched in April 1, 2011.
Q. Who launched this scheme?
This scheme was launched by the Government of India along with the Ministry of Women and Child Development.
Q. what is the aim of this scheme?
The primary aim of this scheme is to provide the Adolescent girls with proper nutrition and health care.
Q. What are the eligibility criteria for this scheme?
This scheme is for every girl aged between 11 to 18 years.
Q. What are the other programs under this scheme?
The other programs under this scheme are NPAG- Nutrition Program for Adolescent Girls and KSY- Kishori Shakti Yojana.
Q. What are the provisions for nutrition?
The girls will be provided with take home ration for 300 days in a year which consists of nutritional value of 600 calories.
Q. Who will provide the life skill education?
The Anganwadi centers and NGOs will provide life skill education under this scheme.
Q. What is the budget of the scheme?
The budget of the scheme is 1.1 lakhs for each project per year for a single district.