Annual report - Performance Management Division

CHAPTER 19GENDER SPECIFIC ISSUES AND GENDERBUDGETING19.1 Hon’ble Supreme Court in its judgments in the case of Vishaka Vs. State ofRajasthan (AIR 1997 SUPREME COURT 3011) laid down certain guidelines for instituting ananti-sexual harassment policy at the work place. Hon’ble Supreme Court stated that allemployers and persons in charge of work place whether in public or in private sector, shouldtake appropriate steps to prevent sexual harassment and without prejudice to the generalityof this obligation, the organizations, be it public or private, should take certain steps toprevent and enquire any complaint based on sexual harassment received from the womenworkforce in the Ministry/Department/Organization.19.2 In pursuance of the directions given by Hon’ble Supreme Court, an InternalComplaint Committee has been set up in the Ministry on 31.8.2009. This Committee ispresently under re- constitution.19.3 The Gender Budgeting Cell of the Ministry was re-constituted in December, 2010.The cell consists of two male and two lady officers. The cell is intended to bring aboutgender responsive budget in the Ministry. The Cell has held meetings to review the schemes/programmes of the Ministry to ascertain the flow of benefits to the women and girlbeneficiaries. The Cell is supervised by the Joint Secretary (Administration) of the Ministry.19.4 Three exclusive scholarship schemes for students belonging to the minoritycommunities have been approved viz. a Merit-cum- means based scholarship scheme, aPost- matric scholarship scheme and a Pre-matric scholarship scheme. All three schemesprovide for earmarking 30% of the available scholarships for girl students from the minoritycommunities. Under the Merit-cum-means based scholarship scheme 32.47% and 34.29%of the scholarships sanctioned in the years 2009-10, 2010-11 respectively were awarded togirl students; under Pre-matric scholarship scheme, 50.89%, 48.47% and 48.21% ofscholarships sanctioned for 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2010-11 respectively were awarded togirl students while 55.12%, 55.10% and 51.00% of scholarships sanctioned in 2008-09,2009-10 and 2010-11 respectively were awarded to girl students under Post-matricstscholarship scheme. In 2011-12 upto 31 December, 2011, the percentage of girl studentsawarded scholarships was as follows :Pre-Matric Scholarship Scheme - 53.80%52