By IANS,
New Delhi: After much delay, the women and child development ministry will finally launch the Rajiv Gandhi Scheme for Empowerment of Adolescent Girls – SABLA – in November.
In a note circulated to all principal secretaries, Joint Secretary Vivek Joshi said the scheme will be launched in 200 districts on a pilot basis.
SABLA aims at empowering adolescent girls between 11 to 18 years of age by improving their nutritional and vocational skills.
“The girls will be equipped with information on health and family welfare, hygiene, and guidance on existing public services,” an official from the women and child development ministry said Wednesday.
“In the selected districts, SABLA would replace the existing Nutrition Programme for Adolescent Girls (NPAG) and Kishori Shakti Yojana (KSY),” the official said.
The districts have been selected on the basis of a composite index calculated on the indicators relevant to the condition of adolescent girls.
The scheme will be formally launched by Women and Child Development Minister Krishna Tirath in mid-November.