Why in News?

=> On March 8, 2022, on the occasion of International Women's Day, various programs were started by the Women and Child Development Department of Madhya Pradesh for the economic, physical and mental upliftment of the women of the state.

Key Points:

=> Keeping in view the procedural difficulties faced by women from banks, the Department of Women and Child Development has launched a special scheme to provide loans in collaboration with Punjab National Bank and Central Bank of India to overcome the paucity of funds.

• Under this, a loan of Rs 180 crore was made available to about 7136 women groups of the state.

=> Aparajita martial arts training program was also started by the department for teenage girls. In this, 150 teenage girls of each district will be given 10 days training in Boxing, Judo, Karate, Taekwondo and Wrestling in collaboration with the Sports and Youth Welfare Department.

=> A health test camp has also been started for the testing and treatment of the health and nutritional level of the women field staff of the Women and Child Development Department.

=> Additional Chief Secretary Ashok Shah distributed symbolic keys of 8 autos and one e-rickshaw in collaboration with the bank to the beneficiaries of self-help groups on International Women's Day.

=> Director Women and Child Development Dr. Ram Rao Bhosale informed that so far more than 41 lakh children in the state have got the benefit of Ladli Laxmi Yojana and this process is going on continuously.

=> He said that the Panchayat which will celebrate the birth of daughters will be declared as 'Ladli Friendly'.