- Why in news
- On 25 March 2026, the Minister of State for Women and Child Development told Rajya Sabha that 419 Shakti Sadans are functional and about 19,960 women were rehabilitated in FY 2025-26 (up to 31 December 2025).
- What it is
- Shakti Sadan is an integrated relief and rehabilitation home scheme for women in distress, including trafficked women. It sits under Mission Shakti of the Ministry of Women and Child Development. It replaced the separate Swadhar Greh and Ujjawala schemes.
- Type of scheme
- It is a demand-driven Centrally Sponsored Scheme; funds go to States/UTs, which assess local needs.
- Approval
- The Programme Approval Board approves proposals every year after discussion with States/UTs.
- Funding support
- Financial assistance covers running Shakti Sadan in rented premises.
- Monitoring
- A dedicated Mission Shakti Dashboard captures staff, beneficiaries, location, infrastructure and activities.
Don’t confuse with Shakti Sadan vs Sakhi Niwas: Shakti Sadan shelters women in distress including trafficked women; Sakhi Niwas is the working women's hostel component, also under Mission Shakti.
Schemes: 52 Prelims questions since 2013, 10 in Prelims 2026 alone. They test features, the period and who funds it. In Mains, 33 news-triggered questions, mostly GS3.
Why it matters
- Gives shelter and rehabilitation to distressed and trafficked women, supporting SDG 5 and women's safety.
Problems
- Being demand-driven, coverage depends on State proposals, so it may be uneven across States.
Way forward
- Use the Mission Shakti Dashboard data to find gaps and expand homes in underserved districts.
Put in your answer
Scale of services: 419 homes and about 19,960 women rehabilitated in April-December 2025 can be cited as scheme outcomes.
- 2013Mains GS2 · Q12Critically evaluate restructuring of centrally sponsored schemes for vulnerable sections
- 2016Mains GS4 · Q11Officer's dilemma helping a destitute old woman lacking eligibility documents
- 2014Mains GS4 · Q8Suggest innovative measures against rising sexual violence against women
UPSC’s own questions that come close to this issue, from our Prelims and Mains banks.
No practice question for this one; the card may still help an answer. Why: Merged scheme under Mission Shakti since 1.4.2022 (Swadhar Greh and Ujjawala); lasting topic, but few fresh facts for a question.
Worth revising until Prelims 2027: most news questions come within two years of the event.