Scheme for Adolescent Girls (SAG) 2026 - New Name of SABLA Yojana Under Poshan 2.0, Eligibility and Benefits

Central government no longer runs SABLA as a separate scheme. It has merged Rajiv Gandhi Scheme for Empowerment of Adolescent Girls (RGSEAG), popularly called SABLA, into Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 since April 2022. Adolescent girls now get nutrition and other support through a component called Scheme for Adolescent Girls (SAG), and the eligible age group has also changed from 11-14 years to 14-18 years for the nutrition part of SAG.

Union Budget 2025-26 allotted ₹21,960 crore for Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0, and the scheme now covers around 20 lakh adolescent girls in aspirational districts and North Eastern states. Government has also approved continuation of this scheme for the next five years, from 2026-27 to 2030-31, under the 16th Finance Commission cycle.

SABLA Scheme Renamed to Scheme for Adolescent Girls (SAG) Under Poshan 2.0

Central govt. sanctioned SABLA or RGSEAG Scheme in the year 2010 and rolled it out in 205 districts on a pilot basis. In 2017-18, coverage went up to 303 more districts, taking the total to 508 districts. Later, govt. universalized the scheme across all remaining districts, including districts of North Eastern Region, and SABLA fully replaced two older schemes, Nutrition Programme for Adolescent Girls (NPAG) and Kishori Shakti Yojana (KSY).

Union Budget 2021-22 announced Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0, which brought Anganwadi Services, Scheme for Adolescent Girls and Poshan Abhiyaan under one umbrella. Standalone SABLA scheme officially closed on 31 March 2022. So if anyone is still searching for SABLA scheme application form or SABLA login, that separate scheme does not exist anymore. Its benefits continue under Scheme for Adolescent Girls, run through Anganwadi Centres.

What Changed for Adolescent Girls After the Merger

Biggest change is in the age group covered under Supplementary Nutrition Programme. Earlier SABLA covered girls of 11 to 14 years for full nutrition support. Under Poshan 2.0, nutrition support for 11 to 14 years age group now comes under regular Anganwadi Services, while dedicated Scheme for Adolescent Girls (SAG) nutrition support is given to out of school girls of 14 to 18 years, and that too mainly in Aspirational Districts and North Eastern Region. Non-nutrition part, such as life skill education, health check-ups and vocational training, still applies broadly to adolescent girls through Anganwadi Centres across states.

Objectives of Scheme for Adolescent Girls (SAG)

Main objectives of Scheme for Adolescent Girls, earlier known as Rajiv Gandhi Scheme For Adolescent Girls (RGSEAG), are as follows.

• Help adolescent girls (AGs) with self-development and empowerment through nutrition, health and skill support.
• Improve nutrition and health status of out of school and school going adolescent girls.
• Spread awareness about health, hygiene, nutrition, Adolescent Reproductive and Sexual Health (ARSH), and family and child care.
• Upgrade home-based skills and life skills, and link eligible girls with National Skill Development Program (NSDP) for vocational training.
• Bring out of school adolescent girls back into formal or non-formal education.
• Guide girls about existing public services such as Primary Health Centre (PHC), Community Health Centre (CHC), Post Office, Bank and Police Station.

Official Guidelines - Anyone can check Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 scheme guidelines on the official Ministry of Women and Child Development website at wcd.gov.in. Older SABLA notification PDF is still available at wcd.nic.in for reference, though it reflects pre-2022 rules.

Services Under Scheme for Adolescent Girls (SAG)

Scheme for Adolescent Girls runs as part of Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) structure, through Anganwadi Centres. It gives an integrated package of services to adolescent girls, listed below.

• Supplementary nutrition provision for eligible age groups.
• Iron and Folic Acid (IFA) supplementation.
• Health check-up and referral services to nearby health centres.
• Nutrition and Health Education (NHE) sessions at Anganwadi level.
• Counselling and guidance on family welfare, ARSH, child care practices and home management.
• Life skill education and help in accessing public services.
• Vocational training for girls aged 16 and above, linked with National Skill Development Program (NSDP).

Nutrition and Non-Nutrition Components

Scheme has two broad parts even today, nutrition component and non-nutrition component. Under nutrition component, eligible girls get Take Home Ration (THR) or Hot Cooked Meal through Anganwadi Centres. Cost norm has been ₹9.50 per beneficiary per day since 2017, meant to give around 600 calories with 18-20 grams of protein plus daily micro-nutrients. Union Budget 2025-26 speech mentioned that cost norms for such nutrition programmes will be enhanced, though an exact revised per-day figure was not notified separately at time of writing, so beneficiaries should check with their local Anganwadi worker or district ICDS office for current rates.

Non-nutrition component covers IFA supplementation, health check-up and referral services, nutrition and health education, counselling on family welfare and ARSH, life skill education, and help with formal or non-formal schooling for out of school girls. Centre and State share nutrition cost normally in 50:50 ratio, except for North Eastern and Himalayan states where it is 90:10, and Union Territories without legislature where centre bears full cost.

Funds Released for Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0

Government has released large amounts for this umbrella scheme over recent years. Table below gives a quick picture of past SABLA/KSY funding along with recent Poshan 2.0 budget figures.

Above pre-2022 data was shared by Minister of State for Women and Child Development, Dr. Virendra Kumar, in Rajya Sabha, and later figures come from Ministry of Women and Child Development budget releases. Ministry has stated that Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 supports more than 8 crore children, 1 crore pregnant women and lactating mothers, and about 20 lakh adolescent girls in aspirational districts and North Eastern states.

Scheme Continuation for 2026-27 to 2030-31

Ministry of Women and Child Development held an Expenditure Finance Committee meeting in May 2025 to review Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 for the next Finance Commission cycle. Central government has since cleared continuation of this scheme for five more years, covering 2026-27 to 2030-31, and states such as Madhya Pradesh have already approved continuing it at state level too. This means Scheme for Adolescent Girls, as a part of Poshan 2.0, will stay operational well beyond 2026, though it will keep running under Poshan 2.0 branding and not under old SABLA name.

State Level Roll Out of Old SABLA Scheme

Before the 2022 merger, several states had launched SABLA or RGSEAG separately at state level. Uttar Pradesh government under CM Yogi Adityanath launched a state SABLA scheme on 21 February 2019 for out of school girls of 11 to 14 years, along with observing 8th of every month as Adolescent Girls Day at Anganwadi Centres. Haryana government had extended SABLA to all its districts too, after running it on pilot basis in Ambala, Yamunanagar, Rohtak, Rewari, Kaithal and Hisar districts. These state announcements are now historical, since implementation everywhere runs through Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 structure and its Scheme for Adolescent Girls component.

FAQ's

Is SABLA scheme still active in 2026?

Not as a separate scheme. Its benefits for adolescent girls continue as Scheme for Adolescent Girls (SAG), a component of Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0, since April 2022.

Which age group can get benefits now?

Girls of 14 to 18 years get SAG nutrition support in Aspirational Districts and North Eastern states, while girls of 11 to 14 years get nutrition support under regular Anganwadi Services.

Where should someone apply for Scheme for Adolescent Girls benefits?

There is no separate online SABLA application form. Eligible girls or their families should contact their local Anganwadi Centre or Anganwadi worker for registration and benefits.

How much money does government spend per beneficiary per day?

Cost norm has been ₹9.50 per beneficiary per day for years, and Union Budget 2025-26 announced plans to raise this norm, though an updated exact figure was not separately notified at time of writing.