The flagship scheme of the government ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’ has been revised and included many initiatives like skilling girls in Non-Traditional Livelihood (NTL) options, increasing their enrolment in secondary education, raising awareness about menstrual hygiene, and promoting the elimination of child marriages.
- Indevar Pandey, Secretary of Ministry of Women and Child Development (WCD) assured the focus will also be made on removing the barriers that stop girls from pursuing diverse livelihood opportunities.
- The Ministry of Women and Child Development launched an operational manual to implement the scheme in districts.
- According to the manual, a national committee headed by the Secretary ,Ministry of Women and Child Development, made under the Mission Shakti (integrated women empowerment scheme ) mandate, will be the apex committee to review the implementation of Beti Bachao Beti Padhao at regular intervals.
Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao (BBBP) scheme:
i. In 2015, the Government of India (GoI) introduced the scheme “Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao” (BBBP) to address gender discrimination and women empowerment in India.
- The scheme was launched with initial funding of Rs. 100 crore (USD 13.5 million).
- The name Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao translates and refers to ‘Save the girl child, educate the girl child’.
ii. It aims to educate people against gender bias and improve the efficacy of welfare services for girls.
BBBP Background:
i. On 22nd January 2015, prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) Scheme at Panipat, Haryana.
ii. It is a joint initiative of the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MoWCD), the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) and the Ministry of Human Resource Development(MHRD)(MHRD is now the Ministry of Education(MoE)).
iii. Objectives
- To prevent sex selection
- To ensure the survival and Protection of the girl child
- To ensure the education of the girl child
BBBP- Achievements and Progress:
i. According to WCD, through the scheme government organized about 76167 Awareness Rallies at village, block & district levels. 12 mobile vans well equipped with audio-visual aids functional in all 20 BBBP districts.
ii. The scheme was initially launched in 100 districts in 2014-2015 to change the behaviour in society towards the birth and rights of a girl child.
iii. Out of 640 districts under BBBP, CSR has declined in 429 districts (2/3rd of the country).
Note:
As per the data of the Health Management Information System (HMIS) of MoHFW Sex Ratio at Birth (SRB) has improved by 16 points from 918 (2014-2015) to 934 (2019-2020)
Haryana had improved its Sex Ratio at Birth (SRB) to 916 in 2022, compared to 914 in 2021.
About Women and Child Development (WCD):
Cabinet Minister- Smriti Zubin Irani
Headquarters- New Delhi, Delhi
Establishment- Since 1985 WCD was a Department under the Ministry of Human Resources Development. In 2006, WCD came into existence as a separate Ministry.
