BETI BACHAO BETI PADHAO – GOVERNMENT SCHEME

BETI BACHAO BETI PADHAO – GOVERNMENT SCHEME

News: On Manipur, Mamata targets BJP: ‘What happened to ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao? Beti jal rahi hain’

 

What's in the news?

●       Setting the tone for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee attacked the BJP over sexual violence against women in Manipur, asking the BJP what had happened to its promise of “Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao (save girls, educate girls)”.

 

Beti Bachao Beti Padhao:

●       Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, the Centre’s flagship programme for women’s empowerment, which focuses on education of girl child and improving sex ratio throughout the country.

●       Launched in 2015.

●       It will cover all the 640 districts (as per census 2011) of the country to have a deeper positive impact on Child Sex Ratio (CSR).

 

Implementation:

●       The Union ‎Ministry of Women and Child Development (WCD) is the nodal ministry for programmes at the central level.

●       Implemented under the overall guidance and supervision of concerned District Magistrate/Deputy Commissioners.

 

Objectives:

The Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) Scheme aims to address the critical issue of declining Child Sex Ratio (CSR). The specific objectives of the scheme are as follows.

  1. Prevent gender biased sex selective elimination.
  2. Ensure survival and protection of the girl child
  3. Ensure education and participation of the girl child through coordinated and convergent efforts.
  4. Provision of skilling of girls in Non-traditional Livelihoods (NTL).
  5. Increasing the enrolment of girls in secondary education, particularly in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) subjects.

 

Sukanya Samriddhi Scheme:

●       Sukanya Samriddhi Scheme is a small saving scheme under the Government of India targeting the parents of any girl children.

●       This scheme focuses on encouraging the parents of the female child to build a fund for their future education and marriage expenses.

●       The Sukanya Samriddhi Scheme provides an interest rate of 8.4% and tax benefits to every account opened under it for July-September 2019.

●       The Sukanya Samriddhi Account can be opened at any Post office or branch of authorized commercial banks in the country.

 

Key takeaways:

●       BBBP scheme has provision for awards and recognitions but no provision for direct individual cash transfer for any strata of society including daughters of poor women.

●       It is not a DBT (Direct Benefit Transfer) scheme. Under the scheme, combined data of urban and rural areas are considered for the Sex Ratio at Birth (SRB).

●       The Multi-Sectoral Intervention and Media & Advocacy campaign of BBBP have been structured for greater coverage and reach in the country to increase the productivity of the scheme.

●       The BBBP Scheme is beginning to generate people’s consciousness in the country towards valuing girl children.

●       To sensitize the masses and for changing mindset, nation-wide media campaign is being implemented which among others include radio spots/jingles in Hindi and regional languages, video spots, SMS campaigns, community engagement through song & drama, e-mailers, handouts, brochures and other information, education and communication material has been adopted which includes social media platforms.