DR.
RAM MANOHAR LOHIYA NATIONAL
LAW UNIVERSITY
2019-20
FINAL DRAFT
POLITICAL SCIENCE
“BETI BACHAO BETI PADAO” –AN INITIATIVE FOR A BETTER
TOMMORROW
SUBMITTED TO- SUBMITTED BY-
Dr. Monika Srivastava Hariank Gupta
Assistant Professor (Political Science) B.A.LLB. (3rd sem.)
RMLNLU Sec. – A
Roll no. - 180101053
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Contents
Contents
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT.................................................................................................................................2
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................................4
NEED............................................................................................................................................................5
GOAL...........................................................................................................................................................6
OBJECTIVES..................................................................................................................................................6
The objectives of this scheme are:..............................................................................................................6
Some Local Initiative....................................................................................................................................7
Core strategies............................................................................................................................................8
COMPONENTS.............................................................................................................................................9
Project Implementation.............................................................................................................................10
Effectiveness..............................................................................................................................................12
What can we all do as individuals:.............................................................................................................13
Conclusion ...............................................................................................................................................14
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I would like to thank respected ASSISTANT PROFESSOR (POLITICAL SCIENCE) DR.
MONIKA SRIVASTAVA for giving me such a golden opportunity to show my skills and
capabilities through this project. This project is the result of extensive ultrapure study, hard work
and labour, put into to make it worth reading. It is my pleasure to be indebted to various people
who directly or indirectly contributed in the development of this work and who influenced my
thinking, behaviour and acts during the course of study. Lastly, I would like to thank the
almighty and my parents for their moral support and not to forget my friends with whom I shared
my day-to-day experience and received lots of suggestions that improved my quality of work.
Thanking You All,
Hariank Gupta
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INTRODUCTION
Our Mantra should be: ‘Beta Beti, Ek Samaan’
“Let us celebrate the birth of the girl child. We should be equally proud of our daughters. I urge
you to sow five plants when your daughter is born to celebrate the occasion”
PM Narendra Modi to citizens of his adopted village Jayapur.
According to census data, the child sex ratio (0–6 years) in India was 927 girls per 1,000 boys in
2001, which dropped drastically to 918 girls for every 1,000 boys in 2011. A 2012 UNICEF
report ranked India 41st among 195 countries.
The Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (Save girl child, educate girl child) is a government social
scheme launched by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi in order to address the gender
imbalance and discrimination against girl child in the Indian society. This scheme was launched
by the Prime Minister on 22nd of January in 2015 at Panipat, Haryana on Thursday. This is
implemented through a national campaign and focused multi-sector action in 100 selected
districts with low CSR, covering all States and UTs. It is a joint initiative of the Ministry of
Women and Child Development, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the Ministry of
Human Resource Development.This scheme is to aware people about the importance of girls in
the society. It is to increase awareness among common people to save the lives of girl child by
completely removing the female foeticide. People should celebrate the birth of their girl child
and educate them with full responsibility as they do for their boy child.
The NDA Government is trying to bring about a transformational shift in the way our society
looks at the girl child. PM Modi in his Mann Ki Baat lauded the Sarpanch from Bibipur in
Haryana who started a ‘Selfie With Daughter’ initiative. The hashtag #SelfieWithDaughter
garnered worldwide fame.PM also urged people to share their selfies with daughters and it soon
became a world-wide hit. People from across India and the world shared their selfies with
daughters and this became a proud occasion for all those who have daughters. In August 2016,
Olympics 2016 bronze medalist Sakshi Malik was made brand ambassador of the 'Beti Bachao,
Beti Padhao' initiative in Haryana.
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NEED
The trend of decline in the Child Sex Ratio (CSR), defined as number of girls per 1000 of boys
between 0-6 years of age, has been unabated since 1961. The decline from 945 in 1991 to 927 in
2001 and further to 918 in 2011 is alarming. The decline in the CSR is a major indicator of
women disempowerment. CSR reflects both, pre-birth discrimination manifested through gender
biased sex selection, and post birth discrimination against girls. Social construct discriminating
against girls on the one hand, easy availability, affordability and subsequent misuse of diagnostic
tools on the other hand, have been critical in increasing Sex Selective Elimination of girls
leading to low Child Sex Ratio.
Sex-selective abortion or female feticide has led to a sharp drop in the ratio of girls born in
contrast to boy infants in some states in India. Ultrasound technology has made it possible for
pregnant women and their families to learn the gender of a fetus early in a pregnancy.
Discrimination against girl infants, for several reasons, has combined with the technology to
result in a rise in abortions of fetuses identified as female during ultrasonic testing.
It has been observed that the trend is most pronounced in relatively prosperous regions of
India. The dowry system in India is often blamed; the expectation that a large dowry must be
provided for daughters in order for them to marry is frequently cited as a major cause for the
problem. Pressure for parents to provide large dowries for their daughters is most intense in
prosperous states where high standards of living, and modern consumerism, are more prevalent
in Indian society.
Rates of female feticide in Madhya Pradesh are increasing; the rate of live births was 932 girls
per 1000 boys in 2001, which dropped to 918 by 2011. It is expected that if this trend continues,
by 2021 the number of girls will drop below 900 per 1000 boys. [11]Since coordinated and
convergent efforts are needed to ensure survival, protection and empowerment of the girl child,
Government has announced Beti Bachao Beti Padhao initiative.
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GOAL
Improvement in the Child Sex Ratio in 100 Gender Critical Districts
OBJECTIVES
The objectives of this scheme are:
● Prevent female infanticide
the steep downfall in the CSR is a prime indicator of women disempowerment in the
country. CSR puts a light on the pre-birth discrimination on the basis of gender that
manifests in the form of unacceptable practice of female infanticide. Convergent efforts
by government agencies and NGOs are crucial to ensure survival, safety and
empowerment of the fairer sex. Under the scheme, district authorities are required to
effectively monitor and ensure that the use of sex-determination tools by families and
doctors lead to stringent action by law. Several healthcare centres indulging in such
practices have been sealed owing to this programme. Parents, families, doctors and the
community at large are being oriented to not resort to sex-determination during
pregnancy.
● Devise new schemes and work cohesively to ensure that every girl child is secured
and protected
BBBP programme is being implemented with full commitment of government officials
across the country. The government has been actively working to converge BBBP with
other schemes that have been implemented for the well-being of girls in India. Several
sub-schemes have also been rolled out as a part of the umbrella BBBP scheme. For
instance, Sukanya Samriddhi scheme is a small savings scheme wherein the parents of a
girl or a legal guardian can open a dedicated savings account for her in any post office or
in some of the authorized commercial banks. One needs to make contribution to the
scheme for the first 14 years only. In the remaining seven years one will earn interest
from the scheme without depositing.
● Ensure every girl child gets quality education
This is a very significant aspect of the BBBP scheme. Right to Education Act, 2010
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entitles every child the right to free education till the completion of elementary education
in a neighbourhood school. Unfortunately, the Act does not see its proper implementation
in letter and spirit. If the girls are educated properly, they will grow up to be self-
empowered individuals, better equipped to take their socio-economic decisions in their
own and society’s best interests. Under the BBBP scheme, district-level education
officials have to ensure that the benefit of free elementary education reaches all the girls.
Districts
The 100 districts have been identified on the basis of low Child Sex Ratio as per Census 2011
covering all States/UTs as a pilot with at least one district in each state. The three criteria for
selection of districts namely are:-
1.Districts below the national average (87 districts/23 states)
2.Districts above national average but shown declining trend (8 districts/8 states)
3.Districts above national average and shown increasing trend (5 districts/5 states- selected so
that these CSR levels can be maintained and other districts can emulate and learn from their
experiences).
Some Local Initiative
Under Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Scheme, Pithoragarh district has taken various steps towards
protecting the girl child and enabling her education. The District Task Force and Block Task
Force have been constituted. Meetings of these forums have organized & clear road maps have
been developed and relating to Child Sex Ratio. To reach out the community at a large,
awareness generation activities have been being carried out for wider dissemination of the
Scheme. Various Rallies have been organized with core participation from various schools,
Army schools, Employees of Government Departments, etc
Mansa district in Punjab has launched an initiative to inspire its girls to be educated. Under its
‘Udaan - Sapneya Di Duniya De Rubaru (Udaan- Live your Dream For One Day)’ scheme, the
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Mansa administration invites proposals from girls belonging to classes VI-XII. These girls have
the opportunity to spend one day with a professional they aspire to be — doctor, police official,
engineer, IAS and PPS officers, among others.
The initiative has received great response, and more than 70 students have already got a chance
to spend one day with a professional, to see them function in a professional environment, helping
them make better decisions about their future career choice.
Core strategies
The proposal is envisaged for focused interventions to improve the CSR, within an overall
National Strategy for Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao. Recognizing that the issue of decline in Child
Sex Ratio is complex and multi-dimensional, it shall be addressed within the broad framework of
survival, protection and education of girl children. A multi- sectoral strategy which is governed
by the core principles of respecting, protecting and fulfilling the rights of girls and women,
including the ending of gender based violence will be adopted. The core strategies will be as
follows:
i) Evolving a sustained Social Mobilization and Communication Campaign to change
societal norms, to create equal value for the girl child.
ii) Positioning improvement in the Child Sex Ratio as a lead development indicator for
good governance.
iii) Focusing on very low Child Sex Ratio or gender critical districts and cities for
accelerated impact.
iv) Mobilizing and empowering frontline worker teams as catalysts for social change, in
partnership with local community/women‟s/youth groups (Ahimsa Messengers).
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v) Developing capacity of Panchayati Raj Institutions/Urban local bodies - especially
women panchayat /urban local body members, to create community and peer support for
making panchayats / urban wards girl child friendly.
vi) Engendering development and essential services: to ensure that service delivery
structures are sufficiently responsive to issues of gender and children‟s rights.
vii) Enabling Inter-Ministerial and inter-institutional convergence at different level.
COMPONENTS
The Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) initiative has two major components.
i) Mass Communication Campaign
ii) Multi-sectoral action in 100 selected districts (as a pilot) with adverse CSR,
covering all States and UTs.
(a) Mass Communication Campaign on Beti Bachao Beti Padhao - The campaign aims at
ensuring girls are born, nurtured and educated without discrimination to become empowered
citizens of this country. The Campaign interlinks National, State and District level interventions
with community level action in 100 districts, bringing together different stakeholders for
accelerated impact.
(b) Multi-Sect oral interventions in 100 Gender Critical Districts covering all States/UTs:-
Coordinated & convergent efforts are undertaken in close coordination with MoHFW and
MoHRD to ensure survival, protection and education of the girl child. The District
Collectors/Deputy Commissioners (DCs) lead and coordinate actions of all departments for
implementation of BBBP at the District level. Mulit-sectoral interventions includes:
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I. Ministry of Women and Child Development: Promote registration of pregnancies in
first trimester in Anganwadi Centres (AWCs); Undertake training of stakeholders;
Community mobilization & sensitization; Involvement of gender champions; Reward
& recognition of institutions & frontline workers.
II. Ministry of Health & Family Welfare: Monitor implementation of Pre-Conception
and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCP&DT) Act, 1994; Increased institutional
deliveries; Registration of births; Strengthening PNDT Cells; Setting up Monitoring
Committees
III. Ministry of Human Resource Development: Universal enrolment of girls;
Decreased drop-out rate; Girl Child friendly standards in schools; Strict
implementation of Right to Education (RTE); Construction of Functional Toilets for
girls.
Project Implementation
The Ministry of Women and Child Development would be responsible for budgetary control and
administration of the scheme from the Centre. At the State level, the Secretary, Department of
Women and Child Development will be responsible for overall direction and implementation of
the scheme. The Structure of the proposed Scheme may be seen as follows:
At National level, a National Task Force for Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao headed by Secretary,
WCD with representation from concerned ministries namely Ministry of Health & Family
Welfare, Ministry of Human Resource Development, National Legal Services Authority,
Department of Disability Affairs and Ministry of Information & Broadcasting; Gender Experts
and Civil Society representatives. The Task Force will provide guidance and support; finalize
training content; review state plans and monitor effective implementation. A sub group would be
constituted for a Joint Communication Action Committee (JCAC) with representatives from
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relevant ministries to work out the joint and comprehensive National Communication and Media
Campaign . This would be convened every quarter
The Scheme would be anchored by the Ministry of Women and Child Development, with the
critical task of coordinating and monitoring Multi-Sectoral interventions. Concerned ministries
would be responsible for ensuring relevant sectoral inputs for the effective implementation.
MWCD will have the responsibility of coordinating the implementation of the scheme through
the Women‟s Welfare Bureau. Technical inputs for the implementation and coordination would
be extended by the Project Management Unit (PMU) supported by National Resource Centre for
Women (NRCW).
At the State level, the States shall form a State Task Force with representation of concerned
Departments including State Level Services Authority and Department of Disability Affairs for
Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao to coordinate the Multi-Sectoral implementation of the Scheme. As the
issue requires convergence & coordination between Departments, the Task Force would be
headed by the Chief Secretary. In UTs the Task Force would be headed by Administrator, UT
Administration. Some States/UTs have their own mechanism at the State/UT level for Women‟s
Empowerment, Gender and Child related issues which may be considered and/or strengthened as
State/UT Task Force. Principal Secretary, WCD/Social Welfare will be the convenor of this
body. Department of Women & Child Development will have the responsibility of coordinating
all the activities related to implementation of the Plan in the State/UTs through the Directorate of
ICDS. State Resource Centre for Women (SRCWs) will act as a Secretariat to provide technical
and coordination support for implementation of the state action plan.
At the District level, a District/City Task Force led by the District Collector/Deputy
Commissioner/CEO Zila Parishad with representation of concerned Departments including State
Level Services Authority will be responsible for effective implementation, monitoring &
supervision of the District Action Plan. Technical support and guidance for the implementation
of Action Plan in the district would be provided by District Programme Officer (DPO) in the
District ICDS Office for formulation of District Action Plan using the Block level Action Plans.
At the Block level, a Block level Committee would be set up under the Chairpersonship of the
Sub Divisional Magistrate/Sub Divisional Officer/Block Development Officer (as may be
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decided by the concerned State Governments) to provide support in effective implementation,
monitoring & supervision of the Block Action Plan
At the Gram Panchayat/Ward level, the respective Panchayat Samiti/Ward Samiti (as may be
decided by concerned State Governments) having jurisdiction over the concerned Gram
Panchayat/Ward would be responsible for the overall coordination & supervision for effectively
carrying out activities under the Plan. 8
At Village level, Village Health Sanitation and Nutrition Committees, (recognised as sub
committees of panchayats) will guide and support village level implementation and monitoring
of the plan. Gram Sahyog Sakhi (GSS) will catalyze action on ground by creating awareness on
the issue of CSR, collecting data, dissemination of information about schemes/programmes
related to girl child & their families etc.
In identified cities/ urban areas, the plan shall be implemented under the overall guidance &
leadership of Municipal Corporations.
Effectiveness
The campaign has reported some success in parts of India. When the Prime Minister Narendra
Modi were the Chief Minister of Gujarat state, Samast Patidar Samaj of Surat, under the
Presidency of Mr. Laljibhai Patel (LT Patel) has planned Maha Laddu Beti Bachao Abhiyan in
2006 and successfully executed it. Surat witnessed a massive gathering of 1200000 people from
entire Gujarat. With the presence of 1600 dignitaries of different community chaired on 7 huge
daises, witnessing the prasada of Laddu, 1.2 million people took oath that we will never
do female foeticide and prevent others doing the same. In 2009, it was reported that in Gujarat,
rates of female births increased from 802 to 882 for every 1000 male births. Beti Bachao
activities were credited with this improvement.
❖ Recent News
● Initiatives taken by Government Officials in Nagaland under BBBP Scheme
Recently, governor of Nagaland launched bank accounts for girls under BBBP scheme in
order to improve the declining girl child sex ratio in the state. Though the BBBP Scheme
created positive impact over the girl child sex ratio in majority of states in which it
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launched, Nagaland requires some prime attentions to experience the positive results.
Owning to that, government decided to focus on improving girl child lives in the states by
announcing sponsorship.
● Workshop for Beti Bachao Beti Padhao scheme
The scheme Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) was launched to encourage people to have girl
child, to boost up girl education and prevent underage girl marriage. In regard to extent
the scheme on 25th July 2016, an orientation workshop has taken place in New Delhi
where women and child development ministry has proposed to seek contribution of the
local people, key stakeholders, NGOs and other local authorities to supervise the
implementation of the scheme in a proper way.
What can we all do as individuals:
Celebrate the birth of girl child in the family and community
● Take pride in daughters and oppose the mentality of ‘Bojh’ and ‘Paraya Dhan’
● Find ways to promote equality between boys and girls.
● Secure admission to & retention of girl child in schools.
● Engage men and boys to challenge gender stereotypes and roles.
● Educate and sensitize our sons to respect women and girls as equal members of society.
● Report any incident of sex determination test
● Strive to make neighbourhood safe & violence-free for women & girls.
● Oppose dowry and child marriage within the family and community.
● Advocate simple weddings.
● Support women’s right to own and inherit property.
● Encourage women to go out, pursue higher studies, work, do business, access public
spaces freely etc.
● Mind his language and be sensitive to women and girls.
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Conclusion
The Beti Bachao Beti Padhao scheme is a praiseworthy initiative by the Government of India
under the governance of Narendra Modi to address the issues revolving around girl children in
India, right from the time they aren’t even born to them turning adults. Apart from generating
global headlines, the initiatives under the scheme have started bearing fruit as the level of
awareness among the masses to work for girl child upliftment is increasing. An assessment of the
scheme is due in July 2016. Success of this scheme will add tremendously to the economic
growth of the nation. This is because to march ahead, India cannot afford having a large part of
its population remain neglected and marginalised.
As responsible members of the society, it is our duty as well to contribute for the betterment of
girl children. One can donate for education of marginalised girls to NGOs working in that area
and strengthen the cause. Remember, donation and tax benefits go hand-in-hand.
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