Beti Bachao Beti Padhao

Context: Expanding the mandate of the ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’ scheme, the Central government recently announced the inclusion of skilling of girls in non-traditional livelihood (NTL) options in its flagship programme.

• The scheme will now also focus on increasing the enrolment of girls in secondary education, particularly in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) subjects.
• Women have been historically under-represented areas such as technology.
• A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between:
  • Ministry of Women and Child Development,
  • Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, and
  • Ministry of Minority Affairs.
• It emphasises convergence between Ministries and Departments to ensure adolescents complete their education, build skills, and enter the workforce in a diverse range of professions, including in STEM fields.
• A national committee headed by the Secretary, Ministry of Women and Child Development will be the apex committee to review the implementation of the scheme at regular intervals with State governments and Union Territory administrations.

Need for Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Scheme:

• The scheme was launched after the national census results for 2011 revealed detraction in key gender metrics – Child Sex Ratio (CSR) and Sex Ratio at Birth (SRB).
• CSR is defined as the number of girls per 1,000 boys aged 0-6 years.
• This ratio has showcased a steady decline, from 945 in 1999 to 927 in 2001. This declined further to 918 girls for every 1,000 boys in 2011.
• Dip in these ratios is a significant indicator of gender discrimination and women disempowerment.
• It also reflects both pre-birth discrimination through gender-biased, sex selective abortion and post-birth discrimination by neglecting health, nutrition, and educational needs of the girl child.

About the Scheme:

• In 2015, the Indian government introduced the Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao (BBBP) scheme to address concerns of gender discrimination and women empowerment in the country.
• The scheme aims to educate citizens against gender bias and improve efficacy of welfare services for girls.
• It was launched with an initial funding of Rs. 100 crore.
• Objectives:
  • Improve the child sex ratio
  • Ensure gender equality and women empowerment
  • Prevent gender-biased, sex selective elimination
  • Ensure survival and protection of the girl child
  • Encourage education and participation of the girl child

Progress of the Scheme:

• The National SRB Index has shown an upward trend from 918 (2014-15) to 934 (2019-20), an improvement of 16 points in five years.
• 422 districts out of the 640 districts covered under BBBP have shown improvement in SRB from 2014-15 to 2018-19.
• The National Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) of girls in secondary schools improved from 77.45 (2014-15) to 81.32 (2018-19).
• Proportion of schools with separate, functional toilets for girls rose from 92.1% in 2014-15 to 95.1% in 2018-19.
• Institutional deliveries rate soared from 87% in 2014-15 to 94% in 2019-20.

Source: The Hindu