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Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) scheme was started on January 22, 2015 as a joint initiative of the Ministry of Women and Child Development, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and Ministry of Human Resource Development under coordinated and convergent efforts to empower the girl child. First, it was initiated in 100 districts with low girl child sex ratio. Based on the child sex ratio, 100 districts were selected as pilot districts along with at least one district in each of the states/union territories covered by the 2011 census. In Haryana, Olympic bronze medallist Sakshi Malik was made the brand ambassador for ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao scheme in August 2016.
According to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, “Our mantra should be: son and daughter are equal.”
BBBP scheme is true to its words. The scheme intends to improve the efficiency of services for the welfare of women and to raise awareness regarding women’s rights.
Under this scheme, the government focuses on low female sex ratio in different areas in nearly 100 districts. When women are educated and aware, it leads to empowerment of women.
What is Beti Bachao Beti Padhao scheme?
The aim of Beti Bachao Beti Padhao scheme is to arrest the decline in girl child sex ratio and promote women’s empowerment in order to improve the women status in the country.
It is a tri-ministerial effort of the following ministries:
- Women and Child Development
- Health and Family Welfare
- Human Resource Development
As per the 2001 census of India, the sex ratio of children aged 0-6 was 927 girls per 1000 boys which was reduced to only 918 girls per 1,000 boys in 2011. According to UNICEF statistics, India was ranked 41 among 195 countries in this regard in 2012.
The aims and objectives of Beti Bachao Beti Padhao scheme
The complete aim of Beti Bachao Beti Padhao scheme is to celebrate the birth of a girl child to prevent the violation of the interests of girls as a result of outdated and conservative thoughts. This plan was launched for the following objectives for girls’ education and welfare:
To stop the discrimination of the girl child and practice of sex determination test
Today, the female sex ratio is decreasing on an alarming level in Asia. Our country is at the top of this declining ratio. Under the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao scheme, mainly female and male sex ratio has been focused upon and major steps are being taken towards the prevention of gender discrimination.
To ensure the survival and protection of girls
In our country every day you can read the news in the newspapers that a female embryo, an unborn baby girl, was found dead in the dust-bin, wrapped in newspapers or near the railway station, etc. What is happening in our country? This shows somewhere some sick mindset prevails in our society. Beti Bachao Beti Padhao scheme is a huge step in the direction of stopping this practice and ensuring the existence and safety of every child.
To ensure the participation of girls in education and other areas
Save the girl child and ensure her safety with a view to strengthen and create a better India. According to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, every girl child should be educated in this country so that she can learn what she wants.
The key features of Beti Bachao Beti Padhao scheme
There are two major features of Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) scheme:
Mass campaign:
The aim of the campaign is to ensure that the birth and upbringing of the girl child lead to their empowerment so that she becomes a proud citizen of the country without discrimination. The campaign has been launched at the community level in 100 districts along with national, state and district levels with immediate effect.
Multisectoral action to cover all states and union territories in 100 selected districts with CSR (as a pilot scheme)
Ministry of Human Resource Development and Ministry of Health and Family Affairs have taken joint steps to ensure the survival and protection of girl’s education. These involve multisectoral, united efforts for the management of BBBP by all departments at the level of district Collectors/Deputy Commissioners (DC).
Steps by the Ministry of Women and Child Development:-
- To promote the registration of pregnancies in the first trimester in Anganwadi centres;
- Undertake training of new women entrepreneurs;
- Community mobilization and sensitization;
- The participation of gender support;
- Award and recognition of front-running workers and institutions.
Steps by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
- Monitor the implementation of Preconception and Prenatal Diagnostic Techniques Act (PCPNDT) Act, 1994
- Increase in institutional deliveries
- Registration of births
- Strengthening PNDT Cells
- Establishment of monitoring committees
Steps by the Ministry of Human Resource Development:
- Universal enrolment of girls
- Reducing the dropout rate among girls
- Friendly, amiable behaviour with girls in schools
- To enforce Right to Education (RTE) Act
- Creating functional toilets for girls
What we can do individually:-
- Expressing joy at the birth of the girl child in the family and community.
- Daughters are our pride and we should do away with the tendency to treat them as ‘burden’ and ‘other’s property’.
- Find ways to promote equality between boys and girls.
- Challenge gender stereotypes and roles of men and boys for the safe entry of girls in school.
- Educate your children to respect women and girls as equal members of the educated and aware members of society.
- Report any incident of sex determination test.
- Efforts to create safe and violence-free neighbourhood for women and girls.
- To promote simple marriage within the community and family and oppose dowry and child marriage.
- To support the right of women to inherit property.
- Encourage women to go out, to obtain higher education, further their work, do business, visit public places freely, etc.
- Be sensitive to women and girls, keep their welfare in mind.
How to apply for Beti Bachao Beti Padhao scheme
Opening a bank account in the name of girl is the first basic step. It is necessary to comply with the rules to draw the scheme’s benefits:
Age limit for Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Scheme
– All the girls upto 10 years of age are eligible under this scheme. It is necessary to open bank account in their name.
Tax Free scheme – This welfare scheme launched by the Prime Minister has been set kept completely tax free. No amount will be deducted from your account after opening it.
Necessary documents for Beti Bachao Beti Padhao scheme
– make sure you have the following documents to open an account:
- Child’s birth certificate
- Parent or legal guardian’s identity proof
- Proof of address of parent or legal guardian
- Note: – The scheme does not apply to NRIs
As per RBI guidelines, rules and regulations, NRIs cannot apply for this scheme. Sukanya Devi scheme is regulated by Post Office Savings Account Rules 1981. NRIs, therefore, do not come under this category.
How much benefits girls would derive-
Rs 150 crore will be spent by the Government of India to increase the safety of women in cities.
BBBP has been functioning under Ministries of Women and Child Development, Health and Family Welfare and Human Resource Development. Prime Minister Modi has described it as a big step and a boon for the society.
The Union budget has allocated Rs 50 crore for the schemes to protect the safety of women under the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.
The benefits for the girl child are: –
- You would be able to open an account for your girl child which will reduce your financial burden and the girl will get the money for her small needs.
- The government provides the highest interest rate under the BBBP scheme for all small savers. With it, you can save more money for your daughter in the future.
- This account is exempted under the Act 1961 u / s 80C. The girl’s account will be tax-free. This means that no money shall be deducted from the account in the form of tax.
The best part of this plan – The account will mature when the girl reaches 21 years from the time of opening the account. Only at the age of 18, she will receive money for higher education. When she is 21, you will be able to take money from the account for her marriage. The account has a maximum duration of 21 years.
The aim of BBBP scheme is to explain to the people that girls’ education and marriage is not a burden to parents. You can arrange for the marriage of your daughter through the money saved under this account. This scheme provides complete financial security to the girl child.
After your daughter completes 21 years from the time of opening the account the entire amount will be credited to her account after adding all interest into it.
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