Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Scheme 2025:

Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Scheme 2025 marks a decade of one of India’s most important gender equality initiatives. Launched on 22nd January 2015 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Panipat, Haryana, the scheme was designed to combat the declining Child Sex Ratio (CSR) and promote the education and empowerment of the girl child. Meaning “Save the Girl Child, Educate the Girl Child”, the programme has evolved into a nationwide movement supported by millions of citizens, community organisations, and government departments.

This tri-ministerial scheme is jointly implemented by the Ministry of Women and Child Development, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, and Ministry of Education. Together, these ministries ensure a comprehensive life-cycle approach to girl child welfare – from birth, health, nutrition, and survival to education and empowerment. To strengthen coordination, the Government of India appointed Dr. Rajendra Phadke as the National Convener of the BBBP Abhiyan, ensuring effective policy implementation and inter-state collaboration.

Over the past decade, the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao initiative has delivered measurable improvements. The Sex Ratio at Birth (SRB) increased from 918 in FY15 to 930 in FY24, showing signs of recovery. The Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) of girls in secondary education rose from 75.51% to 78%, while institutional deliveries grew from 61% to over 80%. States like Haryana, once infamous for adverse sex ratios, recorded significant progress with districts such as Karnal improving by 40 points in a single decade.

The scheme has adopted a multi-pronged strategy involving strict enforcement of the PCPNDT Act to curb gender-biased sex selection, widespread community mobilisation campaigns, and partnerships with organisations like the Indian Medical Association. It also works in synergy with schemes such as Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana, offering financial security for the girl child.

Despite its successes, the scheme continues to face challenges such as deep-rooted cultural biases, uneven state-level implementation, and resource allocation debates. However, the government has emphasised transparency by allocating only 2% of funds to media campaigns, focusing the rest on direct interventions.

Important Dates

Implementation Framework

Achievements of BBBP in 10 Years

Key Objectives of BBBP Scheme

1. Prevention of Gender-Biased Sex Selection

2. Ensuring Survival & Protection of the Girl Child

3. Promoting Education and Empowerment of Girls

4. Community Mobilisation & Awareness Campaigns

5. Monitoring & Evaluation of Child Sex Ratio and Girl Education

Beneficiaries

• Girl Child (from birth to higher education)

• Families with girl children (linked with Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana)

• Schools and Institutions promoting girl education

• Communities engaged in gender equality awareness

Challenges

• Persistent cultural preference for male child

• Uneven implementation across states

• Resource allocation concerns (awareness vs. direct support)

Future Directions

• Stronger data collection & monitoring framework

• Enhanced inter-ministerial coordination

• Integration with financial & health programmes

• Continued focus on community mobilisation