- Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Scheme
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the scheme, ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ (save the girl child, educate the girl child), on January 22 in Panipat, Haryana.
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.
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. This is being implemented through a national campaign and focussed multi sectoral action in 100 selected districts low in CSR, covering all States and UTs. This is a joint initiative of Ministry of Women and Child Development, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and Ministry of Human Resource Development.
The objectives of this initiative are:
- Prevention of gender biased sex selective elimination.
- Ensuring survival & protection of the girl child.
- Ensuring education and participation of the girl child.
With an initial corpus of Rs 100 crore, the scheme has been launched in a hundred districts across the country. In Haryana where the child sex ratio (CSR) has been dismally low, 12 districts have been chosen: Rewari, Mahendergarh, Bhiwani, Jhajjar, Ambala, Kurukshetra, Sonepat, Rohtak, Karnal, Kaithal, Panipat and Yamuna Nagar.
The scheme aims at making girls independent both socially as also financially through education. This approach of the Government can facilitate in generating awareness and improving the efficiency of delivery of welfare services meant for the women.
In this scheme, the Ministry of Women and Child Development is functioning in collaboration with various other Ministries like Education Ministry and Health Ministry.
It can be a boon not just for the girl children but also for the whole society. Moreover, ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ yojana comes at a time when the nation is confronted with problems associated with women’s safety like rape and other forms of assault.
- Shaadi Mubarak Scheme of Government of Telangana
Telangana state government has issued a government order (G.O.MS.No. 4) for Shadi Mubarak Scheme for Muslim Brides. Under the Scheme, financial assistance of Rs. 51,000/- at the time of marriage shall be granted to every unmarried girl belonging to the minority community with effect from October 2, 2014.
Under this Scheme, a onetime financial assistance of Rs. 51,000/- at the time of marriage shall be granted to every unmarried girl belonging to the minority community with effect from October 2, 2014 subject to the following guidelines given as under:
Telangana state Deputy Chief Minister Mahmood Ali on 10th Nov 2014 launched the Shadi Mubarak Scheme, official helpline Number to address Information regarding ‘Shaadi Mubarak’ and other welfare schemes meant for minorities.
Shadi Mubarak Scheme applicable from October 2 2014 Mr.Mahmood Ali stated that the TRS government was aiming to extend this scheme to 20,588 families this year.
Mr. Mahmood Ali said the scheme was applicable from October 2 onwards and therefore, all marriages performed on or after October 2 were eligible under the scheme. He said in exceptional cases applications for marriage scheduled to be held within a week’s time would also be considered.
It may be recalled that government recently issued a GO announcing a financial assistance of Rs.. 51,000 to the poor minority families for wedding of their girl children. Brides, whose family income doesn't exceed Rs. 2 lakh, will be eligible to receive the assistance from the government.
The G.O said that the families could get the money as advance, if their applications were submitted before one month of the wedding day.
Eligibility Criteria
- The unmarried girl shall belong to the minority community
- The unmarried girl shall be a resident of Telangana state
- The unmarried girl should have completed 18 years of age at the time of marriage.
- The Wedding of the said girl shall be on or after October 2, 2014
Income Criteria
- The combined income of the Parents shall not exceed Rs. 2, 00,000/- per annum.
Girl child rights
The girls throughout the world have a right to life, health, freedom and education and to ending trafficking, violence and other forms of mistreatment and discrimination against girls. Government of India has taken various steps by declaring variety of schemes to make the girl child status better. Some of are:
- Sex determination during pregnancy through the clinics has been blocked by the government.
- Child marriages of the girls have been restricted.
- Antenatal care has been made necessary for all the pregnant women to fight with the malnutrition, high illiteracy, poverty and infant mortality in the society.
- Save the Girl Child scheme has been introduced by the government to save the girl child.
- Girl child education status in India has been improved through the free and compulsory primary school education for both boys and girls till 14 years of age.
- To improve the status of the girl child in India, the government of India has reserved 1/3 seats in the local government for women.
- Anti-MTP, anti-sati laws, anti-dowry Act has also been introduced by the legislature to enhance the women status and employment opportunities.
- Five Year Plan has been implemented to pay attention towards the education status in the backward states of the country.
School children are well availed with the uniforms, noon meal and educational materials and repayments to the SC and ST caste girl’s families.
- Balwadi-cum-creeches have been implemented for caring the girl babies and attend the primary school.
- Operation Blackboard including other programmes has been organized for the teacher’s education to make the school services advance.
- The Open Learning System has been established for easiness to the girls of backward areas.
- It has been declared for the girl child that girls must be given equal treatments and opportunities from the very beginning to expand the opportunities for them.
- The SHG means Self-Help Groups has been introduced by the government as the main policy in order to make better the livelihood of rural areas girls.