Ensuring that every girl child in India has the opportunity to survive, flourish and participate fully in society is at the heart of the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) initiative. Launched by the Government of India in January 2015, this flagship campaign seeks to not only stop female foeticide and discrimination, but also promote the education, welfare and empowerment of girls.

What is Beti Bachao Beti Padhao?

The Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (literally “Save the Girl Child, Educate the Girl Child”) scheme was launched on 22 January 2015 at Panipat, Haryana.It is a tri-ministerial initiative, jointly implemented by the Ministry of Women & Child Development (MoWCD), Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW) and Ministry of Human Resource Development (now Education Ministry) (MHRD).

The need for the scheme arises from persistent problems such as a declining Child Sex Ratio (CSR), preference for male children, discrimination against girls in healthcare, nutrition and education, and early drop-outs from school among girls.

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Objectives of the Scheme

The scheme sets out several inter-linked objectives, focused both on quantitative improvements (like better sex ratios) and qualitative change (social attitudes). Some of the key objectives are:

Prevent gender-biased sex-selective elimination of girl children.
Improve the Child Sex Ratio (CSR) and Sex Ratio at Birth (SRB) in gender-critical districts.
Ensure survival, protection and care of the girl child (health, nutrition, safe environment).
Promote the education and participation of the girl child (enrolment, retention, safe infrastructure).
Change social norms and attitudes that treat the girl child as a burden, thereby creating an enabling environment for girls to thrive.

In essence, the scheme is not only about opening accounts or giving benefits to girls, but about a whole-society shift, how girls are valued at birth, how they grow up, how they learn, and how they succeed.

Key Features of Beti Bachao Beti Padhao

Here are some of the main features and modalities of the scheme:

District-level intense focus: The scheme initially targeted 100 “gender-critical” districts (those with poor CSR) across states and union territories.
Multi-sectoral coordination: Since the issues span health, education, social attitudes and legal protection, the scheme is implemented through efforts across ministries (MoWCD, MoHFW, Education) and state & district administrations.
Awareness & advocacy campaigns: These include public messaging, mass media campaigns, community mobilisation, and celebration of girl-child births to shift mindset.
Improvement of services for girls: Focus on school infrastructure (girl-friendly toilets), enrolment of girls, safe transport, health & nutrition services through ICDS/NHM, and better monitoring of girls’ welfare.
Linkage with financial savings scheme: The BBBP campaign links to the Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana (SSY) savings scheme in many cases for the girl’s future savings (education/marriage) for girls under age 10.
Monitoring & evaluation: Emphasis on tracking CSR/SRB, child mortality indicators, girls’ school attendance, and other key metrics to measure impact.

Who is Eligible / Who Benefits?

While the scheme is more of a campaign than a “one-benefit package”, here are the eligibility / beneficiary aspects to understand:

It's designed for the girl child, and by extension for her family/guardian: Every family with a girl child benefits from the pro-girl bias and improved services.
For the linked savings schemes (like SSY) under BBBP, typically a girl child below the age of 10 years is eligible to have an SSY account opened in her name.
Only resident Indian citizens are eligible (usually NRIs or HUFs may not qualify for certain linked benefits) in many cases.
There is no strict “application form for BBBP” in the traditional sense; rather, families avail benefits via schools, ICDS, health centres, and savings schemes linked to the campaign.
States and districts implement it; so eligibility in terms of being in a gender-critical district or being targeted for a service improvement may vary locally.

In short, the scheme is universal in its objective (covering all girls) but targeted in implementation (focusing on districts with worst CSR, and linking with existing services).

Why It Matters / What You Should Know

Long-term impact: Improving the treatment of girls from birth, ensuring they get education, health and opportunity means better outcomes for society (economic, social).
Tackling root causes: It’s not just about giving lumpsum aid but changing attitudes (girl is not a liability), strengthening legal protection (PCPNDT Act enforcement) and aligning multiple sectors.
Service-delivery improvement: For parents/guardians, the scheme means better infrastructure in schools for girls, more focused health services for mothers/girls, and greater awareness of the value of educating daughters.
Savings advantage via SSY link: Families are encouraged to open savings accounts for daughters; ensuring their education/marriage future is financially addressed.
Continued challenge: Deep-rooted bias takes time to change; monitoring and effective local-level delivery remain key. Many district-level variations remain.

Summary

The Beti Bachao Beti Padhao initiative is a comprehensive push by the Indian Government to ensure that girls are valued, protected, educated and empowered. From tackling the declining Child Sex Ratio to strengthening school enrolment and health services for girls, the scheme spans multiple dimensions of welfare and rights. If you are a parent/guardian of a girl child, being aware of the services, school infrastructure improvements, health programmes and savings options under this campaign means you can better access what’s available and secure her future.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What does “Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao” mean?

It means “Save the girl child, educate the girl child”. It emphasises both survival/ protection of girls and their education & empowerment.

When and where was the scheme launched?

The campaign was launched on 22 January 2015 at Panipat, Haryana by the Prime Minister.

Which ministries are involved in implementing the scheme?

The initiative is jointly run by the Ministry of Women & Child Development (MoWCD), Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW), and Ministry of Education (formerly MHRD).

What are the main objectives of BBBP?

Key objectives include preventing sex-selective elimination of girls, improving child sex ratio, ensuring survival & protection of girls, promoting their education and changing social attitudes.

How does the scheme help girls in practice?

It helps by improving infrastructure (girls’ toilets in schools), boosting enrolment & retention of girls, promoting awareness campaigns, linking to savings schemes (SSY), and focusing efforts in districts with low sex ratio.

Is there a separate application form for BBBP?

Not exactly. It’s a broad campaign; benefits are delivered via school/ health/ district programmes and savings schemes. For the linked SSY savings account you would fill standard account opening forms.

Who is eligible under this scheme?

Essentially all girl children in India benefit. For certain linked savings benefits: girl child under 10 years of age, resident Indian citizen status.

What if I live in a district not among the initial “100 gender-critical districts”?

The scheme covers the entire country over time. While initial focus was on 100 districts, many more states & districts are included. Implementation may vary locally.

Does the scheme provide financial benefits/savings accounts?

The campaign links with the Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana (SSY) which offers savings for girl children; BBBP also supports awareness and infrastructure rather than direct cash in most cases.

What are the challenges of the scheme?

Key challenges include deep-rooted patriarchal mindsets, uneven implementation across districts, inadequate infrastructure in some areas, and the need for better monitoring.

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