In India, as growth knocked on the door of a girl child, major progress has been seen over the years. The credit for this largely belongs to several government initiatives that strive to improve the status of girls and facilitate their growth and development.
According to a survey conducted in India for the year 2022, of the 77.7% Indian literacy rate in 2022, the female literacy rate stands at 70.3%.
Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana
Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana (SSY) is a government-backed savings scheme introduced by the Government of India in 2015. The scheme aims to promote the welfare of the girl child in the country and provides their parents or guardians with a safe and secure investment option that also offers tax benefits.
Under the scheme, parents or guardians of a girl child can open an SSY account in the child’s name until she turns ten years old. The account can be opened in any post office or authorized banks across the country. Only one account can be opened for each girl child, and parents or guardians can open a maximum of two accounts for two different girl children.
The scheme has a tenure of 21 years or until the girl child gets married, whichever is earlier. The minimum investment required to open an account is ₹250, and the maximum investment allowed in a year is ₹1.5 lakh. The account can be kept active by making a minimum annual contribution of ₹250.
Balika Samridhi Yojana
Balika Samridhi Yojana (BSY) is a flagship scheme launched by the Government of India in 1997 to address the issue of female child mortality and improve the status of girl children in society. The scheme aims to provide financial assistance to families with a girl child and promote the child’s education and health.
Under the scheme, financial assistance is provided to families with a girl child born on or after 15th August 1997. The scheme has the following stages and cash benefits:
Stages
|
Cash benefits
|
Girl child is born
|
₹500
|
Girl child is in 1st grade
|
₹300
|
Girl child is in 6th grade
|
₹500
|
Girl child is in 9th Grade
|
₹750
|
Girl child completes 10th grade or turns 18
|
₹2000
|
Objectives of the Balika Samridhi Yojana are:
- Provide financial assistance to families with a girl child to promote her education, health, and nutrition.
- Encourage parents to educate their girl child and enable them with the necessary resources to complete her education.
- Improve the health and nutrition of girl children by providing financial assistance to families to meet their healthcare and nutritional needs.
Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao
Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao is a social movement started by the Indian government in 2015 to promote the welfare of female children and solve the issue of India’s dropping child sex ratio. The campaign slogan “Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao” translates to “Save the Daughter, Educate the Daughter” in English. The campaign focuses on changing mindsets and deep-rooted beliefs that discriminate against girl children in Indian society.
The campaign addresses this issue by creating awareness about educating and empowering girl children. It focuses on three main objectives: preventing female foeticide, ensuring the survival and protection of the girl child, and ensuring her education and participation. With this campaign, the government seeks to ensure that girls are born, nurtured, and educated without discrimination.
One of the key aspects of the Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao campaign is child education. The government recognizes that education is a powerful tool for empowering girls and giving them the skills and knowledge to succeed. Hence, the campaign aims to ensure that girls have access to quality education and are encouraged to pursue their dreams and ambitions. The government has implemented various initiatives to promote girls’ education, such as setting up residential schools for girls in rural areas, providing free education for girls up to the secondary level, and establishing vocational training centers for girls.
Ladli Scheme and the Kanya Kosh Scheme
The government of India launched the Ladli Scheme in 2008 to improve the status of the girl child in the country. The scheme targets families living below the poverty line and provides financial assistance for their child’s education and the marriage of their daughters. Under the scheme, a family is granted:
One-time grant
|
When
|
₹5000
|
Birth of the first daughter
|
₹2000
|
Birth of the second daughter
|
₹1000
|
Birth of the third daughter
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Annual scholarship
|
9th to 12th grade
|
₹25000
|
At the age of 18 years
|
The Ladli Scheme has successfully encouraged families to invest in the education and future of their daughters. It has also helped to reduce the incidence of female infanticide and foeticide. In addition, it has also led to an increase in the enrollment of girls in schools and a decrease in the dropout rate among them.
The Kanya Kosh Scheme, on the other hand, was launched by the government of India in 1993 with the aim of creating a corpus fund for the welfare of girl children. Targeted at families living below the poverty line, this scheme provides them financial assistance for their daughter’s education and marriage. The scheme provides.
One-time grant
|
When
|
₹500
|
Birth of a girl child
|
₹1000
|
Completed 5 years of age
|
₹500
|
Girl child is in 6th to 8th grade
|
₹750
|
Girl child is in 9th to 12th grade
|
CBSE Udaan Scheme
In collaboration with the Government of India’s Ministry of Human Resource Development, the Central Board of Secondary Education oversees the CBSE Udaan scheme, designed to enhance the enrollment of girls in esteemed engineering and technical colleges nationwide.
Key Features of the Program Include
- Provision of free course materials and online resources, including instructional videos, for girls in the 11th and 12th grades.
- Offering weekend virtual courses tailored for girls in the 11th and 12th grades.
- Facilitating peer education and presenting career opportunities for deserving female students.
- Providing study assistance and clarification services through a toll-free number.
- Implementing consistent monitoring and tracking mechanisms to assess students’ progress.
National Scheme of Incentives to Girls for Secondary Education
Administered by the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India, the Department of School Education & Literacy implements a nationwide initiative aimed at promoting secondary education among girls.
The primary objective of this scheme is to support girls belonging to disadvantaged classes in India, ensuring they successfully complete their secondary education.
Under the program, a deserving girl will be granted ₹3000 as a fixed deposit, accessible with accrued interest after she reaches 18 and successfully completes her 10th-grade examination.
Mukhyamantri Kanya Suraksha Yojana
The Mukhyamantri Kanya Suraksha Yojana, initiated by the government, extends financial aid to female offspring born into families below the poverty line (BPL) in Bihar.
Key Features of the Mukhyamantri Kanya Suraksha Yojana (MKSY) Include:
- Launched in 2007, the scheme aims to encourage the birth and education of girls within the state.
- Parents receive a reward of ₹2000 upon the birth of a girl child under this state-government initiative.
- The government deposits this amount into a Fixed Deposit Scheme in the name of the girl child.
- The girl child becomes eligible to withdraw the deposited amount along with accrued interest once she reaches the age of 18.
- The child’s birth certificate is a mandatory requirement to avail of the scheme’s benefits.
- The parents or legal guardians of the girl child must be permanent residents of the state of Bihar and fall within the Below Poverty Line category.
Nanda Devi Kanya Yojana
The Nanda Devi Kanya Yojana, introduced in 2009 by the Uttarakhand government, aims to enhance the well-being of girl children within the state by extending financial support to families living below the poverty line.
Key Features of the Nanda Devi Kanya Yojana Include:
- Economically disadvantaged girl children born after January 01, 2009, can benefit from this initiative.
- The scheme covers a maximum of 2 girl children per family.
- A sum of ₹5,000 is deposited into a Fixed Deposit scheme (FD) in the names of the girl child and her mother.
- Upon completing her senior secondary education and reaching 18, the girl child can withdraw the deposited amount along with the accrued interest.
- Permanent residents of Uttarakhand falling below the poverty line category can avail themselves of the advantages offered by this scheme.
Final Thoughts
The government schemes for a girl child in India are a critical step towards achieving gender equality and empowering girls to reach their full potential. These girl child protection schemes address some of the most pressing issues faced by girls in the country, including access to education, health, and financial support.
By providing a range of benefits and incentives, these schemes aim to improve the status of girls and women in Indian society. While the government is doing its work, it is our turn as responsible citizens to ensure the literacy rate grows and that each child in the country gets the education they deserve.
Key takeaways
- The government of India offers various schemes for the betterment of the girl child.
- Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana aims to promote the welfare of the girl child in the country and provides parents of a girl child with a safe and secure investment plan.
- Balika Samridhi Yojana aims to provide financial assistance to families with a girl child and promote their education and health.
- Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao is a social campaign to promote the welfare of girl children.
- The Ladli Scheme targets families living below the poverty line to help them finance their daughters’ education and marriage.
