According to a survey conducted in India for the years 2010-2021, the percentage of girl child attending school was 91.95%. In 2021, the literacy rate improved by 0.6% year on year.
Key takeaways
- 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 who have 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 is targeted at families living below the poverty line to help them finance their daughters’ education and marriage.
In India, as growth knocked on the door of a girl child, major progress has been seen over the years, and the credit for this largely belongs to several government initiatives that strive to improve the status of girls and facilitate their growth and development. These programs are tailored to tackle a range of issues that girls face, such as child education, health, and financial empowerment.
In this article, we cover four such government schemes for the girl child that have paved the way for their welfare.
Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana
Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana (SSY) is a government-backed savings scheme introduced by the Government of India in 2015. The scheme is aimed at promoting 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 name of the child 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 who have a girl child and promote the child’s education and health.
Under the scheme, financial assistance is provided to families who have a girl child born on or after 15th August 1997. The scheme provides the following:
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
|
The objectives of the Balika Samridhi Yojana are to
- Provide financial assistance to families with a girl child to promote her education, health, and nutrition.
- Encourage parents to educate their girl child and provide them with the necessary resources to enable them to complete their 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 established 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 aims to address this issue by creating awareness about the importance of 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 any 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 in life. 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 the setting up of residential schools for girls in rural areas, the provision of free education for girls up to the secondary level, and the establishment of vocational training centers for girls.
Ladli Scheme and the Kanya Kosh Scheme
The government of India launched the Ladli Scheme in 2008 with the aim of improving the status of the girl child in the country. The scheme is targeted at families living below the poverty line and provides financial assistance to them 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
|
Annual scholarship
|
9th to 12th grade
|
₹25000
|
At the age of 18 years
|
The Ladli Scheme has been successful in encouraging families to invest in the education and future of their daughters. It has also helped to reduce the incidence of female infanticide and foeticide, as families now see their daughters as valuable assets rather than liabilities. In addition, it has also led to an increase in the enrollment of girls in schools, as well as 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
|
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 now our turn as responsible citizens to make sure the literacy rate grows and that each child in the country gets the education they deserve.
