A decade of Beti Bachao Beti Padhao: Progress, challenges, and road ahead

In 2015, the Union government launched the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) scheme to address the deep-rooted gender disparities in India and ensure the survival, protection, and education of the girl child. While narrow in scope originally, it has since widened to tackle a host of other issues including menstrual health and sports participation among girls. A decade later, it is an appropriate moment to reflect on the scheme’s achievements, limitations, and future course of action.

 

The sex ratio at birth has long been skewed in favour of boys. A marked preference for sons implies that even as incomes and literacy rates rise and the fertility rate falls, fewer girls are born because families get easier access to sex-selective procedures. For instance, the sex ratio in high-income states such as Tamil Nadu, Haryana, and Maharashtra remains lower than the national average. The BBBP scheme not only calls for literacy and education of the girl child but also stresses her social empowerment. According to the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) data, the sex ratio at birth has shown some improvement over the years. In 2015, the ratio stood at around 919 girls for every 1,000 boys. By 2020-21, this had increased to approximately 929 girls for every 1,000 boys. Though the improvement is noteworthy, the change is gradual. The average annual number of baby girls “missing” also fell from about 480,000 in 2010 to 410,000 in 2019. An early registration of pregnancies and the number of women opting for institutional births have also improved since the launch of this scheme.

 

On the education front, the BBBP aimed to increase the gross enrolment ratio (GER) for girls, with a focus on retaining them in school. The data from the “Unified-District Information System For Education” shows that the GER for girls in higher-secondary education increased from 56.41 per cent in 2015-16 to 58.2 per cent in 2021-22, while it registered a marginal decline at secondary level from 80.97 per cent to 79.4 per cent. This may be attributed to the scheme’s focus on incentivising parents to educate their daughters through both scholarships and awareness campaigns. However, the real impact of the BBBP on educational outcomes must be understood within the larger context. While enrolment numbers are improving, the gender-based dropout rates have not reduced significantly. In 2022-23 and 2023-24, girls dropped out more than boys did at preparatory and middle levels, while the trend reversed at secondary level.

 

Girls drop out of school mainly due to early marriages, household chores, and lack of sanitation facilities in schools. Several other concerns also remain. On most Indians still preferring sons to daughters, the NFHS-5 data shows that 80 per cent of those surveyed said they wanted at least one son in their lifetime. Findings from the 2021 Parliamentary Committee on Empowerment of Women report suggest that the utilisation of funds under the scheme remains below par, with around 80 per cent being spent only on media campaigns between 2016 and 2019. Moreover, India’s dismal position in the Global Gender Gap Report highlights the dire picture of the current state and evolution of gender parity. Clearly, India needs to do more to attain gender parity. It is essential for long-term economic well-being and prosperity.