Importance of Girls' Education: All About Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao Yojana

Did you know that around 39.4% of girls in the age group of 15-18 do not have access to basic education and around 65% of them are either forced into handling household chores, are dependants or have been engaged in beggary? Well, these were the figures released by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights' (NCPCR) report earlier this year.

The status of girls' education has been quite unfortunate in India since time immemorial. While many initiatives have been taken in the past by the government and some other organisation to improve the situation of the girl child, there is so much more that needs to be done in this direction to help the women in India lead a better quality of life.

One such initiative was taken by the Government of India three years ago. The objective of 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao' campaign launched in the year 2015 by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi is not only to generate awareness about saving the girl child and the importance of girls' education but also to ensure that the welfare services meant for girls are being delivered in an efficient manner.

Thanks to such initiatives, the society has at least started realising how important it is for girls to have access to education for their overall development. What's more, educated women with the right skills and knowledge have the power to bring socio-economic changes in society.

Importance of Girls' Education: All About Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Yojana

Beti Bachao Beti Padhao is a Government of India initiative. The aim of the programme is to promote girls' education and to improve the efficiency of welfare services intended for girls. The scheme mainly targets the states that are low in child gender ratio. This includes the states of Punjab, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

According to census data, the child gender ratio between the age group of 0-6 years was 927 girl child per 1,000 boys in 2001 but there was a steep drop in the ratio to 919 girls for every 1,000 boys in 2011. Therefore, the scheme was launched in January 2015 by the honourable Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The three main objectives of Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Yojana are following:

• Focus on the prevention of gender-biased sex-selective elimination
• Protecting the girl child
• Promoting women education and participation of the girl child

Also Read: IIM Calcutta Admits 31% Female Students, Highest Ever

Main Features of Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Yojana

Protection of Girl Child

In a country like India, we often read about female infanticide and foeticide. Beti Bachao Beti Padhao scheme is a great step taken by the Govt. of India to stop such inhumane practices and ensure the safety of the girl child.

Promote Women Participation in Education

One of the most important features of Beti Bachao Beti Padhao is to ensure that every girl in the country has access to education. A country can only develop and be prosperous if both its men and women are educated.

Improve the Gender Ratio

The scheme was launched with an aim to improve the child gender ratio in the states of Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Female infanticide and foeticide are considered illegal and strict actions are taken against those who practice the same. The scheme helps to keep a check on such practices as the success of a country is measured by the quality of life of its female citizens.

"When girls are educated, their countries become stronger and more prosperous" -Michelle Obama

To Prevent Child Marriages

Child marriages are one of the brutal practices against girls in India and are something that should be washed out of society completely. A girl as young as 10 is forced to marry a man who is way older to her. Child marriages lead to mental and physical harassment and such girls are often victims of domestic violence as well. Beti Bachao Beti Padhao has helped prevent child marriages and promote gender equality to a great extent.

Promote Gender Equality

Beti Bachao Beti Padhao promotes gender equality. Since many decades, women in India have been facing a lot of discrimination both at personal and professional front. Through this initiative, the number of such cases has gone down.

Benefits Under Beti Bachao Beti Padhao

Under this scheme, a girl child can open an account to become financially secure. This account is exempted under the Act 1961 u / s 80C. The account of the girl child will be tax-free, which means that no money shall be deducted from the account in the form of tax.

How to Apply for Beti Bachao Beti Padhao

To apply for Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, the first step is to open a bank account in the name of the girl. It is necessary to open a bank account to be able to get the scheme's benefits.

Age Limit for Beti Bachao Beti Padhao

Girl child up to 10 years of age are eligible for this scheme. The most important step is to open a bank account in their name to avail the benefits.

Also Read: Equal Number of Male and Female Students in B.Sc Courses: HRD Ministry

The world is changing at an unprecedented rate. Women across the globe are breaking the stereotypes and are doing some phenomenal work. Working in the right direction, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Scheme promotes the importance of girls education to carve a bright future for the country.