What happened
The Rajya Sabha reply by Minister of State for Women and Child Development, Savitri Thakur, highlighted how Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) addresses child sex ratio and related empowerment of girls and women through multi-sectoral interventions and behavioural change. The government also reported indicator movement using Health Management Information System (HMIS) and Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE) data.
Background and earlier position
BBBP was launched on 22 January 2015 as a collaborative effort among the Ministry of Women and Child Development, the Ministry of Education, and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The scheme focuses on preventing gender-biased sex selection, ensuring survival and protection of girl children, and promoting girls’ education through information and stakeholder engagement.
What changed now
During the 15th Finance Commission period, BBBP was expanded as a component under the SAMBAL vertical of Mission Shakti to cover all districts of the country through multi-sectoral interventions. A standardized operational manual was released on 11 October 2022 to strengthen convergence at the grassroots level. The operational manual provides district-level activities and month-wise thematic convergence calendars for year-round engagement of girls, families, and communities.