Lok Sabha Question No. 707 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-02-07
Subject: Education among Girl Children
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Dr. D. Purandeswari, Shri Mukeshkumar Chandrakaant Dalal

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 707

TO BE ANSWERED ON 07.02.2025

## EDUCATION AMONG GIRL CHILDREN

707.   Shri Mukeshkumar Chandrakaant Dalal:

Dr. D. Purandeswari:

Will the Minister of WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) the  details  of  the  steps  taken  by  the  Government  to  eliminate  sex-based discrimination and achieve balanced sex ratio in the country since January 2015;
- (b) the details of the awareness campaigns conducted by the Government to promote education among girl children since January 2O22;
- (c) the  bifurcated  details  of  the  amount  allocated  and  utilized  under  the  Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana (SSY) since January 2022;
- (d) the number of SSY accounts opened and the total number of beneficiaries covered under the aforementioned scheme; and
- (e) the steps taken by the Government to ensure the efficiency and success of the aforementioned scheme since its inception?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT (SHRIMATI SAVITRI THAKUR)

(a) The "Beti Bachao Beti Padhao" (BBBP) scheme was launched in 22 nd  January 2015 in response to arrest adverse trends in gender imbalance and declining child sex ratio in the country. The scheme is 100% funded by the Central Government and has been expanded to cover all the districts of the country. The Government of West Bengal is not implementing the Scheme.

Ministry  has  developed  an  operational  manual  which  inter-alia  includes  a  thematic calendar for suggested convergence activities at district level with month wise specific themes for holistic development of the Girl Child and to ensure year-round engagement of girls, their families and communities.

Beti Bachao Beti Padhao has undertaken cohesive convergent effort with the Partner Ministries like Ministry of Health and Family Welfare for conducting awareness campaigns and sensitization of all stakeholders including public about Pre-Conception and PreNatal  Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act, 1994 ,  an  Act  enacted  to  stop  female foeticide  and  arrest  the  declining  sex  ratio  in  India.  Likewise  convergent  action  with

Department  of  School  Education  and  Literacy,  Ministry  of  Education  are  undertaken encouraging greater spend on activities that have on ground impact, e.g. promotion of sports among girls, self-defence camps, construction of girl's toilets, making available sanitary napkin vending machines and sanitary pads especially in educational institutions for  empowerment  of  the  girl  child.The  scheme  seeks  not  only  to  address  immediate concerns related to sex ratio and gender-based discrimination but also to foster a cultural shift towards valuing the girl child and ensuring balanced sex-ratio.

Through  focused  interventions  like  awareness  drives  on  PCPNDT  act,  opening  of Sukanya Samriddhi Accounts for the girl child and Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY), the Government seek to promote positive behavioral change towards girl child with the aim to eliminate sex-based discrimination and to achieve balanced sex ratio

(b)  Education  is  a  subject  in  the  concurrent  list  of  the  Constitution  and  a  majority  of schools  are  under  the  administrative  control  of  the  respective  State  Government/UT. However, Department of School Education and Literacy (DoSEL) is implementing the scheme  of  Samagra  Shiksha,  effective  from  2018-19,  for  universalization  of  quality education throughout the country in coordination  with  the States and  UTs.  Under  the scheme, various  interventions  have  been  targeted  for  girls,  which  include  opening  of schools in the neighborhood to make access easier for girls, free uniform and text-books to girls up to Class VIII, Self-Defence Training to Girls of class VI to XII of Govt. Schools, additional teachers and residential quarters for teachers in remote/hilly areas, separate toilets for girls, teachers' sensitization programs to promote girls participation, gendersensitive  teaching-learning  materials  including  text  books  etc.  Further,  special  state specific projects for varied interventions under equity are also emphasized for enhancing access,  retention  and  quality  for  girls  by  promoting  enrolment  drives,  retention  and motivation  camps,  gender  sensitization  modules  etc.  Such  projects  include  life  skills, awareness programmes, incinerators, sanitary pad vending machines etc.

Samagra Shiksha focuses on equity and access for all students. Special measures are undertaken to assimilate the Out of School Children and campaigns are carried out by States UTs at the admission time for enrollment for all students.

The Ministry of Women and Child Development in collaboration with DoSEL, Ministry of Education launched a special campaign namely Kanya Shiksha Pravesh Utsav on March 7, 2022, to re- enroll Out of School Adolescent Girls (OoS AG) into formal schooling. Out of the 1,44,107 OoS AG identified, this campaign successfully re-enrolled 100,786 outof-school girls, highlighting the movement's focus on education and equal opportunities.

(c) to (e)          The Sukanya Samriddhi Account (SSA) scheme is a deposit scheme. Only one SSA  can be opened in the name of a girl child. Therefore, number of accounts opened is same as number of beneficiaries. Total number of accounts opened under SSA till  31.12.2024  is  4,12,99,114.  The   SSA  Scheme  is  being  given  due  audio,  video, electronic and print media publicity. Campaigns to open accounts under the scheme are also launched from time to time for information of the public by agencies.

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