The Centre on Saturday highlighted the impact of the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) initiative, saying the programme has evolved into a nationwide movement for girl child empowerment and contributed to improvements in key gender indicators over the past 11 years.
Launched on January 22, 2015, BBBP was introduced to address the declining Child Sex Ratio and gender-based discrimination. The scheme is jointly implemented by the Ministries of Women and Child Development, Health and Family Welfare, and Education.
According to the Ministry of Women and Child Development, the programme has expanded beyond a targeted policy intervention to become a broad-based campaign involving government agencies, media, civil society organisations and local communities. The initiative focuses on the survival, protection and empowerment of the girl child, while promoting dignity at birth and access to early childhood care and education.
The ministry said the scheme has contributed to improvements in the Sex Ratio at Birth (SRB), which increased from 918 in 2014-15 to 929 in 2024-25, according to data from the Health Management Information System of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
In the education sector, girls’ enrolment at the secondary level rose from 75.51 per cent in 2014-15 to 80.2 per cent in 2024-25, according to data from the Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE), reflecting improvements in retention and transition rates.
The government said BBBP continues to follow a lifecycle approach that begins with ensuring a safe and dignified birth, followed by access to early childhood care, education and opportunities for empowerment. The programme also seeks to drive behavioural change through advocacy campaigns, community participation and coordination among ministries and states.
The Ministry of Women and Child Development said it remains committed to strengthening the BBBP framework to ensure that every girl child is protected, educated and empowered, in line with the government’s vision of women-led development.
