Governance
10th Anniversary of BBBP and Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana
- 23 Jan 2025
- 13 min read
For Prelims: Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) scheme, Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana, Mission Vatsalya, Mission Shakti, Anganwadi Centers (AWCs), 15th Finance Commission (2021-2026), Nari Adalat, Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY), Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER), Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS), Maternal and Infant Mortality, Immunization, Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY), Sample Registration System (SRS), National Family Health Survey 5 (2019-21), AISHE 2021-2022.
For Mains: Role of Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) scheme and Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana in improving child sex ratio (CSR), sex ratio at birth (SRB) and women empowerment.
Why in News?
22nd January 2025 marked the 10th year of the launch of Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) scheme and Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana.
- Celebrations are planned from 22nd January to 8th March (International Women’s Day) and include the launch of the Mission Vatsalya and Mission Shakti portals.
- BBBP scheme was launched on 22nd January 2015, in Panipat, Haryana and SSY was launched as part of BBBP scheme.
What is BBBP?
- About: BBBP is a centrally sponsored scheme launched to address the declining Child Sex Ratio (CSR), prevent gender-biased sex-selective elimination, and promote the survival, protection, and education of the girl child.
- Key Objectives:
- Improve the Sex Ratio at Birth (SRB) by two points annually.
- Achieve a sustained institutional delivery rate of 95% or above.
- Increase the percentage of first-trimester antenatal care registrations and secondary education enrollment by 1% annually.
- Reduce dropout rates among girls at the secondary and higher secondary levels.
- Raise awareness about safe menstrual hygiene management (MHM).
- Target Groups:
- Primary Groups: Young couples, expecting parents, adolescents, households, and communities.
- Secondary Groups: Schools, Anganwadi Centers (AWCs), medical professionals, local government bodies, NGOs, media, and religious leaders.
- Integration with Mission Shakti: The BBBP scheme is now integrated with Mission Shakti, a program for women’s safety and empowerment, for implementation during the 15th Finance Commission (2021-2026). Mission Shakti consists of two sub-schemes:
- Sambal (Safety and Security): Focuses on women’s safety through initiatives like One Stop Centres (OSCs), Women Helpline (181), nationwide expansion of BBBP, and Nari Adalat for grievance redressal.
- Samarthya (Empowerment): Empowers women through Shakti Sadans (relief and rehabilitation homes), Sakhi Niwas (safe accommodation for working women), and Palna (Creche facilities).
- The Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY) now extends support for a 2nd child if it is a girl, promoting maternal health.
- The SANKALP: HEW (Hub for Empowerment of Women) serves as a district-level single-window mechanism for women to access Central and State schemes.
- Funding: BBBP is a centrally sponsored scheme with 100% funding by the Central Government in all the districts of the country under Sambal sub-scheme of Mission Shakti.
- District-level financial aid is allocated as per SRB i.e., Rs 40 lakh (SRB ≤918), Rs 30 lakh (SRB 919-952), and Rs 20 lakh (SRB >952).
- Key Interventions: Grassroots campaigns like the Yashaswini Bike Expedition, which symbolized women’s empowerment, and the Kanya Shiksha Pravesh Utsav, which re-enrolled over 100,000 out-of-school girls.
- Conferences and events promoting workforce participation and skilling, like "Betiyan Bane Kushal."
- Achievements in 10 Years:
- SRB: The national SRB improved from 918 in 2014-15 to 930 in 2023-24.
- Education: Girls’ Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER) in secondary education rose from 75.51% in 2014-15 to 78% in 2023-24.
- Institutional Deliveries: Institutional deliveries increased from 61% in 2014-15 to 97.3% in 2023-24.
- Awareness Campaigns: Nationwide campaigns like ‘Selfie with Daughters’ and ‘Beti Janmotsav’ celebrated the value of the girl child.
- Economic Empowerment: Collaborations with the Ministry of Skill Development enhanced skill development and economic participation for girls and women.
Mission Vatsalya
- About: Mission Vatsalya aimed at child protection and development aligned with SDGs.
- It emphasizes child rights, advocacy, and awareness, while strengthening the juvenile justice system to ensure "no child is left behind."
- It was initially known as Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS).
- Sub-Scheme: There were three schemes being implemented under the Ministry of Women and Child Development namely:
- Programme for Juvenile Justice for Children in need of care and protection, and Children in conflict with Law.
- Integrated Programme for street children.
- Scheme for assistance to homes for children (Shishu Greh).
- Consolidation under ICPS (2009-2010): Above three schemes were merged into the ICPS and managed by the Ministry of Women & Child Development.
- In 2017, ICPS was renamed the Child Protection Services (CPS) Scheme.
- CPS was integrated into Mission Vatsalya from 2021-22 onwards.
Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY)
- About: PMMVY is a maternity benefit scheme launched by the Ministry of Women and Child Development to support pregnant and lactating women by providing financial assistance during pregnancy and after childbirth.
- Key Objectives:
- Compensate Wage Loss: Provide partial compensation for wage loss to women to enable them to rest adequately during pregnancy and after delivery.
- Ensure Health and Nutrition: Promote safe delivery and good nutrition for both mother and child.
- Reduce Maternal and Infant Mortality: Encourage institutional delivery and postnatal care.
- Key Features: A Rs 5,000 direct benefit is provided in three installments.
- An additional Rs 1,000 is provided under the Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) for institutional delivery, bringing the total benefit to Rs 6,000 per beneficiary.
- Eligibility Criteria: The scheme is for pregnant women and lactating mothers with their first live birth, who are 19 years or older.
- It excludes women in regular government jobs or receiving similar benefits under other laws.
What is Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana (SSY)?
- About: It was launched as a part of BBBP scheme to provide financial security for the future of the girl child through opening of bank accounts, focusing on education and empowerment.
- Account Eligibility: The scheme is open for any resident Indian girl child, with an account being able to be opened from birth until the age of 10.
- A guardian can open one account per child, with a maximum of two accounts per family, except for twins or triplets.
- Deposit and Contributions: The minimum initial deposit is Rs 250 with the annual deposit limit is Rs 1,50,000.
- Deposits can be made for up to 15 years, with the guardian managing the account until the girl turns eighteen.
- Account Maturity: The Sukanya Samriddhi account matures after 21 years from the account opening date. Early closure is allowed if the account holder intends to marry before maturity.
- Withdrawals: After turning eighteen or completing 10th grade, the account holder can withdraw up to 50% of the balance from the previous financial year for education.
- Premature Closure: In case of the account holder's death or compassionate reasons like severe illness or the guardian's death, the account can be prematurely closed.
- However, premature closure is not allowed within the first five years of opening the account.
- Achievements in 10 Years: As of November 2024, over 4.1 crore Sukanya Samriddhi accounts have been opened, promoting financial discipline and encouraging long-term savings for girls' education and empowerment.
What are Key Data Related to Progress in Gender Indicators in India?
- Sex Ratio at Birth: According to the Sample Registration System (SRS), the sex ratio at birth improved from 898 females per 1,000 males (2014-16) to 907 (2018-20).
- National Family Health Survey 5 (2019-21) showed an increase in the sex ratio at birth from 919 (2015-16) to 929 (2019-21).
- Educational Gender Gap: In 2015-16, the GER for women in higher education was 23.5%, 1.9 percentage points lower than men. However, the AISHE 2021-2022 shows women now lead men in GER by 0.2 percentage points.
- At the secondary and higher secondary levels of education, female enrolment surpassed or was equal to male enrolment from 2015-16 onwards.
- Maternal and Infant Mortality: Maternal mortality declined to 97 per lakh live births, while infant mortality decreased to 28 per 1,000 live births.
- Institutional Deliveries: Institutional deliveries have nearly reached 100% across the country.
Conclusion
The Beti Bachao Beti Padhao scheme and Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana have significantly advanced women empowerment in India. With improvements in sex ratio, education, maternal and infant health, and financial security for girls, these initiatives have contributed to a more inclusive and equitable society, aligning with global women-led development goals.
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Drishti Mains Question: Discuss the impact of the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao scheme and Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana on India's gender-related indicators. |
UPSC Civil Services Examination, Previous Year Question (PYQ)
Prelims
Q. What is/are the facility/facilities the beneficiaries can get from the services of Business Correspondent (Bank Saathi) in branchless areas? (2014)
- It enables the beneficiaries to draw their subsidies and social security benefits in their villages.
- It enables the beneficiaries in the rural areas to make deposits and withdrawals.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Ans: (c)
Q. In India, the interest rate on savings accounts in all the nationalized commercial banks is fixed by (2010)
(a) Union Ministry of Finance
(b) Union Finance Commission
(c) Indian Banks’ Association
(d) None of the above
Ans: (d)
Mains
Q. What are the continued challenges for Women in India against time and space? (2019)
Q. Women empowerment in India needs gender budgeting. What are the requirements and status of gender budgeting in the Indian context? (2016)
