Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to launch an ambitious scheme to empower the girl child called ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’ on November 14.
Initially, the Women and Child Development (WCD) ministry will be launching the scheme in 100 districts across India which has the worst child sex ratio (CSR).
Through a slew of measures such as incentivising pregnant mothers to register during the first trimester to rewarding informers to help in identifying unregistered clinics indulging in illegal sex selection test, the ministry is targeting to bring down the declining ratio by 50 points every year.
From 927 girls per 1,000 boys in 2001 to 918 girls per 1,000 boys in 2011, CSR in India has dipped to an all time low since Independence.
Advocacy would be a key component of the scheme for which the Modi government has allocated Rs 100 crore in the 2014-15 budget.
“The idea is to use incentives and disincentives; right from the time a girl child is born to protect her,” said WCD minister Maneka Gandhi.
On October 31, Gandhi would be holding meeting of senior district officials in Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh to discuss the scheme’s implementation.
{{/usCountry}}On October 31, Gandhi would be holding meeting of senior district officials in Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh to discuss the scheme’s implementation.
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