The Indian government has long realized the need to facilitate girls with education and financial powers. Thus, keeping the issue of reducing gender gaps in mind, a number of government schemes for girl children were initiated to improve access to education, economic security, and opportunities for girls. In the year 2024, this is being furthered with even more comprehensive programs. In this article, we will look at the various government policies for girl education in India and shall discuss the main schemes by the Ministry of Women and Child Development: NGO Schemes, Single Girl Child Scholarship Schemes, and Investment Plans.
Importance of Girls’ Education: A Way towards Empowerment
When it comes to the growth of any country, it is very important to educate girls. Educated women are reported in many studies to contribute much to the economic aspect, lead healthier lives, and even get their children educated. A lot of progress is, no doubt, being made in India; however, poverty, deep-rooted social mores, and lack of infrastructure remain big obstacles for girls. It is here that government yojanas for girl child and schemes to promote education of girls have acquired greater significance in the year 2024.
Key Government Schemes for Girl Child in 2024
1. Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (Save the Girl Child, Educate the Girl Child)
Launched in 2015, this Modi Scheme for women has grown as one of the significant umbrella programs for addressing the falling child sex ratio and promoting girls’ education. It has targeted, till 2024, the following points:
Stoppages of female feticide.
Survival, protection, and education of the girl child.
Decreasing dropouts of school-going girls.
Key Benefits:
More enrollment of girls in schools. Public awareness on equality between boys and girls. Availability of improved infrastructure at schools, including the facility of separate toilets for girls.
2. Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana (SSY)
Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana is amongst the popular investment schemes in the name of a girl child. It was announced under the ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’ campaign. It is a small savings scheme especially created for the benefit of the girl child and securities thereof. The parents may open an account in the name of their daughters under this scheme and receive a high-interest rate on deposits deposited by them.
Key Benefits:
Attractive interest rate, about 7.6% in 2024. Tax benefits under Sec 80C of the Income Tax Act. Can be opened in any post office or designated banks. Maturity of account on a girl’s attaining the age of 21 years or when she gets married after completing 18 years of age.
3. Single Girl Child Scholarship Scheme
This is one of the meritorious government policies in India for girl child education. The scheme encourages parents to educate their single girl child, thereby helping them to overcome financial problems/issues related to the education of a single girl child.
Key Features and Benefits:
Rupees 500 per month for two years for meeting tuition fees of single girl child
Girls studying in classes 6 to 12 in CBSE-affiliated schools are eligible.
4. Kanya Shiksha Pravesh Utsav
Kanya Shiksha Pravesh Utsav is a joint initiative by the Ministry of Women and Child Development and the Ministry of Education to bring the out-of-school adolescent girls back into formal schooling.
Key Objectives:
To trace and track the dropouts of girl students from schools.
To provide learning material, uniforms, and scholarships to needy girls.
5. Balika Samriddhi Yojana
Balika Samriddhi Yojana is a Government of India yojana for girls, whereby assistance is granted to families below the poverty line in bringing up and educating their girls.
Key Benefits:
Post-birth grant for the girl child, Rs. 500.
Scholarships for girls studying in classes 1 to 10, from Rs. 300 to Rs. 1,000.
6. Dhanalakshmi Scheme
It is, in fact, a conditional cash transfer scheme. It provides financial incentives to the families who have girl children. These incentives become a motivation factor to delay child marriage and promote girls seeking education to facilitate an all-round development of the girl child.
Key Features:
Cash incentive at birth, during vaccination, and enrollment in schools.
Conditional payments for ensuring that the girl completes schooling.
Policies and Programs to Promote Girl Child Education
1. National Scheme of Incentives to Girls for Secondary Education (NSIGSE)
The scheme aimed specifically at motivating girls belonging to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and also those economically backward classes to get enrolled and continue their education at the secondary level.
Key Features:
One-time grant of Rs 3000 deposited into a fixed account.
The girl can withdraw the amount upon reaching 18 years of age and passing class 10th.
2. Mid-Day Meal Scheme
This, in turn, has helped improve the nutritional status among children. The Mid-Day Meal Scheme is also acting as an incentive for parents to send their daughters to school, thus reducing dropout rates.
Key Provisions:
Free and nutritious repast provided to school-going girls studying in Classes 1 to 8.
Increased retention and attendance of girls – mainly from rural areas.
NGO Involvement and Private Sector Initiatives
Apart from governmental initiatives, NGO schemes also bear great significance in regard to education and empowerment of a girl child. NGOs like Pratham, Smile Foundation, and Nanhi Kali work in close coordination with the Ministry of Women and Child Development in implementing programs aimed at educating, building skills, and making provisions for the financial inclusion of girls.
Many private organizations have also started offering scholarships and other awards for the advancement of girl child education. For example, Infosys Foundation has been in the practice of providing scholarships to girls in rural areas. Companies like HDFC Life go to the extent of providing customized investment plans by whom one can secure the future for a girl child.
1. Community Awareness Programs
Consolidate community-based awareness programs to break the stereotypical mindset about educating girls. Engaging the local leaders and the parents in open discussions about education is crucial.
2. Improved Infrastructure
Availability of clean, separate toilets for girls in schools and safe and secure environments will attract more parents to send their daughters to school. The solution to transport challenges, especially in rural areas, shall boost attendance.
3. Skill Development Programs
Skill development programs, such as vocational training amongst girls, shall provide them with employment-oriented skills, hence improving their long-term financial independence.
4. Incentives to Teachers
This will ensure the educational outcomes to a large extent by incentivizing teachers for tracking girls’ attendance and educating them on how to support girls’ education.
Sarkari Yojanas for Women in 2024
The Government of India’s constant, yet fierce emphasis has been on women’s empowerment, especially upbringing and education of the girl child. From Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana savings for the girl child to CBSE Single Girl Child Scholarship-2024 promises to add more feathers to the cap. A look at some sarkari yojanas for women in 2024:
Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana: The maternity benefit scheme is for benefits in cash to the pregnant and lactating women with an aim at improving the health and nutritional status of the mother and child.
Ujjwala Scheme: The Scheme specifically aims at providing free LPG connections to the women of Below Poverty Line households in order to reduce indoor pollution for promotion of health.
Conclusion
Government-sponsored schemes for girl children in India have been continuously pacing toward improving the educational and economic standing of girls all over the country. The policies range from ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’ to ‘Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana’, focused on education and economic empowerment. But while government support remains imperative, societal, NGO, and private sector contributions are equally important in the holistic development process of the girl child. Together, let us empower girls across the country to their full potential.