India to celebrate 10th anniversary of Beti Bachao Beti Padhao scheme tomorrow
The Indian Ministry of Women and Child Development on Tuesday said it is set to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) scheme, marking a decade of 'relentless efforts' to protect, educate, and empower the girl child in India.
This milestone aligns with India's vision of a Viksit Bharat 2047 and the global shift from Women’s Development to Women-Led Development, a priority championed during India’s G20 Presidency and now adapted by Brazil's G20 Presidency.
The inaugural event will be held on Wednesday at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.
It will be graced by the Union Minister of Health and Family Affairs, J. P. Nadda along with Union Minister of Women and Child Development, Annpurna Devi and Minister of State, Savitri Thakur.
The event will witness the participation of women officers from the armed forces, para military forces, and Delhi police.
Furthermore, women officers of Deputy Secretary and above levels from the Central Ministries will be joining the event in Vigyan Bhawan. Additionally, girl students (My Bharat volunteers), Anganwadi supervisors/workers and representatives of State and district have been invited to participate in the event.
The event will also be attended by representatives from international organizations such as UNICEF, UN Women, UNDP, UNFPA, World Bank and The German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ).
The 10th-anniversary celebrations will span from January 22, 2025, to March 8, 2025, culminating on International Women’s Day.
"The opening event at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, will include an oath-taking ceremony and the launch of compendium of best practices. The event will also showcase the launch of Mission Vatsalya and Mission Shakti portals," read a government statement.
Similar events will be organized at state and district levels, with special programs on January 22, January 26, and March 8.
Beti Bachao Beti Padhao was launched on 22nd January 2015 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Panipat, Haryana, as a response to the critical issue of gender imbalance and the declining Child Sex Ratio (CSR) in India.
"Key achievements include an improvement in the national Sex Ratio at Birth (SRB) from 918 in 2014-15 to 930 in 2023-24, a rise in the gross enrolment ratio of girls at the secondary level from 75.51% in 2014-15 to 78% in 2023-24, an increase in institutional deliveries from 61% to 97.3%, and a significant improvement in first-trimester antenatal care registrations from 61% to 80.5%," the Indian government said in the statement.