Key Government Schemes in India Supporting the Girl Child

India has one of the most persistent gender gaps in the world when it comes to the survival and education of the girl child. For decades, deeply entrenched practices like female feticide and infanticide – driven by son preference, dowry burdens, and economic insecurity – have skewed the country’s sex ratio. The Child Sex Ratio (CSR) fell to just 918 girls per 1,000 boys in 2011, a number that alarmed policymakers and social reformers alike. In response, the Indian government has rolled out a series of targeted schemes aimed directly at changing this reality – from preventing sex-selective practices to putting money in a girl’s savings account before she can even walk. This post breaks down three of the most significant of these government schemes: Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana, and Balika Samriddhi Yojana.

Beti Bachao Beti Padhao: save the girl child, educate the girl child 🔗

Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) – which translates directly to “Save the Daughter, Educate the Daughter” – is the Government of India’s flagship initiative targeting gender discrimination against girls. Launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 22, 2015, in Panipat, Haryana, the scheme was a direct policy response to the alarming decline in the Child Sex Ratio documented in the 2011 census. It operates as a joint effort between three central ministries: Women and Child Development, Health and Family Welfare, and Education – making it one of the most multi-dimensional social programs India has implemented.

The scheme has two core objectives. The first is quantitative – arresting and reversing the decline in the sex ratio at birth (SRB). The second is qualitative – shifting the deeply rooted social mindset that devalues daughters. To achieve this, BBBP works through awareness campaigns, community mobilization, and stricter enforcement of the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PC-PNDT) Act, which prohibits sex-selective abortion.

How BBBP works on the ground 🔗

The scheme was initially launched in 100 districts with critically low CSR, before expanding pan-India in 2018. District-level administrations work with Anganwadi workers, local NGOs, and gram panchayats to conduct community events, celebrate the birth of girl children through programs like Beti Janmotsav, and challenge son-centric rituals. A now-famous example is the #SelfieWithDaughter campaign that went viral globally in 2015, started by a village sarpanch in Haryana.

BBBP also addresses practical barriers to girls’ wellbeing – improving school infrastructure, installing sanitary pad vending machines, and in collaboration with the Ministry of Skill Development, running vocational training programs for young women.

What the numbers show 🔗

After a decade of implementation, the data reflects measurable progress. The national Sex Ratio at Birth improved from 918 in 2014-15 to 930 in 2023-24 – a gain of 12 points over ten years. The Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) of girls in secondary schools also improved from 75.51% to 78% over the same period. Certain districts that were once among the worst performers – like Mau in Uttar Pradesh and Patiala in Punjab – have shown remarkable turnarounds.

That said, BBBP has not been without criticism. Parliamentary committee reports flagged that more than 56% of BBBP funds were spent on media campaigns between 2014-15 and 2018-19, with less than 25% actually reaching districts and states. The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) also noted that sex ratios deteriorated in several districts of Haryana and Punjab during the scheme’s early years. This points to a recurring challenge: awareness alone cannot override structural poverty, patriarchy, or weak enforcement of anti-sex-selection laws. The scheme’s real impact has therefore been uneven, with stronger results in states that paired BBBP campaigns with administrative accountability.

Since 2021, BBBP has been absorbed into the larger Mission Shakti umbrella program, which integrates women’s safety (Sambal) and empowerment (Samarthya) under a single policy framework – expanding its reach and institutional backing.

Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana: building a financial future for daughters 🔗

Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana (SSY) is a government-backed small savings scheme that was launched in December 2014 as a direct financial component of the BBBP initiative. Where BBBP focuses on attitudes and access, SSY focuses on money – specifically, on creating a long-term savings corpus for a girl child’s education and future.

The account can be opened at any post office or authorized commercial bank in the name of a girl child below the age of 10, with a minimum deposit of just ₹250 and a maximum of ₹1.5 lakh per financial year. Parents or legal guardians operate the account until the girl turns 18. The account matures 21 years after opening – though active deposits are only required for the first 15 years.

Why SSY stands out among savings schemes 🔗

The financial design of SSY is one of its strongest features. It currently offers an interest rate of 8.2% per annum (compounded annually), which is higher than most other government-backed tax-saving instruments including the Public Provident Fund (PPF). More significantly, SSY enjoys what is called EEE (Exempt-Exempt-Exempt) tax status – meaning the amount deposited qualifies for deduction under Section 80C of the Income Tax Act, the interest earned is tax-free, and the maturity proceeds are also fully exempt from tax. This triple tax benefit makes SSY exceptionally attractive for families in any income bracket.

At age 18, the girl child can withdraw up to 50% of the accumulated balance for higher education – without having to close the account. Full withdrawal is permitted at maturity (age 21) or upon marriage after age 18. This built-in flexibility ensures the fund can be used precisely when it is most needed: at educational milestones or life transitions.

Accessibility and reach 🔗

One of SSY’s most important design features is its accessibility. The account can be opened at designated banks or post offices across the country, and can be transferred freely between branches nationwide – a key feature for mobile families. By mid-March 2015, within just two months of launch, over 1.8 lakh accounts had been opened, with Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Andhra Pradesh leading in registrations. By October 2015, this number had grown to over 76 lakh accounts – a strong indicator of grassroots uptake.

The scheme’s low entry threshold (just ₹250 per year) means that even economically vulnerable families can participate and begin building a meaningful savings reserve for their daughter’s future. At the same time, the ₹1.5 lakh annual cap makes it equally useful for middle-class families looking for a tax-efficient investment.

Balika Samriddhi Yojana: support from the moment of birth 🔗

While SSY targets families with the capacity to save, Balika Samriddhi Yojana (BSY) focuses on the most economically vulnerable – families living below the poverty line (BPL), for whom even minimal savings are out of reach. Launched on October 2, 1997, by the Central Government under the Ministry of Women and Child Development, BSY is one of India’s earliest dedicated girl child welfare programs, predating BBBP by nearly two decades.

The scheme’s central premise is straightforward: poverty is one of the primary drivers of gender-based discrimination, including female infanticide and child marriage. By providing direct financial assistance at birth and linking subsequent support to school attendance, BSY creates a financial incentive for BPL families not just to welcome daughters, but to keep them in school.

Who qualifies and what they receive 🔗

BSY covers girl children born in BPL families in both rural and urban areas, on or after August 15, 1997. Benefits are limited to two girl children per family. In rural areas, eligibility is determined using the BPL classification under the Swarnajayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana. In urban areas, families living in slums – including rag pickers, vegetable vendors, and payment vendors – are automatically included, regardless of formal BPL classification.

The financial support is structured in two layers. First, a one-time post-birth grant of ₹500 is paid to the mother of a newborn girl. Second, once the girl begins school, she receives annual scholarships tied to her academic year:

• Class 1 to 3: ₹300 per year
• Class 4: ₹500 per year
• Class 5: ₹600 per year
• Class 6 and 7: ₹700 per year
• Class 8: ₹800 per year
• Class 9 and 10: ₹1,000 per year

These amounts are deposited in the girl’s account and can only be fully accessed when she turns 18 – and only if she remains unmarried at that point. If a girl marries before 18, she loses the annual scholarship amounts and can only access the initial ₹500 birth grant with interest – a built-in deterrent against child marriage. A portion of the funds can also be used for educational materials such as textbooks and uniforms.

Delivery and implementation 🔗

BSY is implemented through the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) network in rural areas and through Health Department functionaries in urban areas – the same grassroots infrastructure that delivers nutritional and maternal health services. Applications are made through local gram panchayats or municipalities, making the process accessible to those who may not have banking access or documentation readily at hand. Payments flow from the Department of Women and Child Welfare at the central level, through state governments, to the implementing agencies, and ultimately to the beneficiary families.

While BSY has benefited approximately 50,000 individuals since its inception – a number that reflects the relatively modest scale of the scheme – its structural logic is sound. It directly addresses the economic anxiety that drives families to devalue daughters: the fear that a girl child is a financial liability rather than an asset.

How these schemes work together 🔗

Each of these three schemes targets a different dimension of the same problem. BBBP works on social norms – challenging the mindset that sees a daughter as a burden. Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana works on financial security – giving families across income levels a structured, incentivized way to invest in their daughters’ futures. Balika Samriddhi Yojana works at the poverty interface – ensuring that even the most economically marginalized families receive a concrete financial reason to welcome, educate, and retain their daughters.

Together, they represent a layered approach to the girl child’s survival, education, and economic future. None of them, individually, can dismantle the structural patriarchy or caste-based discrimination that underlies sex-selective practices. But as a policy ecosystem, they signal a clear government commitment to shifting both incentives and attitudes – and the data, though uneven, shows that the needle is moving.

It is also worth noting that the success of these schemes is significantly dependent on implementation quality at the state level. States like Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh have integrated BBBP more rigorously into district administration, while others have lagged in fund disbursement and monitoring. The gender gap in India is not uniform – and neither is the reach of these programs.

What do you think? Given that a significant portion of BBBP funds went toward advertising rather than direct interventions, do you think awareness campaigns are an effective tool for changing deep-rooted gender bias – or should the focus shift more toward economic support like SSY and BSY? And as India’s girl child welfare schemes grow in number, what mechanisms would make them more effective for the families who need them most?

References

1. https://www.ibef.org/government-schemes/beti-bachao-beti-padhao
2. https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=2094929
3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beti_Bachao_Beti_Padhao
4. https://www.nsiindia.gov.in/InternalPage.aspx?Id_Pk=89
5. https://cleartax.in/s/sukanya-samriddhi-yojana
6. https://www.paisabazaar.com/saving-schemes/sukanya-samriddhi-yojana/
7. https://theiashub.com/upsc/balika-samriddhi-yojana/
8. https://www.buddy4study.com/article/balika-samridhi-yojana
9. https://www.indiafilings.com/learn/balika-samridhi-yojana-bsy/