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Beti Bacchao Beti Padhao
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This year Jan 2015 will witness the change in lives of countless girl child and women. The pet project launched by Prime Minister Shri Narender Modi "Beti bachao beti Padhao" (BBBP) Yojana (save daughter, educate daughter) to save and empower the girl child is making waves all over the nation.
This major inter-ministerial initiative of the Government of India bringing together Ministries, institutions and civil societies, though not a drastic change yet, the results are positive on the scheme. The scheme will have focussed intervention and multi-section action in almost 100 districts with low Child Sex Ratio (CSR).
“The village that succeeds in attaining a balanced sex ratio will be awarded Rs 1 crore’’this strong incentive will reduce the declining CSRensuring that the girl child gets equal opportunities to shine.
Finance minister Mr.Arun Jaitley in his Budget speech announced that the government would focus on campaigns to sensitise the citizens of this country towards the concerns of the girl child and women. He also included that this process must begin early and therefore the school curriculum must have a separate chapter on the core subject of gender equality.
The financial figures to assist the issue include Rs. 50 crore for testing a scheme for safety of women on Public Road Transport by The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. Additionally, Rs.150 crore will be spent by Ministry of Home Affairs to increase the safety of women in large cities.
From the Nirbhaya fund, there is a proposal to set up Crisis Management Centres this year, in all districts of the capital, Delhi. The centres will be set up in all Government and Private Hospitals.
From the workshops conducted of District Collectors held in Chandigarh, Guwahati and Delhi till now, the suggestions that have come out are
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More stringent Anti-Dowry Act
- Preventing Child marriage through compulsory registration of marriages
- Celebrating the birth of the girl child
- Emphasis on the education of the girl child for their empowerment. This will make the Zila Panchayats prominent in implementing and monitoring BBBP.
- Economic incentives as a motivation were also suggested by the members.
The essential fact to be noted here is that allottingfunds and schemes alone will not work wonders. The laws have to be amended, the culprits have to be vigorously punished, the ones involved in the practice of sex determination and sex selective abortion should be punished severely, and the government has to talk tough so that doctors do not indulge in this malpractice.
Personally according to me, a connection first with all has to be established with the society at large. This will make the citizens more sensitive and will be able to relate themselves better to how and what the ill-treated girl child feels like.
Working towards the BBBP Yojana, the latest advertisements in the Television are fantastically making the audience more human in this perspective. The campaigns are boosting the morals of people and helping the unspoken to reach out. If you want results, dedicated efforts have to be clubbed with the monetary incentives.
The associated problems in bringing up the girl child, her marriage expenses, Dowry system and discrimination in the society have to be talked out more often so that the citizens, showcase more responsible behaviour or even out of shame think twice before indulging themselves in such crimes or acts of violence.
There definitely are families who care exclusively for their girl child. It’s just that the issues have to be talked smartly and encourage the future parents with a positive role.
The immediate issues to be tackled now are,
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Awareness on gender equality
- Education for women
- Medical aid and health issues
- Safety in public transport system
- Women safety cells
- Campaigns on sensitization towards women and children
- Cybercrime cells
- Crisis Management centre’s
- Awards for role models, parents and other categories
- These initiatives will provide a pathway to the young generation.
Prime Minister said ‘Beta Beti ek saman’; this should be everyone’s mantra. Isn’t this marvellous? Well, Yes! This is a wonderful phase in the life of each girl suffering out there to come out of the shell.
Why kill innocent girl every day?
Bring a smile to those angels. SAVE THE GIRL CHILD, EDUCATE THE GIRL CHILD!
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