Pakistan Defence
Rajasthan shines out in PM Narendra Modi’s Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao campaign
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com...beti-padhao-campaign/articleshow/53123267.cms
The desert state is in bloom. Rajasthan, infamous for female foeticide and infanticide and child marriages, is now saving its girls and their numbers are growing.
The state, which was in the bottom half of India's child sex ratio rankings in the 2011 Census, has scripted a comeback and is bringing back its girls.
It's a turnaround that's impressed the Centre no end, more so because it's probably the most successful example so far of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao campaign.
The Rajasthan government recently updated the Union government on how the turnaround was achieved over the past two years in a presentation that was accessed by ET. A signed message from chief minister Vasundhara Raje for parents of newly born girls, a monetary grant for every girl child at various stages, a firstofits kind informer scheme to reward those who tipoff the government on sexselection activities and GPSfitted sonography machines Rajasthan is using every trick in the book to ensure that girls' lives are saved.
The child sex ratio in Rajasthan the number of girls for every 1,000 boys up to the age of 6 had dipped to 888 in the 2011 Census from 909 in 2001. The ratio of girls to boys at birth, as measured by Rajasthan in 2015, is 925.
It's a big deal for a state where only nine of the 33 districts had a child sex ratio exceeding 900 five years ago. The national average is 919, as per the 2011 Census.
"We are on an upswing. As per our internal records, roughly 7.04 lakh children were born in state government health facilities between last August and this month 3.54 lakh of them were boys while 3.5 lakh were girls implying a sex ratio at birth of almost 987. The increased child sex ratio will only be known during the next census," Dr VK Mathur, director, Family Welfare, Rajasthan government, told ET.
The monetary incentive played a key role. The previous Ashok Gehlot government had started the Shubh Laxmi Yojana in April 2013 to give every girl child Rs 7,300 in three stages Rs 2,100 to the mother at birth, Rs 2,100 at age 1 on complete immunisation and Rs 3,100 at age 5 on admission to school.
There were 3.6 lakh beneficiaries of the scheme at last count. Raje has hiked the monetary incentive to Rs 50,000 for girls born after June 1, 2016, under a new CM Rajshree Yojana.
For a poor family, Rs 50,000 is a decent amount, which may help to improve the child sex ratio, especially with half the money being given when the child grows up, to lower the chances of female infanticide, a top state government official told ET.
"The biggest instalment of Rs 25,000 will be released when the girl passes class 12. Rs 11,000 will be given on entering class 10, Rs 5,000 on entering class 6, Rs 4,000 on enrolling into class 1 and Rs 2,500 each on turning a year old and at birth. So the new scheme puts a premium on girl education in the true spirit of Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao," he said.
Still, the government admits that the mindset towards the girl child needs to change. There have been horrific cases of female infanticide reported from the state, including the killing of newly born girls by giving them opium or drowning them in a vessel.
In November 2014, the state started a novel experiment of sending a signed letter from the chief minister, a Badhai Sandesh, to the parents of every newborn girl to make them realise the importance of a girl child.
According to the presentation, the 'Badhai Sandesh' has been sent to almost 7.16 lakh parents of girls born in state government hospitals or public health facilities.
The CM's message has become a source of pride for many families, with some of them framing and displaying it in their homes, officials said. However, some families are still sceptical about how they will bring up the girl child.
This led to an initiative in Bikaner, where 40 doctors 'adopted' as many girls these children stay with their families while the doctors take care of their education and health.
@Levina
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com...beti-padhao-campaign/articleshow/53123267.cms
The desert state is in bloom. Rajasthan, infamous for female foeticide and infanticide and child marriages, is now saving its girls and their numbers are growing.
The state, which was in the bottom half of India's child sex ratio rankings in the 2011 Census, has scripted a comeback and is bringing back its girls.
It's a turnaround that's impressed the Centre no end, more so because it's probably the most successful example so far of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao campaign.
The Rajasthan government recently updated the Union government on how the turnaround was achieved over the past two years in a presentation that was accessed by ET. A signed message from chief minister Vasundhara Raje for parents of newly born girls, a monetary grant for every girl child at various stages, a firstofits kind informer scheme to reward those who tipoff the government on sexselection activities and GPSfitted sonography machines Rajasthan is using every trick in the book to ensure that girls' lives are saved.
The child sex ratio in Rajasthan the number of girls for every 1,000 boys up to the age of 6 had dipped to 888 in the 2011 Census from 909 in 2001. The ratio of girls to boys at birth, as measured by Rajasthan in 2015, is 925.
It's a big deal for a state where only nine of the 33 districts had a child sex ratio exceeding 900 five years ago. The national average is 919, as per the 2011 Census.
"We are on an upswing. As per our internal records, roughly 7.04 lakh children were born in state government health facilities between last August and this month 3.54 lakh of them were boys while 3.5 lakh were girls implying a sex ratio at birth of almost 987. The increased child sex ratio will only be known during the next census," Dr VK Mathur, director, Family Welfare, Rajasthan government, told ET.
The monetary incentive played a key role. The previous Ashok Gehlot government had started the Shubh Laxmi Yojana in April 2013 to give every girl child Rs 7,300 in three stages Rs 2,100 to the mother at birth, Rs 2,100 at age 1 on complete immunisation and Rs 3,100 at age 5 on admission to school.
There were 3.6 lakh beneficiaries of the scheme at last count. Raje has hiked the monetary incentive to Rs 50,000 for girls born after June 1, 2016, under a new CM Rajshree Yojana.
For a poor family, Rs 50,000 is a decent amount, which may help to improve the child sex ratio, especially with half the money being given when the child grows up, to lower the chances of female infanticide, a top state government official told ET.
"The biggest instalment of Rs 25,000 will be released when the girl passes class 12. Rs 11,000 will be given on entering class 10, Rs 5,000 on entering class 6, Rs 4,000 on enrolling into class 1 and Rs 2,500 each on turning a year old and at birth. So the new scheme puts a premium on girl education in the true spirit of Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao," he said.
Still, the government admits that the mindset towards the girl child needs to change. There have been horrific cases of female infanticide reported from the state, including the killing of newly born girls by giving them opium or drowning them in a vessel.
In November 2014, the state started a novel experiment of sending a signed letter from the chief minister, a Badhai Sandesh, to the parents of every newborn girl to make them realise the importance of a girl child.
According to the presentation, the 'Badhai Sandesh' has been sent to almost 7.16 lakh parents of girls born in state government hospitals or public health facilities.
The CM's message has become a source of pride for many families, with some of them framing and displaying it in their homes, officials said. However, some families are still sceptical about how they will bring up the girl child.
This led to an initiative in Bikaner, where 40 doctors 'adopted' as many girls these children stay with their families while the doctors take care of their education and health.
@Levina