Editorial: Revisit Beti Bachao scheme
The success of any public policy initiative depends on how effectively it is implemented on the ground. However lofty the objectives of a scheme may be, the outcome is dependent on the quality and efficiency of the delivery mechanism. It is a common experience in India that several welfare programmes, despite noble intentions, fall flat […]
The success of any public policy initiative depends on how effectively it is implemented on the ground. However lofty the objectives of a scheme may be, the outcome is dependent on the quality and efficiency of the delivery mechanism. It is a common experience in India that several welfare programmes, despite noble intentions, fall flat because of implementation hurdles. The NDA government’s much-touted ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ scheme is the latest example of how a well-intended initiative fails to measure up to expectations in the absence of administrative commitment and effective monitoring mechanism. The Parliamentary Committee on Empowerment of Women has concluded in its report that the government spent 80% of the funds under the scheme on media campaigns instead of focusing on sectoral interventions in health and education for women. The slogan may have been catchy but has turned out to be yet another classic case of too much publicity and too little action on the ground. No doubt the objectives of the scheme, launched in January 2015 as a national mission, are laudable but the implementation has been tardy. It has now emerged that the quantitative targets were not monitored properly. Effective monitoring mechanisms and documentation procedures were not in place. If the objectives of the programme are to be achieved, then the government must ensure stricter enforcement of the policy guidelines and improve monitoring mechanisms. The Centre must now revisit its strategy and start investing in measurable outcomes in health and education for girls.
Aimed at addressing sex-selective abortions and declining child sex ratio, which stood at 918 girls for every 1,000 boys in 2011, and ensuring education of girls, the programme is being implemented across 640 districts under the supervision of three ministries — Women and Child Development, Health and Family Welfare and Human Resource Development. It must be pointed out that improving the efficiency of welfare services requires a visible change in terms of delivery, not just aggressive publicity. The parliamentary panel has found that of the Rs 446.72 crore given to the States between 2016 and 2019, a staggering 78.91% was spent only on media advocacy. The nodal ministry — Women and Child Development — has been faulted for lack of proper monitoring and information on the spending by the States and Union Territories on education, health and other interventions. The committee also highlighted the poor utilisation of the total budget. Since its inception in 2014-15 to 2019-20, the total allocated budget under the scheme was Rs 848 crore. Till 2019-20, a total of Rs 622.48 crore was distributed to the States but only 25% was spent. There is an urgent need for course correction. The scheme may have succeeded, at least partially, in increasing public awareness about valuing the girl child but falls short of meeting the targets.
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