BETI BACHAO, BETI PADAO

Women are very important in the life of individual, family, society, nation and world; infact, the very existence of all these cannot be imagined without them. They are not only inevitable, the entire progress of the family, society, nation and world depends on them. This was the reason that Aristotle commented in ancient times: " It is on the progress on or  decline of women that the progress or decline of the nation depends."

Goldsmith stated her importance in these words:" It is a woman who turns a thorny shrub into a flowery plant; it is she who turns the house of even of the poorest man into a sweet home: a Paradise."

There is no exaggeration in saying that a skilled and educated woman betters two families. Prior to marriage, she does a great yeoman service to her parental house, and after marriage, she refines and improve the household of her in- laws. It is a paradox that her importance has been accepted in all times yet her existence and education have always been under dark clouds. We are aware that she was deprived of education in the ancient times and only a few of them could be educated. This trend continued during the Buddhist and Brahamanic eras; the medieval period brought them more agony; and we can say that her condition has improve with in the modern times; yet the threat of her life has continued unabated in different forms. 

 It is a matter of satisfaction that our present Prime Minister Narendra Modi is quite alive to this issue and has prepared a plan at the national level; that was the scheme of Beti bachao Beti Padao (Save Daughters,Teach Daughters). He launched this scheme on 22  January 2015, and ever since this scheme is seeing the headway in the entire country, and different programmes are being started under it.

 This scheme got up further boost recently when after the 2016 Rio Olympics, only two women succeeded to win medals at the most prestigious international sports competition, and yet another maxim was added by the elated Chief Minister of Haryana Manohar Lal Khattar, that was 'Beti Khilao' ( let Daughters Play). There is no denying the fact that only women could bring glory to the nation in this world competitions, else our pocket would have remained empty.

Aims of Scheme ' Beti Bachao, Beti Padao'

Keeping in view the importance and exalted aim of the scheme, the scheme of Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao has been started by the joint initiative of the Child Development Ministry, Health Ministry, Family Welfare Ministry and Human Resource Development Ministry. Under the purpose of this scheme two aims  are sought to be achieved :

・ to bring about a balance in the unequal sex ratio, and

・  to educate the girl- child in order to ensure their participation in the country's development.

An initial grant of Rs. 100 crore was earmarked for this scheme, with which the work of spreading awareness of welfare schemes for women is being carried out. In order to link gender equality with the mainstream education, and additional chapter on gender equality will be added to school curriculum. The purpose of this initiative is to sensitive students, teachers and community towards the needs of girl- child and woman, so as the cultivate a harmonious environment in the society. Under this scheme work is being undertaken on the following activities : 

・  Activating school management Committees, so that girls are enrolled in schools in a great number.

・  Starting Balika Manch or  Girl Fora in schools.

・  Construction of toilets for girls in schools.

・  Restarting and repairing of toilets which are non- functional in schools.

・  Completion of all Kasturba Gandhi Bal Vidyalayas.

Initiating a broad campaign for re-admitting girls two secondary schools who have dropped out.

Significance of Beti Bachao

This part of the scheme of 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao' is aimed at bringing about equality in the sex ratio between boys and girls. However, a pertinent question arises if this will serve the purpose. Even if girls become equal number with boys, will it solve the problems regarding women empowerment? If we look around ourself, we find that equality of sex ratio is only a small part of the work that needs to be done in the welfare of women; there are other more pressing issues which demand attention and action; for example, we need to be sensitive to the violence that is perpetrated against women in different forms. Every morning the newspaper brings us the news of violence and atrocities against women without fail. When a negative environment persists, no parents would like to have daughters. The mindset of people can be corrected only when there exist no threat to her security, well-being and progress. In India, girls are worshiped and women adorned as sisters, daughters and mothers; yet if violence against them persists, we will have to look for their causes elsewhere. A country where it is a hard nut to crack to get an FIR filed when some incident of mishappening occurs against a woman, there is a dire need to correct the mindset.

 It is often seen that when she approaches somebody, the person in authority has the last thing in mind to do good of her, rather he thinks 'what he can do to her' in place of ;what he can do for her'. Only wishful thinking is not going to help if we want the sex ratio to improve. Only increasing the number of girls is not going to help, it also requires that they are put on the path of progress and development; they should continuously advance. Every barrier, every hurdle that impedes their progress must be abolished and this dismantled and destroyed so that women can march shoulder to shoulder with man, rather they advance ahead of man. The slogan of 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao' is just this.

Measures for Beti Bachao

 In order to allow women and girls to prosper and contribute in the development of the country, it is necessary that they are protected in the first place. Speaking in terms of the law, there is no dearth of the legal provisions that provide them protection against atrocities and cryings, yet our system is such that they are deprived into media, and the drive is mainly focused on cover-up rather than doing something substantial so that nothing of the short occurs in the future. There are a number of laws that have been legislated and enacted for the well being of girls and women, such as those dealing with female foeticide, female infanticide, sati custom, dowry harassment, rap domestic violence, and so on. What is needed is to put these laws into earnest implementation so that they are abided by in the true spirit.

Significance of Beti Padao

The two parts of the slogan 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao' cannot be separated, yet we have done this in order to explain the inner sense it is entailed with.In fact, the very campaign of Beti Bachao can succeed only when the campaign of Beti Padao materializes into reality.  This does not imply only merely enrolling  girls in schools and women in vocational and evening classes,  but is also implies that when girls attend school, they are made to feel secure. They should be provided security from the moment they step out of the house to head for school, and their protection has to be insured when they are at school.

 To make girls advance in life, it is important that they are educated without any restrictions from family or society. They should be allowed to pursue higher or vocational education as per their interest, ability and aptitude so as to create a bright future for themselves, family and nation. The condition of girls education in the country is below satisfactory level. It is somewhat satisfactory in urban areas, while in rural areas, the situation is very pitiable. A great hurdle in the path of girls education is that they are considered a person who is going to leave them after wedding. This 'paraya dhan' is not going to give them any return for the money spent on their education, it is so thought, that this is one of the reasons that girls are not sent to school. However, it should be borne in the mind that when a family educates a son, only one family is benefited, but when a girl is educated, the entire society and nation benefit. 

Measures for Beti Padao

To make girls and women  and advance on the path of progress, it is necessary that they are provided opportunities for advancement. We can discuss these measures under the following headings :

Upbringing : There should be spread mass awareness regarding upbringing of girls; people should be educated that girls are as important for the family, society and nation and that their well-being has to be ensured. Parents should take care for them as they do for sons.

Social Security : Social security is a wide concept covering different aspects of life. It provides girls and women those measures which ensure her advancement despite all kinds of social and financial hurdles.

Availability of Employment Opportunities : We have earlier discussed that girls and women have been stereotyped in certain roles in jobs, as teachers, nurses etc. It is a matter of great satisfaction that now we can see women in diverse fields, including the armed forces, engineering and medical. We can find increasing number of sales girls and shop owners in the big cities. The employer should keep in mind that women are not unequal, they are differently capable, they may not be able to lift heavy weights, but they are certainly capable of operating the JCB machines. When women are deprived of employment, one half of our working population is made to sit back and look on without any fruitful outcome.

Change of Mindset : It is very important that the parents should change their mind regarding to girls education. However, they conveniently forget that a highly educated girl will be able to get a good employment, and in such a case, there will not arise a need to be paid any dowry. What it entails is simple, the amount intended to be spent on her wedding and dowry can well be spent on her education, and this will give her a better life and raise the standard of life for the family, and consequently the society and nation.

Government Efforts : The government, especially the present modi government, has made several efforts to take forward the campaign of 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao'. The building of toilets in schools and homes, cleanliness drive, social security, reporting of crimes against women etc., are only a few measures, while more are being under taken. The society should stand by the government in it's efforts. The foremost thing that the government needs to do is to make the government departments perfect and efficient, as well as sensitive to perceive the needs of women. Their approach should be proactive, and not the one that begins after something has occurred.

Conclusion :

We cannot assign the responsibility for the successful accomplishment of 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao' only on the government. It is the duty sacred duty and responsibility of each individual that every possible effort is made for girls and women to prosper and blossom in life. Girls and women should be encouraged and their security should be ensured at every step. If anyone sees any one trying to harm her security, it becomes in incumbent upon him to raise his voice, so that the notorious elements are eradicated. Social security is the main concern, and if it is provided, there is no reason that people would not like to engage themselves in crying's like female infanticide and female foeticide.