Welfare schemes of the Government promoting girls' education

Department of School Education and Literacy (DoSEL), Ministry of Education is implementing various welfare schemes for incentives for girls' education.

• Under the Samagra Shiksha, there is a provision of Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas (KGBVs).

1. KGBVs are residential schools from class VI to XII for girls belonging to disadvantaged groups such as SC, ST, OBC, Minority and Below Poverty Line (BPL).
2. A total of 5726 KGBVs have been sanctioned in the country. Out of it, 5010 KGBVs are functional with the enrolment of 6.54 lakh girls.
3. The scheme also has a provision for the opening of schools in the neighbourhood, free uniforms and text-books up to Class VIII, provision of gender-segregated toilets in all schools, provision of self-defence training from classes VI to XII and stipend to Divyang girls from class I to Class XII.
4. Special state-specific projects such as Life Skills, Awareness programmes, Incinerators, Sanitary Pad Vending Machines etc. for varied interventions under equity are also emphasized under the scheme for enhancing access, retention and quality for girls by promoting enrolment drives, retention and motivation camps, gender sensitization modules etc.

• A Central Sector Scheme ‘National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship Scheme (NMMSS)’is also under implementation in 2008 to award scholarships to meritorious students, including girls, of Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) to arrest their drop out at class VIII and encourage them to continue the study at Secondary Stage. Under the scheme, one lakh fresh scholarships of Rs.12000/- per annum per student are awarded to selected students of class IX every year and are renewed in classes X to XII for study in a State Government, Government-aided and Local body school under the scheme.
• Ministry of Education also runs a Central Sector Scheme of Scholarship for College and University Students since 2008 with the objective to provide financial assistance to meritorious students to meet a part of their day-to-day expenses while pursuing higher studies. 50% of the scholarships are earmarked for girls.

National Programme for Education of Girls at Elementary Level (NPEGEL)

1. It addresses issues at the micro level through decentralization.
2. Decision-making is flexible. It is present in Educationally Backward Blocks.
3. For girls which are enrolled but did not attend regularly.
4. They work through village-level women and community groups.

Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidalaya (KGBV)

1. KGBV are the residential upper primary schools for SC/ST/OBC/Minorities (75%) and BPL (25%).
2. They are also implemented in Educationally Backward Blocks where schools are at a great distance or challenged to security.
3. It is special training for the residential and non-residential courses.
4. Transportation and escort facilities are present.
5. Expanding Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya for Secondary and higher Secondary schools. NIOS give open Basic educational program for 14+ at 3 levels - Class 3, 5 and 8.

Scholarships

• Pragati = Scholarship for girl students for technical Education under AICTE.
• Swami Vivekananda Scholarship for Single Girl Child = Introduced by UGC for research in social sciences with an aim to compensate for direct costs of higher education, especially for girls who are the only girl child in their families.

UDAAN (Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship)

1. Ministry: Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship. By CBSE.
2. Objectives:
   1. Free support to girl students of Classes 11th and 12th to prepare for an Engineering entrance exam.
   2. Videos, tutorials, a helpline to clear doubts etc.
   3. The Scheme covers graduates, postgraduates and 3-year engineering diploma holders
   4. The Scheme aims to cover 40,000 youth of J&K over a period of 5 years.
3. Funding: Centrally Sponsored Scheme.

Providing Assistance for Girls’ Advancement in Technical Education Initiative (PRAGATI) - MSDE and implemented by AICTE

1. Aimed at providing assistance for the Advancement of Girls pursuing Technical Education.
2. ‘One Girl’ per family and it can be extended for 2 Girl Child per family where the family income is < Rs. 8 Lakh /annum.
3. It is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme. The scholarship amount under the scheme is Rs 30,000 or tuition fees and Rs 2000 per month for contingency allowance for 10 months.

Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Abhiyan - MoWCD

• Ministry: Ministry of Women and Child Development - nodal.
• Funding: Central Sector Scheme. Rs. 100 crores.
• MHRD and MoH&FW are converging under this program to prevent gender biased sex selective elimination; protect girl child and educate her.
• According to Census 2011, Child Sex Ratio between 0-6 years is declining with all time low of 918.
• A 360° media approach is being adopted to create awareness and disseminating information about the issue across the nation.
• Under the Scheme, the multi-sectoral action in selected 405 districts.
• Under Beti Bachao Beti Padhao yojana, a savings scheme called the Sukanya Samriddhi account has been introduced.
  1. Exclusive for a girl child, where parents or guardians of the child can save money for their daughters.
  2. This money can be used for the girl child’s education or marriage.
  3. There will be no tax deduction from this account.
  4. Withdrawal is permitted only to girl child after she reaches 18 years.
• Improve Sex Ratio at Birth, reduce the gender gap in U5MR, increase institutional deliveries, enrollment, toilet, nutrition, universalization of ICDS, POCSO, and train grassroots functionaries as Community champions.
• It has a 3-tier monitoring mechanism (Village to block to the district to state to national level)
• The scheme will be implemented through ICDS platform/MSK/DLCW at district, block and village levels in convergence with Health, Education and Panchayati Raj Ministry.