The Ministry of Women and Child Development reported on the progress of various government initiatives aimed at the educational, social, and economic empowerment of girls in India. The Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) scheme, launched on January 22, 2015, as a collaborative effort between the Ministries of Women & Child Development, Education, and Health and Family Welfare, has transformed from a policy initiative into a national movement. The scheme focuses on preventing gender-biased sex selection, ensuring survival and protection of girl children, and promoting their education through multi-sectoral interventions across all districts of the country.
According to the latest Health Management Information System (HMIS) data from the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, the Sex Ratio at Birth (SRB) has shown improving trends, increasing from 918 to 929 at the national level during the period from 2014-15 to 2025-26 (provisional).
Under the Samagra Shiksha scheme, vocational education is implemented from Classes VI to XII in alignment with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, with a focus on enhancing employability and providing equitable access to skill education for all students, including adolescent girls. The scheme promotes participation of girls in non-traditional and emerging vocational sectors such as Information Technology (IT), Electronics, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Robotics, Healthcare, Renewable Energy, Automotive, Telecommunications, and other NSQF-aligned job roles based on local needs and infrastructure.
As of 2025-26, a total of 31,477 schools have been approved for implementation of Vocational Education under Samagra Shiksha, with skill education implemented in 25,181 schools benefiting 3,949,875 students. The program provides hands-on training through vocational laboratories, internships, industry exposure, and career guidance to encourage girls to pursue STEM-related education and careers.
The government is also implementing the New India Literacy Programme (NILP), popularly known as ULLAS - Nav Bharat Saaksharta Karyakram, which targets non-literates aged 15 and above. So far, 33,652,317 learners have appeared in the Foundational Literacy and Numeracy Assessment Test (FLNAT), of whom approximately 22,984,292 are women, with an overall success rate of more than 90%. This participation has contributed to reducing the gender gap in literacy, with female literacy in India increasing from 65.46% (Census 2011) to 74.9% as reported in the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) 2025.
The implementation of these schemes lies with State Governments and UT Administrations, with the central government providing financial assistance for strengthening school education infrastructure including construction and maintenance of separate toilets for girls based on gaps identified through the Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE+) and proposals submitted by respective States/UTs.