Beti Bachao Beti Padhao asks families and institutions to change how they value a daughter. Launched on 22 January 2015, it brought the survival, protection and education of girls into a national campaign. A parent, however, cannot claim a cash payment simply by enrolling in it: the women and child development ministry explicitly states that the programme provides no direct benefit transfer. [1] [2]
That distinction matters because the name is often used as shorthand for a wider set of measures. Savings accounts, scholarships, schools and health services have their own rules and budgets. BBBP’s particular instrument is coordinated public action: awareness, local engagement and efforts to connect families with existing services. [1] [4]
An old problem and a new campaign
The campaign entered a field with a long legal history. The law against misuse of prenatal diagnostic techniques was enacted in 1994, came into operation in 1996 and was strengthened in 2003. Parliament’s later review treated enforcement of that existing framework as central to protecting girls before birth. [3]
Under Mission Shakti guidelines effective from April 2022, BBBP was expanded to all districts. Implementation rests with states and Union territories, with the Union ministry reviewing activities and funding. Local work can involve schools, health staff, community organisations and district administrations; the national slogan depends on their follow-through. [4] [2]
What the numbers show
In February 2026, the ministry reported that the Health Management Information System’s sex ratio at birth had risen from 918 girls per 1,000 boys in 2014–15 to 929 in 2024–25. It also cited education records showing girls’ secondary gross enrolment rising from 75.51% to 80.2% across those years. [2]
These are national indicators with specific definitions. Sex ratio at birth differs from the balance among all children or the entire population. Gross enrolment counts pupils relative to the population of the official school-age group; it does not establish attendance, learning or completion. Changes during BBBP’s operation also reflect other policies and social conditions. The figures alone cannot assign the improvement to this campaign. [2]
Where the money went
The spending balance drew parliamentary criticism. In December 2021, the Committee on Empowerment of Women found that 78.91% of ₹446.72 crore released during 2016–19 had gone to media advocacy. It recognised the need for publicity but urged greater emphasis on measurable health and education work. That finding concerns those years, rather than every subsequent budget. [3]
A March 2025 reply showed another distinction: ₹90.15 crore was released in 2022–23 against expenditure of ₹19.30 crore, while the following year recorded ₹87.49 crore released and ₹108.77 crore spent. Annual releases and spending need not match when balances carry forward. [4]
The ministry’s current programme page calls for zero-budget advertising and more activity with an effect on the ground. That places the next stage of BBBP in district work: keeping a girl in school, reaching a family and making an existing service usable. [1]