According to several studies and research papers (the 2021 Parliamentary Standing Committee Report, a recent research paper by Krea University and the Global Gender Gap 2021 Report), India’s girls’ education schemes haven’t had any discernible impact on school enrollment and learning outcomes. In India, girls tend to drop-out early from schools and restrictive gender norms often manifest themselves in early marriage. Education of the girl child has been central to policymaking across the globe, especially in developing countries. According to the Indian Census, the effective literacy rate for males was 82.14 per cent whereas the same for females was 65.46 per cent. The Global Gender Gap Report (2021) ranked India at 114 out of 156 countries based on educational attainment.
A number of gender-specific programmes have been implemented over the years to close the gaps. In 2015, the government launched the flagship programme, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP). According to the Ministry of Women and Child Welfare, the overall goal of the BBBP scheme is to prevent gender biased sex selective elimination; ensure survival and protection of the girl child; and ensure her education. A number of States had also introduced female-centric schemes – Apna Beti Apna Dhan in Haryana, Ladli Laxmi Yojana in Madhya Pradesh, Kanyashree in West Bengal, providing free sanitary napkins (example, She Pad scheme in Kerala), and State-funded bicycle programme (Mukhyamantri Balika Cycle Yojana in Bihar) are examples of such state-level interventions.
A research paper by Krea University written by Jyoti Prasad Mukhopadhyay, Associate Professor of Economics, IFMR Graduate School of Business, Krea University, Narbadeshwar Mishra, doctoral scholar, IFMR Graduate School of Business, Krea University and Sona Mitra Principal Economist of IWWAGE, LEAD at Krea University examined the impact of BBBP programme on girls’ educational and learning outcomes. In order to make a causal inference, the paper compared gender gaps in outcome variables between districts with and without exposure to the BBBP programme.
Using data available from nationally representative surveys, the research found that the BBBP programme had no discernible impact on probability of a girl being enrolled in school, girls’ grade completion, and girl-specific educational expenditure. With respect to learning outcomes, again there was no evidence of statistically significant impact on girls’ reading ability (for example, ability to identify letters, read words, etc.) and math skills (for example, recognise numbers 1-9, doing subtraction, etc.). In sum, the empirical study found no salutary effect of the BBBP programme.
Coming to financing of the programme, as per the report of the Parliamentary Committee on Empowerment of Women (2021), the total budgetary allocation by the Central Government for the programme during 2015-2019 was to the tune of ₹8.48 billion, of which, only₹6.22 billion was released to the States. Interestingly, the Parliamentary Standing Committee Report found that more than 78 per cent of the funds were spent on media advertisements and generating campaign material, but the utilisation in the multi-sectoral interventions have been quite meagre — hovering around only 16 per cent.
Lead researchers also conducted qualitative interviews with parents of girl children to gain a nuanced understanding of female education in India. The interviews revealed that while awareness about sending girls to school was generally high, parents faced infrastructural gaps that limit their ability to enrol and sustain the girls in schools. Distance to school, availability of safe transport, hygienic toilet facilities in school, and so on, were some of the factors that discouraged parents from continuing their girls in school.
The study clearly articulates that mere gender-based awareness campaigns are not enough to provide solutions to this difficult problem unless suitable policies are undertaken to improve school infrastructure, school-level inputs such as teachers, textbooks, as well as reduced distance for commute to school, safe modes of transport, safe and hygienic toilets and raising awareness to challenge the cultural and social norms.