National Girl Child Day is an initiative that recognizes the many challenges that girls face. Some challenges are school dropouts, encompassing issues like gender inequality, educational constraints, gender-based violence, healthcare challenges, and child marriage. On this big day PM Narendra Modi has addressed the occasion online. Here is his statement:On National Girl Child Day, we salute the indomitable spirit and accomplishments of the Girl Child. We also recognise the rich potential of every girl child in all sectors. They are change-makers who make our nation and society better. Over the last decade, our government has…— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 24, 2024 The Government of India has mentioned many schemes to improve the lives of the girl child. Some of these schemes are mentioned below. Schemes for girl child:Gender privacyThe government has blocked the gender to be revealed by clinics during pregnancy.Child marriage Restriction of child marriage has been put into place now. This will prevent girls from being married off at a young age and give them a chance to complete their education and live a normal childhood. Save the Girl Child schemeThe government has introduced the Save the Girl Child scheme. Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao is another name for the same. Apart from the government, many companies and NGOs have worked towards this cause. Free education Education has been made free and compulsory for both genders until the age of 14. Providing education to all citizens is essential for ensuring that India progresses to its full potential. Antenatal careAntenatal care has been made necessary for all pregnant women to fight high illiteracy, poverty, malnutrition, and infant mortality. Employment opportunities The government has made many laws to aid women in securing employment and giving status to them. Some of these laws are Anti-MTP and Anti-Sati. Equal rightsTo enable equal rights and opportunities for girls, the government has put many rules into place. This is the governments effort to open doors for a better future for girls. Education statusThe government has created a five-year plan to overlook the Education status of Indias Backward States. Operation BlackboardThe government has made the Operation Blackboard in which Higher Education is provided to all teachers. This is done to improve the quality of education that is given to students.Balwadi crechesNumerous Balwadi creches have been opened for looking after babies and taking them to primary schools. This is another initiative taken by the government.Self-Help Groups and SHGFor the betterment of the lives of rural girls, the government has inaugurated Self Help Groups and SHG. Open Learning SystemThe Open Learning System has been introduced with the efforts of making things easier for the girls of backward classes.This program ensures that all girls are provided with an equal platform to learn regardless of their cast. Schemes like this will add to the quality of the lives of girls in India. Females account for 48.4% of Indias population. Therefore, it is important to make sure that they are given a fair chance to contribute to the success of India.
