Strengthening HER Future: Evaluating Women Centric Policies
Authors:
Priyanka Patil
Surbhi Baid
Abhishek Singh
Shagun Malik
Sudhi Mahajan
Shruti Yadav
Introduction
In charting a new growth story, India is transitioning from women’s development to “Women -led development”. Women empowerment is the progression of women and accepting and including them in the decision-making process. It also means providing them with equal opportunities for growth and development in society, and disapproving gender bias. Women are a vital part of Indian society. Also, they are the most vulnerable section. The government has implemented various schemes to promote their well-being and upliftment. From financial independence to access to education, healthcare, and safety, these women-centric schemes seek to break down barriers and create an environment where women can thrive.
This article explores some of the key government programs that aim to empower women, highlighting their impact and the progress made towards achieving gender equality in India.
Beti Bachao Beti Padhao scheme
“The Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) “scheme was launched in 2015 to combat gender discrimination, improve the declining child sex ratio, and promote girls’ education. Over the years, it has fostered positive societal change, increased awareness and mobilizing communities. The scheme operates through a multi-sectoral approach involving key ministries to ensure holistic development. Despite successes, challenges such as budget misallocation, inadequate oversight, and weak coordination persist.
Reviewing the implementation of BBBP scheme
According to NITI Aayog’s evaluation, BBBP has significantly mobilized communities, fostered good practices, and increased awareness. The scheme works through community engagement to prevent sex selection at birth, promote girls’ education, and support their overall development.
BBBP operates via Multi-Sectoral Interventions, requiring collaboration between ministries like Women & Child Development, Education, and Health & Family Welfare, ensuring policy convergence and coordinated action.
Improvement in Various Indicators and Scheme Implementation:
(i) Sex Ratio at Birth (SRB): Increased from 918 (2014-15) to 933 (2022-23), indicating success in reducing female foeticide and promoting gender equality.
(ii) District-Level Improvement in SRB: Out of 640 districts covered under BBBP, 422 districts showed improvement in SRB from 2014-15 to 2018-19.
(iii) Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER): Enrolment of girls in secondary education increased from 75.51% (2014-15) to 79.4% (2021-22), signifying a positive impact on female education.
(iv) School Infrastructure: Schools with separate, functional toilets for girls rose from 92.1% (2014-15) to 97.4% (2022-23), ensuring better hygiene and school attendance.
(v) Maternal Health Awareness: First-trimester ANC registration increased from 61% (2014-15) to 71% (2019-20), indicating better healthcare access.
(vi) Institutional Deliveries: Increased from 87% (2014-15) to 94% (2019-20), ensuring safer childbirth.
(vii) Community Engagement: Display of BBBP logos on Haryana Roadways buses, bus tickets, and government/private school buildings.
(viii) Beti Janmotsav Celebrations: Conducted in each district to celebrate the birth of a girl child.
(ix) Awareness Programs: Organized 76,167 rallies at village, block, and district levels. Twelve mobile vans with audio-visual aids operate across 20 BBBP districts.
(x) Impact on Gender Perception: The scheme has successfully engaged communities in challenging traditional biases against the girl child.
Key Implementation Challenges:
1. Budgetary Gaps and Misallocation of Funds
A significant portion of the scheme’s funds has been misallocated, with 78.91% of INR 446.7 crore (2016-19) spent on media campaigns rather than direct interventions in education and healthcare.
The scheme allocated INR 50 lakh per district for six key components (awareness, innovation, intersectoral consultation, capacity building, monitoring, and education/health interventions), but most funds remained underutilized.
Out of the INR 622.48 crore released to states, only INR 156.46 crore (25.13%) was actually spent, indicating poor fund disbursement and implementation.
2. Lack of Oversight and Monitoring
A 2017 report by the Comptroller & Auditor General (CAG) highlighted severe lapses in fund utilization and monitoring in states like Punjab and Haryana.
Haryana: From INR 8.08 crore released (2015-16), only INR 5.31 crore was spent. The required quarterly district-level review meetings were not conducted, affecting program monitoring.
Punjab: Of the INR 6.36 crore allocated (2014-16), only INR 0.91 crore was utilized, leading to ineffective implementation in 11 districts and failure in 9 districts.
Schools in Haryana were supposed to receive INR 15 lakh in rewards, but only INR 1 lakh was distributed, highlighting non-compliance with program guidelines.
3. Overemphasis on Media Campaigns Over Core Interventions
A large percentage of funds was directed toward media promotions instead of critical grassroots interventions. The fund distribution was as follows:
43% for national-level media campaigns.
4% for district-level media campaigns.
27% for community outreach and awareness.
Only 5% each for education and healthcare-related interventions.
5% for district-level capacity building.
1% for central-level training.
The imbalance in fund allocation reduced the scheme’s impact on improving gender equity and female literacy rates, as the majority of spending focused on advocacy rather than direct action.
4. Inefficiencies in State-Level Implementation
The BBBP scheme requires coordination between three ministries:
Ministry of Women and Child Development (MoWCD)
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW)
Ministry of Human Resource Development (MoHRD)
However, weak interdepartmental collaboration has led to delays in fund allocation, poor coordination in implementation, and ineffective monitoring.
Recommendations:
Prioritize Direct Interventions Over Media Campaigns
The overemphasis on media campaigns should be curtailed, and resources should be reallocated towards strengthening interventions that directly contribute to gender equity. Enhance investments in awareness-building activities at the district level to ensure that the community receives accurate and actionable information on the benefits of the scheme.
Enhance Inter-Departmental Coordination
Address the weak inter-departmental coordination between key ministries, such as the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MoWCD), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), and Ministry of Human Resource Development (MoHRD). Create a dedicated inter-ministerial task force to coordinate all activities under the BBBP scheme, ensuring that each ministry plays a proactive role in addressing specific issues.
Improve Financial Planning and Allocation
State governments should be given specific, performance-based targets with clear guidelines for utilizing funds. Shift from a blanket allocation to a needs-based allocation to each state or district, based on their demographics and existing challenges related to female empowerment.
Foster Local Ownership and Empowerment
Empower local communities and stakeholders (e.g., local government bodies, schools, healthcare institutions) by involving them in the planning and execution of the scheme. Ensure that local task forces are formed at the district and sub-district levels, consisting of local stakeholders, to take charge of monitoring the implementation of the scheme.
Conduct Comprehensive Evaluations and Research
Conduct regular impact evaluations of the scheme to assess its effectiveness and identify areas for improvement. Partner with research organizations and universities to carry out long-term evaluations of the scheme’s social impact on gender equality and female literacy.
II. The Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY)
It is a centrally sponsored direct benefit transfer scheme introduced in 2017. It is a national level maternity benefit program implemented by the Ministry of Women and Child Development. The scheme offers a cash benefit of Rs. 5000 to new mothers and pregnant women aged 19 years or more for first child birth.
PMMVY provides cash assistance to expectant and lactating mothers experiencing loss of earnings due
to childbirth. The scheme promotes institutional deliveries, antenatal care, and immunization, hence ensuring a decline in infant and maternal mortality.
It also advocates for good practices like early registration of pregnancy, exclusive breastfeeding, and complementary feeding, which are needed to improve the nutrition of mother and child. In addressing mental health, child health, gender equity, and poverty eradication, the government attempts to attain the sustainable development objectives.
Challenges in PMMVY:
However, in India, owing to the lack of awareness that many eligible women do not know about this scheme.
There are delays in transferring funds to beneficiaries because of problems such as incomplete Aadhar linkage or wrong bank details.
This scheme also leaves out some groups, such as women with more than two children or those who do not suffer wage loss, and excludes many who might be in need.
Recommendations for better implementation:
It is necessary to concentrate on a number of important areas to increase its impact and effectiveness.
First, awareness and outreach for the scheme must be enhanced.
Second, simplification of the payment process is crucial to facilitate timely and hassle-free disbursement of the cash incentive.
Third, the coverage of the scheme needs to be widened to cover a larger population.
Fourth, increasing the cash amount is imperative to cover the extra expenses and nutritional needs of the beneficiaries suitably.
These steps can further enhance PMMVY’s contribution to promoting maternal and child
health and a dignified life for women and children throughout India.
III. Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojna
Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) are often referred to as the backbone of the Indian economy, play an indispensable role in fostering economic growth by contributing about 45% to India’s exports. Women entrepreneurs are making remarkable strides in this space- making up about 14% of entrepreneurs and owning over 20.37% of all MSMEs. Among the various initiatives in place that are aimed at supporting women entrepreneurs, the Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana stands out, working in tandem with other schemes to fuel the growth of MSMEs, and to meet the sector’s credit needs.It is indeed no surprise that before the inception of the PMMY in 2015, women relied heavily on moneylenders and informal credit sources that offered loans at exorbitant rates of interest. As a result, they often found themselves trapped in cycles of high-interest rate debt, which not only stifled their economic independence but also hindered their long-term entrepreneurial growth. The Mudra Yojana changed that by providing collateral free loans up to 20 lakhs, particularly aiming to empower and uplift women.What sets this scheme apart is its inclusivity- it caters new entrepreneurs and the established ones alike, offering loans in three categories:
Shishu(up to ₹50,000)
Kishor (₹50,000 to ₹5 lakh)
Tarun (₹5 lakh to ₹10 lakh)
These loans can be availed through a number of sources, be it the scheduled commercial banks, the small finance banks or even the micro-finance institutions.Reports indicate that over the last decade, about 30 crore loans have been given to women entrepreneurs, with a majority of them falling under the Shishu category. For many women, these loans have been more than just financial assistance- they have been a stepping stone, helping them set up small businesses in the form of tailoring units, food catering, boutiques or beauty parlours, with minimal investment.
Challenges in implementation:
Though it is undeniable that the scheme has significantly improved the lives of entrepreneurs, turning their once unattainable endeavours, so as to speak, into reality, but is all well within the scheme? Certainly not.Experts suggest that the scheme has brought with itself a higher number of Non Performing Assets (NPAs)-, loans that borrowers fail to repay- posing financial risks to banks. This can be attributed mainly to the lack of financial literacy among the entrepreneurs, unstable cash inflows, and over borrowing. Another factor is that while business owners gain access to capital, a major proportion of recipients continue to lack essential skills in the fields of accounting or business planning.
There have been several cases where borrowings have been made to pay off old debts, and thus ensuring that Mudra loans are utilised for the right purpose has been a persistent challenge. Another shortcoming is the fact that the average loan size hovers around 50,000 to 1 lakh, implying that while setting up a business may have become more convenient, its expansion and diversification still remains a question. Lastly, another hurdle comes forward in the form of fraud. The easy collateral free money has been known to attract dishonest individuals, where loans have been taken for non-existent enterprises or even misused for personal gains.
Recommendations
To conclude all that has been stated so far, the scheme is a slippery slope that can take you to the heights. The scheme is not perfect, there are many shortcomings that need to be addressed through adequate monitoring machinery, better regulations and a stronger support system yet it’s a catalyst in the economic and entrepreneurial growth of women.
Conclusion
Women are an integral part of human lives; without their development and upliftment we can’t imagine ourselves as sophisticated and developed members of society. Women require a safe, supportive environment that encourages their empowerment in order to achieve this. The importance of empowered women increases as India anticipates reaping the benefits of its demographic share. Through various initiatives focused on education, healthcare, financial inclusion, and skill development, governments and organizations aim to bridge the gender gap and provide women with opportunities to lead independent and fulfilling lives. Proper awareness about the schemes and policies should not be restricted to papers only but the implementation should be there so that every woman can be familiar with her rights. Moving forward, a multi-stakeholder approach involving the government, private sector, and civil society is necessary to create an inclusive and sustainable ecosystem for women’s empowerment.
References
1. Parliamentary Committee Report (2021), Heena Vijaykumar Gavit https://prsindia.org/mptrack/17-lok-sabha/heena-vaijaykumar-gavit
2. Comptroller & Auditor General of India (CAG) Report, https://www.dailypioneer.com/2017/state-editions/cag-finds-anomalies-in-beti-bachao-beti-padhao-scheme.html
3. Ministry of Women and Child Development (MoWCD), Government of https://wcd.gov.in/
4. The Impact of the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) Initiative on the Lives of Girl Children in Dharmapuri https://www.seejph.com/index.php/seejph/article/view/3046/2052
5. Press Release https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2094929
6. IndiaBrandEquityFoundation https://www.ibef.org/government-schemes/beti-bachao-beti-padhao
7. Women and Child Development Department https://wcdhry.gov.in/schemes-for-women/beti-bachao-beti-padhao/
8. Annual Report of Ministry of Women and Child Development https://wcd.gov.in/public/documents/uploaded/1732020683.pdf
9. Details of Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana
https://wcd.delhi.gov.in/wcd/pradhan-mantri-matru-vandana-yojana-pmmvy
10. Report on PMMVY
https://mahilawfh.rajasthan.gov.in/public/images/PMMVY%20GuideLine-08122017.pdf
11. Mudra Yojana is a mission or a mess?:
https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/mudra-yojana-is-a-mission-or-mess-5-point-fact-checker-1244538-2018-05-29
12. Impact Assessment of the PMMY
https://www.niti.gov.in/sites/default/files/2024-08/Assessment%20of%20PMMY_Final%20Report.pdf
