Govt of India "ignores" Gujarat in best practices book on Beti Bachao Beti Padhao scheme, launched by Modi

Modi launching Beti Bachao Beti Padhao: Jan 2015

By A Representative
The Government of India, at least its Ministry of Women and Child Development, does not seem to think that there is anything to celebrate about implementation of the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) scheme in Gujarat, launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi from the historic battleground of Panipat in Haryana on January 22, 2015.
A propaganda book released by the Ministry, titled “Beti Bachao Beti Padhao: Journey So Far – Celebrating the Girl Child & Enabling her Education”, enumerates “initiatives across BBBP districts which have been effective in involving communities and helping change mindsets in favour of women and girls”, to quote minister Maneka Gandhi.
In the list of 100 districts for the BBBP scheme, initially identified as “gender critical” because of low child ratio, Gujarat had five – Surat, Mehsana, Gandhinagar, Ahmedabad, Rajkot. Later, 61 other districts were added in the BBBP scheme. In this list Gujarat's four other districts were included – Anand, Amreli, Patan and Bhavnagar.
The BBBP districts were chosen, to quote from the book, because either the child sex ratio was below the national average, 918 girls against 1000 boys, or because they showed a declining trend. None of the nine Gujarat districts chosen, however, had the sex ratio above 891 (Bhavnagar).

BBBP Gujarat districts: Sex ratio

In all, as many as 20 states have been chosen in order to showcase how their districts' “interventions have been locally designed and are innovative examples of BBBP being implemented in the context of local realities”, says Gandhi, adding, they will provide an “opportunity for cross learning among districts as well as serve inspiration … to work towards the goals of BBBP.”

Gujarat, interestingly, does not find mention in the list of 20 states where “innovative interventions” under BBBP have taken place, despite the fact that nearly one-third (nine) of its districts fall under the BBBP scheme. The BBBP districts of all three neighbouring states, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, find their place in the list of best practices/interventions.
The book says in its introduction, the innovative local initiatives presented in the compendium reflect the efforts of “district and state administration to challenge stereotypes and the culture of discrimination against women and girls across the country”.

Districts chosen by ministry

It underlines, “Advocacy activities include celebrating the birth of girl children, workshops on gender issues, transformation of traditional son-centric customs to make them gender neutral, encouraging educational and other extracurricular achievements of girls, recognition of local champions, and so on.”
A matrix, based on which the best practices appear to have been compiled, are interventions at three levels – village, block/panchayat and district. While no marks have been given to compare interventions, in all 14 different “actionable points” at each of the three levels have been taken into account for “coordinated actions”. It is not known why not one good practice could be found in any of the nine Gujarat districts forming part of BBBP.
It is also not known whether the omission of Gujarat was because of the failure of the state government's women and child department – at a time when the state has the first women chief minister, Anandiben Patel – to submit any of the best practices to the Union ministry of women and child.
The introduction says, as a postscript, that the “best practices and innovations” have been compiled on the basis of the “information received from these the states/ union territories”.

Comments

Wave of disappearances sparks human rights fears for activists in Delhi

By Harsh Thakor* A philosophy student from Zakir Hussain College, Delhi University, and an activist associated with Nazariya magazine, Rudra, has been reported missing since the morning of July 19, 2025. This disappearance adds to a growing concern among human rights advocates regarding the escalating number of detentions and disappearances of activists in Delhi.

How community leaders overcome obstacles to protect forests and pastures in remote villages

By Bharat Dogra Dheera Ram Kapaya grew up in such poverty that, unable to attend school himself, he would carry another boy’s heavy school bag for five kilometers just to get a scoop of daliya (porridge). When he was finally able to attend school, he had to leave after class five to join other adolescent workers. However, as soon as opportunities arose, he involved himself in community efforts—promoting forest protection, adult literacy, and other constructive initiatives. His hidden talent for writing emerged during this time, and he became known for the songs and street play scripts he created to promote forest conservation, discourage child marriages, and support other social reforms.

‘Act of war on agriculture’: Aruna Rodrigues slams GM crop expansion and regulatory apathy

By Rosamma Thomas* Expressing appreciation to the Union Agriculture Minister for inviting suggestions from farmers and concerned citizens on the sharp decline in cotton crop productivity, Aruna Rodrigues—lead petitioner in the Supreme Court case ongoing since 2005 that seeks a moratorium on genetically modified (GM) crops—wrote to Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on July 14, 2025, stating that conflicts of interest have infiltrated India’s regulatory system like a spreading cancer, including within the Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR).

Overriding India's constitutional sovereignty? Citizens urge PM to reject WHO IHR amendments

By A Representative A group of concerned Indian citizens, including medical professionals and activists, has sent an urgent appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to reject proposed amendments to the International Health Regulations (IHR) before the ratification deadline of July 19, 2025.

The GMO illusion: Three decades of hype, harm, and false hope

By Sridhar Radhakrishnan Three decades of hype, billions of dollars spent, and still no miracle crop. It's time to abandon the GMO biotech fairy tale and return to the soil, the seed, and the farmer. “Trust us,” they said. “GMOs will feed the world.” Picture a world where there is plenty of food, no hunger, fields grow without chemical pesticides, children are saved from malnutrition, and people live healthily.

Sandra Gonzalez Sanabria: An inspiring life from Colombia’s Amazonian valley

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat* In the village of Héctor Ramírez, known as Agua Bonita, in La Montañita, Caquetá, Colombia, a vision of peace and renewal is unfolding. In the pre-2016 period, this would have been nearly impossible for outsiders to visit, as it was the epicenter of violent resistance against state oppression. However, after the Peace Accord was signed between the Colombian government and former revolutionaries—marking the end of a 70-year insurgency that claimed over 400,000 lives until 2025, including civilians, rebel fighters, and security personnel—things began to change. Visiting Agua Bonita during the Global Land Forum in Bogotá revealed a village of hope and resilience. Former FARC revolutionaries have settled here and transformed the village into a center of peace and aspiration.

Indigenous Karen activist calls for global solidarity amid continued struggles in Burma

By A Representative At the International Festival for People’s Rights and Struggles (IFPRS), Naw Paw Pree, an Indigenous Karen activist from the Karen Human Rights Group (KHRG), shared her experiences of oppression, resilience, and hope. Organized with the support of the International Indigenous Peoples Movement for Self-Determination and Liberation (IPMSDL), the event brought together Indigenous and marginalized communities from across the globe, offering a rare safe space for shared learning, solidarity, and expression.

Activists allege abduction and torture by Delhi Police Special Cell in missing person probe

By A Representative A press statement released today by the Campaign Against State Repression (CASR) alleges that several student and social activists have been abducted, illegally detained, and subjected to torture by the Delhi Police Special Cell. The CASR claims these actions are linked to an investigation into the disappearance of Vallika Varshri, an editorial team member of 'Nazariya' magazine.

India’s zero-emission, eco-friendly energy strategies have a long way to go, despite impressive progress

By N.S. Venkataraman* The recent report released by OPEC’s World Oil Outlook 2025 has predicted that by the year 2050, crude oil would replace coal as India’s key energy source. Clearly, OPEC expects that India’s dependence on fossil fuels for energy will continue to remain high in one form or another.

Search This Blog