There is no doubt ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padao’ has been picked up well by the country men, if the high percentage of girl child education is an any indicator. Even a state like Jammu and Kashmir has figured in the top five states in the girl child education. The list is headed by Kerala with 97 per cent followed by Maharashtra 95, Tamil Nadu 94.3, Telengana 94.3 and Jammu and Kashmir with 93.7 per cent. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s own state Gujarat fares poor as the second last in the category considered as one of the most developed and advanced state in the country. As far as bottom players are concerned Rajasthan leads with 72.1 per cent, Gujarat 73.4, Odisha 75.3, Madhya Pradesh 79.2, Uttar Pradesh 79.4. Despite the high-level push, however , even states termed backward have performed better than Gujarat. It looks the much touted ‘Beti Padao, Beti Bachao’ , Modi’s creation to propagate girl child education has failed to attract the targeted segment. This could be judged from the high rate of dropouts in higher classes in Gujarat. At least Jammu and Kashmir has been able to arrest this malady despite all its social reservations and poor educational infrastructure in rural and far off areas. Thanks to former Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed-led PDP-BJP Government, the girl child is no more a so-called burden in the State. The Mufti government introduced Laadli scheme which aims to make daughters the new mascot of pride and prosperity. Under the scheme government will deposit Rs 1,000 every month in the bank accounts of the girls born to the parents with annual income upto Rs 75,000, till the age of 14 years thus providing the much needed financial support. Earlier in 2010, the National Conference-Congress Government had introduced two schemes for girl students belonging to economically deprived sections of the State. The ‘Girl Child Scheme’ and ‘Means-cum-Merit Scholarship Scheme’ announced by the State Government on the eve of Gandhi Jayanti was targeted to economically weaker sections of the society. In J&K it looks the message to educate the girl child seems to have gone well with the locals.
