July 18
Despite spending large amount of money, Beti Bachao Beti Padao, a central sponsored scheme has made no significant impact on girl education in Pulwama.
The Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Scheme (BBBPS) is a flagship programme run by the central government to ensure the survival, protection and education of the girl child, however the scheme which has completed its four years in District Pulwama in March this has failed to make any positive impact on ground.
The target of increasing girls’ enrolment in schools and achieving 100% re-enrolment of girls who had dropped is surprisingly showing decreasing trend in Pulwama district.
Data released by programme officer integrated child development (ICDS) scheme, which runs BBBP scheme in Pulwama revealed that admissions of girl students at primary level has shown a decreasing trend for last two years.
The data states that in different schools of Pulwama district around 18428 girls were admitted at primary level for year 2016 while as in year 2017 only 18244 girls took admission at primary level.
Data further revealed that there were 181 girl admissions were less in year 2017 as composed to year 2016 registering decrease of one percent.
The drop out rate from primary to middle level has also increased in 2017. The ICDS data reveals that in 2017 the drop rate from primary to middle level increased from 38 to 58.
For two consecutive years starting from 2016, separate toilet facilities for girls showed no change in middle and secondary schools while as for this period only two new toilets were constructed exclusively for girls at primary level.
The BBBP scheme has a major thrust on education of girl child and envisages celebrations of new girl admissions in schools, felicitation of meritorious girl students and construction of separate toilets for girls among other activities.
Many residents blamed ICDS for running defocused activities instead of spending upon above mentioned parameters.
“They run awareness campaign in and around Pulwama town and don’t bother to go to villages,” Aijaz Ahmad, a resident of Pulwama told The Kashmiriyat, adding that due to defocused activities goals remained unachieved. He also said that lack of separate toilets is also a cause for drop -outs and decrease in admissions.
He further added that the lack of policy implementation, diversion of funds and the failure of monitoring mechanisms are some of the reasons for the failure of the BBBPS.
Locals while speaking to The Kashmiriyat demanded that to achieve the objectives of the scheme, the government must ensure stricter enforcement of the policy guidelines and improve the monitoring mechanisms it employs.
The programme officer ICDS for Pulwama, Mohammad Ahsan Mir said that these parameters were important for them because they need to focus on these parameters.
“The issue of less admissions and drop out will be taken into next plan,” he said, adding that he would take up the issue of separate toilets for girls with concerned officers.