First, significant reality is more girls are staying in schools and entering higher education today. Financial inclusion seems to have expanded women’s access to banking and credit, strengthening livelihoods and economic independence. And better access to health, nutrition, sanitation, and clean cooking fuel has improved dignity and quality of life, investigation revealed.

Data accessed by JharkhandStateNews revealed that wimen are also becoming more visible in public and political spaces. Their participation in local governance, community institutions, and decision-making processes continues to grow.

Consider this.

Dignity at Birth: Protection and Early Childhood Care

Care at birth shapes the foundation of a child’s life and a mother’s well-being. Over the years, India has strengthened maternal and early childhood care through a combination of health services, nutrition support, and institutional delivery systems.

Beti Bachao Beti Padhao: A Decade of Empowering India's Daughters

Launched on 22nd January 2015, the scheme is an initiative of the Government. It aims to address the declining child sex ratio, prevent gender-biased sex selection, and promote the survival, protection, and education of the girl child.

The initiative focuses on improving institutional deliveries, increasing enrolment of girls in secondary education, reducing dropout rates, and strengthening antenatal care registration. It also promotes awareness on safe menstrual hygiene and management. The scheme has evolved into a national movement for girl child empowerment, focusing on mindset change and gender equality.

The scheme integrates strict enforcement of the PCPNDT (Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques) Act with sustained mass awareness efforts to challenge gender-biased social norms and drive behavioural change.The National Family Health Survey-5 (NFHS-5) marked a significant demographic shift in the sex ratio, recording 1,020 women up from 943 (Census 2011) for every 1,000 men in India’s population.

Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY)

Recognising the importance of maternal health and early childhood care, PMMVY was introduced in 2017. It is a maternity benefit scheme to support pregnant and lactating women.

Under the scheme, women receive ₹5,000 in two instalments for the first living child and ₹6,000 for the second child (girl child only). Payments are linked to key health milestones such as early registration, antenatal care, and immunisation.

Direct Benefit Transfers ensure timely support, with provisions for fresh eligibility in cases of miscarriage/stillbirth. The assistance also acts as partial wage compensation. This helps improve maternal well-being, promotes institutional care, and advances gender equity.

Key reach and coverage:

• Number of beneficiaries enrolled since inception: ₹4.92 crore (as on 30th April, 2026)
• Number of beneficiaries paid since scheme inception: ₹4.28 crore (as on 30th April, 2026)
• Total amount paid: ₹20,150 crore

Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA)

For pregnant women, timely medical care can make a noticeable difference between a safe, healthy pregnancy and one with serious health risks. Launched in 2016, PMSMA addresses this need by providing free and quality antenatal check-ups at government health facilities on the 9th of every month. The initiative focuses especially on women in the second and third trimesters. This enables early identification and management of high-risk pregnancies.

Key reach and coverage:

• Over 7.4 crore pregnant women examined under PMSMA scheme
• 8,812 Volunteers Registered
• Over 22 thousand facilities providing PMSMA services nationwide
• More than 6.85 crore antenatal check-ups conducted and 1.03 crore high-risk pregnancies identified for focused monitoring

• PMSMA additionally introduced digital tracking and follow-up support for high-risk pregnancies.
• This marks a significant reduction in Maternal Mortality Ratio to 88 per lakh live births (2021-2023), down from 130 (2014-15)

Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY)

 Janani Suraksha Yojana provides conditional cash assistance and community outreach under the National Health Mission. The scheme encourages facility-based deliveries among poor pregnant women, particularly those from BPL households and SC/ST communities, while ASHA workers help connect beneficiaries to healthcare services. Together, these efforts have increased institutional deliveries, improved access to maternal healthcare, and reduced risks associated with home deliveries.

Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (JSSK)

In 2014, the JSSK was extended to all antenatal & post-natal complications of pregnancy. Similar entitlements have been put in place for all sick newborns and infants (up to one year of age) accessing public health institutions for treatment. The key achievements of the programme are:

• JSSK beneficiaries in FY 2024-25: 1.99 crorepregnant women; 16.85 lakh sick infants

These investments show up in outcomes: 

• First-trimester antenatal care visits increased from 59% (NFHS-4, 2015-16) to 76.2% (NFHS-6, 2023-24).
• Nationally, the share of women completing four or more Antenatal Care (ANC) visits grew from 51% (2015-16) to 65.2% (2023-24).
• Institutional births have increased significantly from 79% (2015-16) to 90.6% (2023-24) at the national level.

Education, Skills and Aspirational Growth 

Since 2014, girls’ education has moved beyond basic access. The focus now is on continuity, progression, and meaningful outcomes across stages. More girls are staying in school, moving into higher education and acquiring valuable skills. 

This transition is anchored in the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. The policy addresses structural barriers that earlier limited girls’ educational journeys. Gender inclusion is embedded as a core principle across the education system. 

• The Gender Inclusion Fund enables targeted support for disadvantaged girls
• Flexible learning pathways reduce dropouts and support continued participation
• Multidisciplinary options allow girls to pursue diverse academic interests

School & Foundational Education

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Samagra Shiksha and Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas

Launched in 2018–19, Samagra Shiksha adopts a holistic approach to school education. It integrates learning from pre-primary to Class XII under one comprehensive framework. The scheme has strengthened access, infrastructure, digital learning, and student retention across the school system.

For girls, these improvements are especially important. Nearby schools, functional toilets, safe classrooms, trained teachers, and residential support all influence whether girls’ education continues beyond the early years.

• In 2024–25, India had 14.71 lakh schools, 1.01 croreteachers, and 24.69 crore students. The female enrolment has increased from 1.57 crore (32%) in 2014-15 to 11.93 crore (48%) today.
• Between 2018–19 and 2025–26, over 4,073 schoolswere upgraded. More than 1.49 lakh ICT and digital learning initiatives, including smart classrooms, were supported. Skill education also expanded steadily. The number of schools providing vocational courses covered increased from 9,477 to 25,000, helping students gain early exposure.

School conditions today are far more supportive for girls. In 2024–25:

• 99.3% schools had access to drinking water. In 2014-15, 95.72% of the schools had a drinking water facility
• 97.3% schools had functional girls’ toilets. In 2014-15, 92.09% of the schools had separate girls' toilet facility
• 93.6% schools had electricity 
• 89.5% schools had libraries 

Continuity in schooling has also improved over time. Dropout rates have declined significantly across primary and secondary levels. 

Within this strengthened system, Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas (KGBVs) provide targeted support for girls who require residential schooling. They are part of the Samagra Shiksha framework and focus on girls from socio-economically disadvantaged groups such as SCs, STs, OBCs and others—especially in educationally backward blocks. Covering classes VI–XII, these residential schools provide a supportive environment for girls to learn and progress from elementary to higher secondary education. 

The scale and reach of KGBVs are significant:

• Functional KGBV schools increased from 4,996 (2022) to 5,316 (2026)
• Enrolment increased from 6.07 lakh (2020–21) to 7.58 lakh (2025–26)