Important Facts For Prelims
National Girl Child Day 2026
- 27 Jan 2026
- 6 min read
Why in News?
National Girl Child Day is observed annually on 24th January, serving as a critical platform to reaffirm India's commitment to eradicating gender discrimination and accelerating girls' empowerment through holistic development.
What is National Girl Child Day?
- About: Initiated in 2008 by the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD), the day serves as a platform to raise awareness about gender discrimination, promote equal opportunities, and foster an environment where girls can thrive as empowered citizens.
- The day highlights girls' rights, education, health, and nutrition, addressing issues like gender bias, female foeticide, and child marriage.
- Initiatives for Girl Child Development and their Outcomes:
|
Initiative |
Key Features |
Outcomes |
|
Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) |
Launched in 2015. Focus on preventing gender-biased sex selection, ensuring survival & protection, promoting education. Part of Mission Shakti’s ‘Sambal’ sub-scheme. |
Sex Ratio at Birth (SRB) rose from ~918 (2014-15) to 930 (2023-24). Increased girls’ enrolment in secondary education. |
|
Mission Shakti |
Umbrella scheme (2022) with two sub-schemes: Sambal (safety/security) & Samarthya (empowerment). Aims for life-cycle support. |
Ensures convergence of schemes like BBBP, One Stop Centres, Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana. |
|
Samagra Shiksha |
Integrated scheme for school education (pre-school to Class XII). Focus on bridging gender/social gaps, separate toilets, stipends, gender-sensitive teaching. |
Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) for girls at the secondary level reached 80.2% in 2024–25. 97.5% schools have girls’ toilets. |
|
Vigyan Jyoti (DST) |
Encourages girls in Classes IX-XII (especially rural) to pursue STEM via counselling, lab visits, workshops, etc. |
Supported 80,000+ meritorious girls across 300 districts in 35 States/UTs. |
|
Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006 & Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat campaign |
Prohibits child marriage; 2024 campaign aims for child marriage-free India by 2030. |
Legal backbone to prevent early marriage; campaign aims for 10% reduction in prevalence by 2026. |
|
Scheme for Adolescent Girls (SAG) |
For girls aged 14-18 years in Aspirational districts & North Eastern States. Provides nutrition (600 kcal/day, 18-20g protein and micronutrients for 300 days) & non-nutrition components (Iron-Folic Acid, health check-ups, skilling). |
24.08 lakh+ adolescent girls registered on Poshan Tracker (Dec 2024). |
|
Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana (SSY) |
Savings scheme for girl child’s education/marriage. Launched in 2015 as part of BBBP. |
Over 4.2 crore accounts opened (as of Nov 2024), promoting financial inclusion and long-term security. |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What is National Girl Child Day and when is it observed?
National Girl Child Day is observed annually on 24 January to promote the rights, education, health, safety, and welfare of girls in India.
2. What is the primary objective of Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP)?
BBBP (2015) aims to prevent gender-biased sex selection, ensure girls’ survival and protection, and promote girls’ education, contributing to improved SRB.
3. What is Mission Shakti and what are its sub-schemes?
Mission Shakti (2022) is an umbrella scheme with Sambal (safety/security) and Samarthya (empowerment), integrating interventions like BBBP, One Stop Centres, PMMVY, etc.
UPSC Civil Services Examination Previous Year Question (PYQ)
Q. Which of the following gives ‘Global Gender Gap Index’ ranking to the countries of the world? (2017)
(a) World Economic Forum
(b) UN Human Rights Council
(c) UN Women
(d) World Health Organization
Ans: (a)
Q. Two of the schemes launched by the Government of India for Women’s development are Swadhar and Swayam Siddha. As regards the difference between them, consider the following statements: (2010)
- Swayam Siddha is meant for those in difficult circumstances such as women survivors of natural disasters or terrorism, women prisoners released from jails, mentally challenged women etc., whereas Swadhar is meant for holistic empowerment of women through Self Help Groups.
- Swayam Siddha is implemented through Local Self Government bodies or reputed Voluntary Organizations whereas Swadhar is implemented through the ICDS units set up in the states.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Ans: (d)
