 "Smriti Irani")
The Centre has spent Rs 393 crore since 2014 for advertising the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao scheme that aims to improve child sex ratio, the Ministry of Women and Child Development told Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.
According to data provided by Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani in the Upper House in reply to a query, Rs 96.71 lakh has been spent till September 17 in the financial year 2020-21 on advertisement or media advocacy of the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao scheme.
In 2019-20 fiscal, Rs 23.67 crore has been spent for the purpose. The government spent Rs 18.91 crore in 2014-15, Rs 24.54 crore in 2015-16, Rs 29.79 crore in 2016-17 and Rs 135.71 crore in 2017-18 and Rs 160 crore in 2018-19, according to the data.
Irani said the evaluation of Beti Bachao Beti Padhao scheme carried out by the National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) in August indicated a positive behavioural change towards the value of girl child.
"Sex Ratio at Birth (as per Health Management Information System of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare) has been set as a parameter for monitoring the progress of this scheme. Sex Ratio at Birth has shown an improvement of 16 points at National level from 918 (2014-15) to 934(2019-20)," she said in a written reply.
The Beti Bachao Beti Padhao scheme addresses issues relating to declining child sex ratio and aims to change the mindset of people to make them appreciate the value of girl child, Irani said.
It is a tri-ministerial, convergent effort of the Ministries of Women and Child Development, Health and Family Welfare, and Education, she added.
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