It’s been over a decade since Prime Minister Narendra Modi ignited ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’ on January 22, 2015, turning it from a Gujarat blueprint into India’s most impactful social campaign. This 11-year milestone highlights how targeted interventions can rewrite the story of girls’ education nationwide.
Flashback to 2001: Modi assumes office as Gujarat CM amid a crisis. Female literacy at 57.80%, dropout rates at 38.92%, and basic facilities like girls’ toilets absent in 42,000 schools. His response? Launch ‘Kanya Kelavni’ for awareness and ‘Shala Praveshotsav’ for mass enrollments, focusing first on changing parental attitudes.
The execution was hands-on and relentless. Amid blistering heat, Modi led annual door-to-door campaigns across thousands of villages. Over 600 top bureaucrats joined, dedicating three summer days solely to escorting girls to school. They visited homes, sat with families, and made emotional pleas: ‘Your daughter’s education is our shared future.’
Parallel investments poured in: 42,371 dedicated toilet blocks, 58,463 classrooms, and electrification of 22,758 schools in just seven years. Modi led by example, selling his gifts and donating his salary. School admissions became carnivals – parades, music, village-wide festivities welcoming girls to class.
Support extended beyond infrastructure. Economic aid reached 55,181 girls via Kanya Kelavni, preventing dropouts. Bonds for 8th-grade continuity, tablets for higher education aspirants (3,545 distributed), and bicycles for millions via Saraswati Yojana eased access.
Outcomes spoke volumes: Literacy jumped 13 points to 70.73%, dropouts crashed to 7.08%. Gujarat’s model didn’t just fix numbers; it reshaped culture. Now a national juggernaut, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao exemplifies how visionary governance, coupled with public participation, can uplift generations of girls.
