National Girl Child Day with the theme of BBBP celebrated

The Ministry of Women & Child Development celebrated the National Girl Child Day at a special function in New Delhi. The theme of the program was Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao.

The National Plan of Action for Children, 2016 was also released followed by addresses by Smt. Maneka Sanjay Gandhi, Minister of WCD; Secretary WCD, Ms. Leena Nair and Secretary, Department of Food and Public Distribution, Smt. Preeti Sudan. Special addresses were given by eminent speakers including Ms. Deepa Malik (Silver medalist at Rio Paralympics 2016), Ms Avani Chaturvedi (Women Fighter Pilot), Ms Arunima Sinha (First women amputee to climb Mount Everest) and Ms Shanno (former street girl and advisor of Balaknama newspaper, for and by street children).

Addressing the participants, Smt Maneka Sanjay Gandhi said that the BBBP program has done very well across the country especially in the State of Haryana. The Minister said that the parents have to ensure health, education and success of their daughters as well as contribute to the development of their talents. Narrating the experience of her own life, the Minister said that it is the parents especially the mother who can help girls become ‘arrows into the future’.

Secretary WCD, Ms. Leena Nair said that the Ministry of WCD has launched the flagship program BBBP to check the adverse sex ratio by changing the mindset of the people. Not only this, the WCD Ministry is putting in all efforts to address the issues related to nutrition of girls and violence against girls/women. It is the endeavour of the Ministry to get over the problem of stunting/wasting among children by 2020, she said

Winners of quiz competition organized across various Kendriya Vidyalaya schools in Delhi on the theme of “Empowerment of Girl Child” were also rewarded today. The occasion was also marked by felicitation of the districts under the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao scheme for their exemplary performance. The following districts have been felicitated under the categories as mentioned below:-

The event culminated by regional performances in Hindi, Punjabi, Rajasthani and Malayalam languages by professional troupes of Song and Drama Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India.