National Girl Child Day is celebrated annually on the 24th of January in India, with the goal of creating awareness about the declining Child Sex Ratio (CSR) and promoting a more positive environment for valuing the girl child. The Ministry of Women and Child Development presided over the 2019 celebrations in Delhi, choosing “Empowering Girls for a Brighter Tomorrow” as the year’s theme. The occasion also marked the 4th anniversary of the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) scheme.
The Need for the BBBP Scheme
The decrease in the number of girls per 1,000 boys aged between 0-6 years—known as the Child Sex Ratio (CSR)—has been a persistent issue in India since 1961. It dropped from 945 in 1991 to 927 in 2001, and further down to 918 in 2011, highlighting a major disempowerment of women in society. CSR symbolizes both pre-birth discrimination, made evident through gender-biased sex selection, and post-birth bias against girls.
Declining Child Sex Ratio: Causes
Two core reasons account for the decline in CSR. One is the deep-rooted social construct that favors boys over girls. Secondly, the easy access, affordability, and subsequent misuse of diagnostic tools facilitating sex-discrimination contribute substantially to this issue.
Introducing the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Initiative
In response to this situation, the Indian government launched the BBBP initiative to ensure the survival, protection, and empowerment of the girl child. Conducted via a national campaign, the initiative focuses on multi-sectoral action in 100 districts with low CSR across all states and Union Territories. This joint effort involves the Ministry of Women and Child Development, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, and Ministry of Human Resource Development. The core objectives include preventing gender-biased sex-selective elimination, ensuring the survival and protection of the girl child, and guaranteeing the education and participation of girls.
| Year | Child Sex Ratio |
|---|---|
| 1991 | 945 |
| 2001 | 927 |
| 2011 | 918 |
Standardizing Bio-Jet Fuel for Aviation
In a separate move, to use bio-jet fuel for all military and civilian aircraft the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), in collaboration with the Indian Air Force and the oil industry, established new standards for Aviation Turbine Fuels (ATF). This move aligns India’s standards with current international ones and is a significant step towards reducing carbon emissions and making India a green fuel production hub.
Increased demand for bio-jet fuel would also spur the collection of tree-borne non-edible oil seeds, creating additional income for tribal and marginalized farmers, and encouraging cultivation and collection of oilseeds. This step aligns with the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), which aims to control increases in total CO2 emissions from international aviation above 2020 levels.
International Civil Aviation Organization
The ICAO, a specialized agency of the United Nations, was established in 1944 to manage the administration and governance of the Convention on International Civil Aviation (Chicago Convention).