Gandhinagar, Jan 29 The 'Vahali Dikari Yojana', which roughly translates to Dear Daughter Scheme, has benefitted over 2.78 lakh girls with financial assistance exceeding Rs 3,000 crore since its launch in 2019, according to official data shared by the Gujarat government on Wednesday.
"Former Chief Minister Narendra Modi kickstarted initiatives like the "Kanya Kelavni Mahotsav" to boost girls' education in the state, and today, Minister for Women and Child Welfare Bhanu Ben Babariya continues to champion these efforts. The 'Vahali Dikari Yojana' has gained widespread participation over the years," the officials said.
In the academic year 2019-20, 12,622 daughters enrolled under the scheme, followed by 32,042 in 2020-21, 69,903 in 2021-22, 55,433 in 2022-23, 67,012 in 2023-24, and 41,649 in 2024-25.
"Since its launch on August 2, 2019, the scheme has been available to all daughters born as the first, second, or third child in a family. To further ensure inclusivity, the scheme is available to families with an annual income of 2 lakh or less. Under the initiative, eligible daughters receive a total of 1,10,000 in three instalments," the officials shared.
The first instalment of Rs 4,000 is provided when a daughter enters the first grade, followed by the second instalment of Rs 6,000 when she enters the ninth grade.
The final instalment of 1,00,000 is provided when the daughter turns 18, supporting her education or marriage. Families can apply for the scheme through the District Women and Child Welfare Officer's office or by submitting an online application via the Gram Panchayat Village Computer Entrepreneur (VCE) portal.
Such schemes are required as, according to the 2011 Census, Gujarat's overall sex ratio stood at 918 females per 1,000 males.
Districts such as Dangs and Tapi reported higher ratios of 1,007 and 1,000, respectively, indicating a more balanced gender distribution.
Recent data on the sex ratio at birth reveals fluctuations.
In 2020, Gujarat's sex ratio at birth was 877 females per 1,000 males, showing an increase from 870 in 2019. However, this figure remains below the national average of 898.
Despite improvements in female education, dropout rates among girls remain a concern.
The National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) conducted between 2019 and 2021 indicates that only 45 per cent of girls who began education in Class 1 in Gujarat reached Class 12, resulting in a 55 per cent dropout rate. In comparison, 59 per cent of boys completed their education up to Class 12, with a 41 per cent dropout rate.
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