Decades of sex-selective abortion and son preference left India with one of the world's most skewed sex ratios at birth. Beti Bachao Beti Padhao ('Save the daughter, educate the daughter'), launched from Panipat, Haryana, in January 2015, was a three-ministry effort combining awareness campaigns, stricter enforcement of the ban on sex determination, and district-level targeting. The national sex ratio at birth rose from 918 in 2014-15 to about 933 by 2022-23.
Beti Bachao Beti Padhao
Beti Bachao Beti Padhao
India has long had a skewed sex ratio at birth, the result of sex-selective abortion and son preference. Beti Bachao Beti Padhao ('Save the daughter, educate the daughter'), launched in 2015 from Panipat in Haryana, combined stricter enforcement, awareness and district-level targeting. The national sex ratio at birth improved from 918 in 2014-15 to about 933 by 2022-23. The counter shows the sex ratio at birth.
918 → 933
Sex ratio at birth
834 → 923
Haryana child sex ratio
2015
Launched in Panipat
Sex ratio at birth
| Year | Sex ratio at birth |
|---|---|
| 2015 | 918 per 1,000 |
| 2016 | 919 per 1,000 |
| 2017 | 923 per 1,000 |
| 2018 | 927 per 1,000 |
| 2019 | 930 per 1,000 |
| 2020 | 932 per 1,000 |
| 2021 | 933 per 1,000 |
| 2022 | 933 per 1,000 |
| 2023 | 933 per 1,000 |
2015
0per 1,000
Sex ratio at birth
20152023
Since 2015
Added
+15 per 1,000
2015
918 per 1,000
2023
933 per 1,000
Why it matters A balanced sex ratio is both a marker and a driver of gender equality — deeply skewed ratios distort society, and reversing them signals real change in attitudes toward girls.
- Sex ratio at birth: 918 (2014-15) → ~933 (2022-23)
- Haryana's child sex ratio: 834 (2011) → 923 (2022)
- Source: Ministry of Women & Child Development / HMIS
History
Notable impact
The most striking turnaround came in Haryana, historically India's worst state for the child sex ratio, which improved from 834 (2011) to 923 (2022). The linked Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana savings scheme opened over 4 crore accounts for girls, and girls' school enrolment rose. The campaign shifted BBBP from pure advertising toward monitoring and behaviour change.
How it works
Beti Bachao Beti Padhao ('Save the daughter, educate the daughter') is mainly a mindset-change campaign, not a cash scheme. It combines strict enforcement of the law banning prenatal sex determination (the PC&PNDT Act) with relentless local awareness, and pairs this with concrete incentives to value girls — above all the Sukanya Samriddhi savings account, which gives parents a high-interest fund for a daughter's education and marriage.
Outlook
The headline metric has moved: the sex ratio at birth rose from 918 (2014-15) to 930 (2023-24), and girls' school enrolment has climbed. Progress is real but the work continues — the ratio is still below the natural range, son-preference persists, and early audits found too much money went on advertising. The next step is pairing awareness with real economic empowerment (jobs, property, safety) so daughters are valued in fact, not just slogan.
The road ahead
Progress is real but the work continues — the sex ratio has improved by about 15 points but is still skewed, so BBBP works best alongside girls' education, jobs, and firm enforcement of the PCPNDT Act.
By the numbers
Sex ratio at birth 918 (2014-15) → ~933 (2022-23). Haryana child sex ratio 834 (2011) → 923 (2022). Sukanya Samriddhi 4 crore+ accounts. Sources: Ministry of Women & Child Development, HMIS.
Source: Ministry of Women & Child Development / HMIS — sex ratio at birth (girls per 1,000 boys), 2015–2023.