Beti Bachao Beti Padhao is one of the best-known government campaigns in India, yet many families are unsure what it actually gives them. Some think it pays cash for every girl child, while others cannot find an application form anywhere. The truth is simpler, and it is worth understanding before you search for forms that do not exist. This guide explains what Beti Bachao Beti Padhao is, what it does and does not provide, and which schemes for girls families can apply for.
What Is Beti Bachao Beti Padhao?
Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP), which means “save the daughter, educate the daughter”, was launched by the Prime Minister at Panipat in Haryana in January 2015. It is run jointly by the Ministry of Women and Child Development, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the Ministry of Education. Its starting point was a serious problem: in many districts the number of girls born for every 1,000 boys had fallen sharply, because of sex-selective abortion and the neglect of girls.
The scheme has three broad goals: to prevent gender-biased sex selection, to ensure the survival and protection of the girl child, and to ensure her education and participation.
Does Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Give Cash?
No. This is the most important thing to know. BBBP is mainly an awareness and administration programme. It does not pay money to an individual family and there is no personal application form. Its funds go to district authorities to run campaigns, train officials and improve services for girls. If someone offers to enrol you for a cash benefit under BBBP, or asks for a fee, be careful. It may be a fraud.
Cash benefits for girls come from other schemes, some run by the central government and some by state governments. Several of them are described later in this article.
How the Scheme Works
BBBP has two main parts:
- A national campaign. Advertising, social media, school programmes and community events are used to change attitudes toward girls and to publicise laws against sex selection.
- Work in selected districts. In districts with a low child sex ratio, officials from health, education and women and child development work together. They track births, check that pregnancy tests and scans are used lawfully, encourage girls’ enrolment in school, and improve toilets and facilities in schools.
The number of districts covered has grown since the start. Different sources give different counts, so check with your district office whether your district is among them.
Schemes for Girls You Can Actually Apply For
If you want practical financial support for a daughter, these are the schemes to look at. Each has its own rules, so please read the linked guide before you apply.
- Savings for her future: the Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana is a government-backed savings account for a girl child, which is often described as the savings partner of BBBP.
- Support during pregnancy and after birth: the PM Matru Vandana Yojana pays a maternity benefit, with an extra benefit if the second child is a girl.
- Scholarships for education: the National Scholarship Portal lists many scholarships for girls and for students from different categories.
- State schemes: many states run their own cash or savings schemes for girls at birth or at certain school stages. Ask at your Anganwadi centre or the district Women and Child Development office.
What Families Can Do Under the Spirit of the Scheme
- Register the birth. Get a birth certificate for every daughter. It is needed for school, savings accounts and many schemes.
- Keep girls in school. Enrol them early and help them continue after primary school, which is when many girls drop out.
- Use the Anganwadi. Anganwadi centres provide nutrition, health checks and early learning for young children.
- Open a bank account. A zero-balance account helps a family receive scholarships and benefits. See our guide to the PM Jan Dhan Yojana.
- Say no to sex selection. Telling or finding out the sex of an unborn child for the purpose of sex selection is illegal under the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act. If you know of a violation, you can report it to the local health authority or the helpline.
Has the Scheme Worked?
Government reports have shown improvements in the sex ratio at birth and in girls’ school enrolment in many districts since the scheme began, and the campaign has made the idea of valuing daughters part of everyday conversation. Researchers and critics, however, point out that the change is uneven, that a large share of past spending went to advertising, and that improvements also depend on factors such as health services and local attitudes. The fair summary is that the scheme has raised awareness, while real progress in each district depends on how well it is carried out.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a form to apply for Beti Bachao Beti Padhao?
No. It is not a scheme for individual applications. It works through district programmes, schools, health centres and campaigns.
Is the Sukanya Samriddhi account part of BBBP?
It was launched alongside the campaign and is often promoted with it, but it is a separate savings scheme with its own rules and interest rate.
Where can I get information about my district?
Ask the district Women and Child Development office or the district collector’s office.
Does the scheme help boys?
The scheme is directed at girls, but the health, education and awareness improvements it supports benefit the whole community.
Final Thoughts
Beti Bachao Beti Padhao is a campaign and a district programme, not a cash scheme. For a family, its value lies in the services around it: schools, health checks, awareness and the other schemes it points to. If you have a daughter, register her birth, keep her in school, open a savings account in her name, and look at the scholarships she may qualify for.
Disclaimer: This article is for general information and is not an official government publication. Scheme details, district coverage and the state schemes available to you differ and can change. Please confirm the current information with your district Women and Child Development office or the official government portals. Details last reviewed in November 2026.