COVER HINDI - Ministry of Women and Child Development

such technologies. The Ministry of Women and Child
Development has suggested to Ministry of Health to
strengthen the existing administrative, enforcement and
monitoring provisions under the Act and put in place such
mechanisms that can tackle the problem of sex
determination and foeticide in a more effective manner.
Nationwide awareness and sensitization
campaign for the girl child
3.79 There is urgent need to embark on a massive
nationwide sensitization and advocacy campaign with
specific focus on the importance of the girls child to
reinforce the view that she is an asset and not a burden.
The campaign would need to be multi pronged involving
the services of multi media as well other community and
peer advocacy groups specifically designed for different
sections of society.
Schemes to address faulting female sex ratio
and welfare of girl child
3.80 There are certain sections of society (mainly BPL
families) where awareness and sensitization of the value
of girl child may not be solely sufficient impetus for them
to retain their daughter for various reasons unique to that
family/community. In order to allow the female child in
such families to be born and not aborted, a special provision
should be put in place whereby those who do not want to
raise their daughters can place them in specially appointed
cradle centers supported by the State under the “palna”
scheme. In addition the scheme of conditional Cash transfer
to provide a set of staggered financial incentives for families
of girl children on the completion of four important
conditions – survival, immunization, retention in school,
and delay of marriage beyond 18 years of age, would also
be launched. The scheme would also have an insurance
cover for the girl child. In addition, schemes focusing on
vocational training and skill development for adolescent
girls as part of their education (formal and non-formal)
should also be focused upon, so that she is made
economically independent.
Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006
3.81 Child marriage is a major stumbling block to the
achievement of Human Rights. Child Marriages retard the
economic, social and healthy development of girl child.
3.82 There has been global concern for prevention of child
marriage. Recognizing evils of early marriage, the right to
free and full consent to marriage has been given importance
in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The
Chief Minister of Tamilnadu Dr. Karunanidhi giving nutritious meal to children
Programmes for Children 71