Beti Bachao Beti Padhao in Vidarbha: District Data Reveals Ground Realities

thenewsdirt
Sep 24
6 min read

The Beti Bachao Beti Padhao scheme has been operational in Maharashtra since 2015, covering all 35 districts including the Vidarbha region's Wardha, Bhandara, and Gondia districts. These three districts present a compelling case study of how regional factors influence programme outcomes differently than national trends might suggest.

The latest Health Management Information System data shows Maharashtra's overall sex ratio at birth improved marginally from 924 in 2015-16 to 930 in 2018-19, yet district-level analysis reveals significant variations in both baseline conditions and programme effectiveness.

While the scheme targets a nationwide improvement of 2 points annually in sex ratio at birth, the ground realities in these Vidarbha districts demonstrate that success cannot be measured uniformly across diverse geographical and socio-economic contexts.

Baseline Demographics Present Unexpected Patterns

The 2011 Census data established these three districts' demographic foundations before BBBP implementation. Wardha district, with a population of 1,300,774, recorded a child sex ratio of 919 females per 1,000 males, placing it marginally above the national average of 918 but significantly better than Maharashtra's state average of 894.

Bhandara district's 1,200,334 residents showed a notably stronger child sex ratio of 950, while Gondia district's 1,322,507 population demonstrated the highest ratio at 956 females per 1,000 males.

These baseline figures positioned all three districts well above both national and state averages, contradicting assumptions that underdeveloped regions necessarily correlate with poor gender indicators. Gondia's overall sex ratio of 999 females per 1,000 males ranked third highest in Maharashtra, exceeded only by coastal districts Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg.

Bhandara's overall sex ratio of 982 placed it fifth statewide, while Wardha's 946 remained comfortably above the state average of 929.

The demographic composition revealed interesting patterns. Wardha showed higher urbanisation at 32.5 percent compared to Gondia's 17.08 percent, yet Gondia maintained superior gender ratios across both rural and urban areas. Bhandara's rural sex ratio of 983 exceeded its urban ratio of 981, suggesting limited urban bias in gender preferences.

These variations highlighted that successful gender outcomes in Vidarbha stemmed from complex socio-cultural factors rather than simple urban-rural divides.

Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Implementation Framework Reveals Funding Disparities

The Ministry of Women and Child Development implemented BBBP across all 35 Maharashtra districts, with 31 districts, including Wardha, Bhandara, and Gondia, receiving multi-sectoral intervention coverage. The scheme's funding allocation follows a three-tier structure based on sex ratio at birth performance.

Districts with SRB at or below 918 receive Rs 40 lakh annually, those with SRB between 919 and 952 get Rs 30 lakh, while districts exceeding 952 SRB are allocated Rs 20 lakh per year.

This funding framework inadvertently penalises districts with historically better gender indicators. Given their superior baseline child sex ratios, Wardha, Bhandara, and Gondia likely qualify for the lowest funding tier despite their rural and tribal populations requiring intensive interventions.

The paradox becomes evident when considering that these districts, despite better starting positions, may face unique challenges in maintaining and improving their ratios that require substantial investment.

Maharashtra received Rs 122.68 lakh in 2021-22 for BBBP implementation, followed by zero allocation in 2022-23, and Rs 265 lakh in 2024-25. This erratic funding pattern raises questions about programme continuity and district-level planning capabilities.

The state's implementation covers multi-sectoral interventions, including PC-PNDT Act enforcement, community engagement programmes, and girl child education initiatives, yet the actual district-wise allocation and utilisation data remain largely undisclosed.

Performance Indicators Show Mixed District-Level Outcomes

Maharashtra's overall sex ratio at birth improved from 924 in 2015-16 to 930 in 2018-19, representing a 6-point improvement over four years. However, this state-level progress masks significant district-level variations.

The National Family Health Survey-5 data reveal concerning trends even as overall statistics appear positive. Several Maharashtra districts, including some in Vidarbha, showed declining sex ratios at birth despite BBBP implementation.

The HMIS data from 2018 identified 60 blocks across 11 Maharashtra districts where the sex ratio at birth fell below 900 females per 1,000 males. Gondia district appeared in this concerning list with an SRB of 897, indicating that even districts with historically strong child sex ratios faced deteriorating birth ratios.

This finding directly contradicts assumptions that districts with better baseline indicators would automatically maintain superior performance under BBBP.

The scheme's educational components showed more consistent progress. Girls' gross enrollment ratio at the secondary level increased from 75.51 percent in 2014-15 to 79.4 percent in 2021-22 nationally.

Vidarbha region specifically demonstrated strong performance in institutional deliveries, with Bhandara achieving 100 percent institutional births alongside Nagpur and Chandrapur. Child vaccination coverage in Vidarbha reached 86 percent for the 12-23 months age group, significantly exceeding Maharashtra's state average of 74 percent.

The institutional delivery improvements across Vidarbha districts suggest that BBBP's health sector interventions achieved greater success than their core objective of improving sex ratios.

Bhandara, Gondia, and other Vidarbha districts recorded over 90 percent institutional deliveries, contributing to better maternal and child health outcomes. These achievements demonstrate that BBBP's multi-sectoral approach yielded benefits beyond its primary sex ratio targets.

Regional Context Exposes Implementation Challenges

Vidarbha region's unique position within Maharashtra creates specific challenges for BBBP implementation. Unlike Western Maharashtra, where declining sex ratios correlate with increased ultrasound usage and economic prosperity, Vidarbha's challenges stem from different factors.

The region's agricultural distress, farmer suicides, and limited industrial development create economic pressures that may influence family planning decisions differently than in urban or prosperous rural areas.

The effectiveness of community engagement programmes varies significantly across these districts. Wardha's association with Gandhi's Sevagram Ashram provides certain advantages in social mobilisation, yet the district's child sex ratio of 919 remained closest to concerning levels among the three studied. Gondia's tribal population concentration requires culturally sensitive approaches that standard BBBP protocols may not adequately address.

District Collectors serve as BBBP chairpersons, making programme success heavily dependent on individual administrative capacity. The scheme's performance variations across these three demographically similar districts suggest that local leadership quality significantly influences outcomes.

Regular transfers of key officials may disrupt programme continuity, particularly affecting long-term attitude change initiatives that BBBP fundamentally requires.

The 422 districts showing SRB improvement out of 640 total BBBP districts nationally indicate that success remains inconsistent. Maharashtra's categorisation as showing "stable" rather than "improving" trends compared to other states raises questions about whether the current implementation model suits the state's specific demographic and cultural contexts.

The state's relatively strong baseline indicators may require different intervention strategies than states with more concerning starting positions.

The analysis of Wardha, Bhandara, and Gondia districts reveals that successful BBBP implementation requires a nuanced understanding of local contexts rather than uniform national approaches. These districts' superior baseline indicators did not guarantee continued improvement under the scheme, while their funding allocation disadvantages may hinder long-term sustainability.

The complex interplay between demographic trends, administrative capacity, and cultural factors suggests that measuring BBBP success purely through sex ratio improvements may overlook other valuable programme contributions to girl child welfare and women's empowerment.