Odisha Government launches Biju Kanya Ratna Yojana

The Odisha Government has launched the Biju Kanya Ratna Yojana (BKRY) for the development of girls in three districts of the state.
The scheme was launched by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and will be implemented in Ganjam, Dhenkanal and Angul districts on a pilot basis for three years.
Key features of scheme

• The objective the scheme is to improve Sex Ratio at Birth (SRB) and Child Sex Ratio (CSR) in the three districts.
• The scheme will ensure enrolment of girls in elementary education and also track dropout girls from schools besides creating a better environment for them.
• It will also create awareness on gender discrimination against girls, their nutrition, health and education.
• It also includes provision of toilets for girls in every school, self-defence training and along with promotion of access to education.
• It also seeks to sensitise adolescent girls on reproductive and sexual health issues, training of elected representatives and grassroots functionaries as community champions.
• The CSR in Nayagarh, Angul, Dhenkanal and Ganjam districts had declined from 967 in the 1991 census to 941 in the 2011 census.

Month: Current Affairs - September, 2016