Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’, now 11 years strong since its January 22, 2015 launch, owes its success to Gujarat’s pioneering efforts. This people’s movement has revolutionized girls’ access to education, proving the ‘Gujarat Model’s’ scalability.
2001 Gujarat under CM Modi: Female literacy stagnant at 57.80%, 38.92% girls quitting school, 42,000 facilities-deficient schools. Enter ‘Kanya Kelavni’ and ‘Shala Praveshotsav’ – mindset-first strategies to enroll and retain.
Action was immersive. In sweltering summers, Modi spearheaded village blitzes with 634 officials hitting 18,000 locales over three days. Door-to-door, they implored: ‘Educate your girls; build our nation’s foundation.’
Build they did: 42,371 toilet complexes, 58,463 classrooms, 22,758 schools lit up – all in seven years. Modi’s sacrifices – auctioned gifts, full salary donation – inspired momentum. Enrollments became spectacles: Festive processions, village jubilation marking each girl’s school entry.
Sustained support included Kanya Kelavni aid for 55,181, bonds through 8th grade, 3,545 tablets for advanced studies, Saraswati cycles for the masses.
Impact: Literacy soared to 70.73%, dropouts nosedived to 7.08%. From local triumph to national ethos, this campaign underscores that true change starts with conviction, community, and concrete action – a model for global development.