Smriti Irani at an event inNew Delhi on International GirlChild Day.SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

Expanding the mandate of the ‘ Beti Bachao Beti Padhao ’ scheme, the Central government on Tuesday announced the inclusion of skilling of girls in non-traditional livelihood (NTL) options in its flagship programme.

The scheme will now also focus on increasing the enrolment of girls in secondary education, particularly in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) subjects. Women have been historically under-represented areas such as technology.

Announcing the new inclusion in the scheme, Minister for Women and Child Development Smriti Irani emphasised the importance of convergence between various departments for providing quality education to empower girls. “Government has always encouraged and empowered girls to pursue vocation of their choice irrespective of gender stereotypes,” Ms. Irani said.

A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Ministries of Women and Child Development, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, and Minority Affairs. It emphasises convergence between Ministries and Departments to ensure adolescents complete their education, build skills, and enter the workforce in a diverse range of professions, including in STEM fields.

An operations manual to implement the scheme in districts was also launched at the event. A national committee headed by the Secretary, Ministry of Women and Child Development will be the apex committee to review the implementation of the scheme at regular intervals with State governments and Union Territory administrations, it said.

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