Bhubaneswar: The Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) scheme, launched on January 22, 2015, has played a pivotal role in addressing gender imbalance and promoting the welfare of the girl child across India. In Odisha, the government has implemented several district-specific initiatives to combat child marriage, gender discrimination, and female foeticide, while also empowering adolescent girls with education, self-defense training, and leadership skills.
The key programs under the BBBP scheme in Odisha include “Nirbhaya Kadhi” and “Mo Gelha Jiya” in Ganjam, “Kalpana Avijan” in Dhenkanal, “Swarna Kalika” in Keonjhar, and “Veerangana Yojana” in Deogarh. These initiatives aim to prevent child marriage, promote education, enhance self-confidence, and provide safety training for young girls.
Nirbhaya Kadhi & Mo Gelha Jhia (Ganjam District)
The Ganjam District Administration launched “Nirbhaya Kadhi” (The Fearless Bud) as a special awareness program for adolescent girls aged 11-18 years, covering 183,933 girls from 3,309 villages. The initiative educates girls about gender equality, child marriage prevention, and personal safety through community meetings and engagement activities.
A satellite program under BBBP, “Mo Gelha Jhia” (My Lovely Daughter), focuses on combating sex selection and female foeticide in the district. Due to these initiatives, Ganjam was declared child marriage-free on January 3, 2022. Between 2019 and October 2024, 953 child marriages were prevented, with 20 cases successfully stopped through the efforts of Child Marriage Prohibition Officers (CMPOs), District Child Protection Units (DCPU), Childline, and police authorities.
More than 450,000 students from 3,614 government schools publicly pledged to say ‘No’ to child marriage, and informants of child marriage cases were awarded ₹5,000 for reporting. The Odisha State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (OSCPCR) recognized the Collector of Ganjam district for taking proactive measures in eliminating child marriage.
Kalpana Avijan (Dhenkanal District)
The Kalpana Avijan scheme was launched to track, monitor, and prevent child marriage among girls aged 10-19 years. Since its inception, the scheme has successfully prevented 343 child marriages between 2019-2024, with 1,13,515 adolescent girls enrolled.
As part of the awareness drive, 4,45,000 students from 3,425 schools took a public oath against child marriage, and 1,211 villages hosted awareness programs engaging youth, traditional leaders, and educators.
During International Girl Child Week 2024, several officials and activists were felicitated for their contributions. Ms. Barsha Priyadarshini Sahoo from Odapada Block was awarded for raising her voice against early marriage, while a rescued child bride-turned-mountaineer was declared the brand ambassador of Kalpana Avijan.
Swarna Kalika (Keonjhar District)
The Swarna Kalika scheme in Keonjhar has been instrumental in raising awareness against child marriage and promoting education and self-empowerment among adolescent girls.
Over 2,000 stakeholders, including community leaders, parents, and teachers, actively participated in the campaign. The ADVIKA app was introduced to enhance awareness and intervention efforts.
By 2024, the initiative had reduced child marriages in the district by 50% through sustained awareness campaigns and community mobilization.
Veerangana Yojana (Deogarh District)
With rising crimes against women, the Veerangana scheme was introduced to train adolescent girls in martial arts and self-defense techniques to protect themselves from harassment, eve-teasing, and gender-based violence.
A 30-day training camp on self-defense and martial arts was conducted in Deogarh’s Indoor Stadium, in partnership with the State KUDO Association of Odisha, Cuttack. The program also included legal awareness and counseling sessions for girls and their parents.
More than 500 adolescent girls (aged 14-19) participated, along with 300 teachers and guardians, who received training on legal rights and entitlements. As part of the initiative, 50 female master trainers were developed, who later trained 6,000 girl students across 300 rural schools.
The success of Veerangana Yojana gained national recognition, with the initiative being awarded the SKOCH Award as a semi-finalist. It was also institutionalized in many schools and colleges across Odisha to ensure that self-defense becomes an integral part of adolescent education.
A Model for Women’s Empowerment in Odisha
The Odisha government’s targeted programs under the BBBP scheme have significantly impacted adolescent girls, preventing child marriage, promoting education, and enhancing safety and self-confidence.
These efforts have received widespread appreciation from stakeholders, including government officials, NGOs, women’s organizations, and community leaders. By leveraging education, legal awareness, and self-defense training, Odisha is making great strides towards a safer, more empowered future for its young girls.
