Ad spend on Beti Bachao Beti Padhao scheme 2% not 80%: Centre to Rajya Sabha

New Delhi: The Centre on Wednesday said about 2 per cent of the total expenditure marked for the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) scheme was used on ads over the past five years, denying the claim that the spend was 80 per cent.

Responding to a question in the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Women and Child Development Savitri Thakur said, "No, sir," when asked whether almost 80 per cent of the scheme's funds were used on advertisements.

Thakur, in a written response, said a total of Rs 335.37 crore was spent under the BBBP scheme from financial year 2020-21 to 2024-25, of which only Rs 7.02 crore was earmarked for "media advocacy," which was approximately 2.09 per cent of the total expenditure.

Launched in January 2015, the BBBP scheme aims to address the declining child sex ratio and promote girls' empowerment.

The scheme works through awareness campaigns and multi-sectoral interventions at the district level, targeting shifts in social mindset and behaviour toward the girl child.

The financial breakdown presented by the government shows that the entire sum of Rs 7.02 crore spent on media and advocacy was used in 2020-21, with no expenditure under that head in the subsequent years.

The highest spending under the scheme was recorded in 2022-23, at Rs 95.96 crore, followed by Rs 88.63 crore in 2023-24.

The clarification comes in response to mounting questions around fund utilisation under the scheme, especially in light of past criticisms about heavy spending on publicity with limited on-ground outcomes.