54% of Beti Bachao Beti Padhao funds spent on ads: Govt

54% of total expenditure of 'Beti Bachao Beti Padao' campaign has been spent on media advocacy since its inception in 2014, according to government data. This amounts to Rs 401.04 crores spent on media campaign of PM's flagship program to address the declining girl child sex ratio in the country.

'With the scheme proving successful to create awareness for the cause, focus on media avocacy campaign has been shifted to minimal expenditure or zero budget,' Women & Child Development Minister Smriti Irani stated in a written reply in Lok Sabha.

A total of Rs 740.18 crore expenditure has been spent in the Beti Bachao program from 2015-2022, of which Rs 401.04 crores were spent on media advocacy.

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The minister also added that media advocacy expenditure on the scheme was more in the initial stages to create awareness and behavioural changes.

The Parliamentary Committee on Empowerment of Women last year had cautioned that over 70% of scheme's funds were spent on ads between 2016-2019, underlining the need to focus on other verticals to achieve measureable outcomes in education and health sector