24 January 2015 :: Rashtriya Balika Diwas is a day dedicated towards the welfare of the girl child in India. The day is observed on 24th January every year to address the needs and concerns of a girl child’s health, nutrition and education among the masses. The term ‘Rashtriya Balika Diwas’is of Hindi origin and stands for National (rashtriya) Girl Child (balika) Day (divas). Girl child day is observed because girl child in India faces various types of discriminations and negative social attitudes. The girl child in India is killed, mistreated and abused in most of the families.
Rashtriya Balika Diwas History
The initiative of setting up this day as a Rashtriya Balika Diwas was undertaken by the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government during 2009. The date 24th marks the day in 1966 when Indira Gandhi became the ‘First Woman Prime Minister of India’. At the international level, various countries have their separate ‘Girl Child Day’; India didn’t have such a specific day. The Ministry of Women and Child Development took the initiative of implementing and organising the day. To address the urgent need to raise awareness and improve the status of girl child, Planning Commission constituted a Working Group on “Development of Children” for the Eleventh Five Year Plan. This was done under the Chairpersonship of Secretary, Ministry of Women and Child Development.
