Nitish Kumar's Initiatives Propel Bihar's Women into Social, Economic, and Political Empowerment

The development of the family, society, state and country is possible only with the development of the female population. For this, they need to be empowered socially, educationally, economically and politically," says Chief Minister Nitish Kumar often in his speeches. He not only makes promises but also implements them on the ground in the form of schemes.

Earlier, the condition of women, especially in rural Bihar, was very bad. But now, under the Nitish government, women are playing an important role in the development of Bihar through the benefits of government schemes and their own aspirations.

Transformation in Education:

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar laid special emphasis on education for the progress of the female population and in 2006, under the "Balika Cycle Yojana", provided financial assistance of Rs 3000 to girls for buying bicycles. Today, girls in villages go to school riding bicycles and get education. In a survey, the government noticed that the number of girls in higher classes is very low. When the reason was investigated, it was found that girls from poor families drop out of school due to lack of uniforms. The Chief Minister understood the seriousness of this and started the "Poshak Yojana" so that girls do not drop out of school due to lack of uniforms. The cycle and uniform schemes brought about a revolutionary change in the field of education and the ratio of boys and girls in schools increased to 54:46. It was the result of the visionary thinking of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar that both the schemes were not only appreciated all over the country but also by people abroad. This was the time when the daughters of Bihar were struggling to come out of the shackles of evil practices and illiteracy and the schemes launched by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar proved to be helpful for them. In 2018, the Chief Minister Balika Poshak Yojana was launched. Under this, financial assistance is provided for uniforms to girls from class I to XII studying in government schools.

Decline in Fertility Rate:

The Chief Minister firmly believes that if girls are educated, the fertility rate in Bihar will come down considerably and the population will also be under control. According to a study, if the wife is matriculate in a husband-wife couple, the fertility rate is 2 all over the country. A survey was also conducted in Bihar and it was found that if the wife is matriculate, the fertility rate here is also around 2. If the wife is intermediate pass in a husband-wife couple, the fertility rate of the country was found to be 1.7 and the fertility rate of Bihar would be 1.6. The fertility rate will come down only when girls are educated. Earlier, the fertility rate of Bihar was 4.3 and now it has come down to 2.9 as girls started studying due to good education system here. If everything continues to go well like this, the fertility rate will soon come down to 2.

Mukhyamantri Kanya Utthan Yojana:

The seriousness of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar towards educating girls is evident from the "Mukhyamantri kanya Utthan Yojana". Earlier, the cycle scheme and then the uniform scheme were launched to make girls aware and attracted towards education at the primary level so that they could understand the importance of education from the very beginning and register their presence in large numbers in schools. When the Chief Minister felt that girls had started studying at the primary level, he launched the "Mukhyamantri kanya Utthan Yojana" for higher education.

Political Participation of Women:

Women in Bihar have also got a leading role in political participation. 50 percent reservation has been made for women in Panchayati Raj institutions and urban bodies. Besides, 35 percent reservation has been given to women in government services. Due to these reservations, the political and social participation of women has increased.

Economically Self-Reliant:

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has also started many schemes to make women economically self-reliant. Schemes like Jeevika, Mukhyamantri Mahila Udyami Yojana, Mukhyamantri Mahila Civil Seva Protsahan Yojana have helped women to start their own business and become self-reliant.

Social Security:

The government has taken several steps for the social security of women. A helpline has been set up for women facing domestic violence. Free psychological and legal assistance is being provided to women under the Mukhyamantri Nari Shakti Yojana.

The Nitish government's schemes have had a positive impact on the lives of women in Bihar. These schemes have helped to increase the number of girls attending school, decrease the fertility rate, and increase the number of women in political and economic spheres. As a result of these schemes, women in Bihar are now more socially, economically and politically empowered than ever before.