Free school for one-girl families
The Indian government says it will reward girls
from single child families with free education and other benefits.
The Indian government says it will reward girls from single child families with free education and other benefits.
The move is intended to bolster India's dwindling female population and help promote population control.
Under the plan, education for such girls will be made free at secondary level. They will also be given scholarships for postgraduate study.
The government says the policy will apply to all schools and colleges, both government and privately run.
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The government says it wants to change society's perception of girls.
It hopes the new move will bring down the strong preference for sons in the country, which it says is adding to population pressure with families producing more children in the hope of a male child.
The desire for male children often also leads to selective abortions and discrimination against girls.
The scheme must be implemented by all schools and colleges private or government run, federal or provincial.
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India, with a population of over one billion, has only 933 women per thousand men according to the 2001 census.
Offtimes, sorting out cultural and religious problems in a nation -- requires secular solutions. The political questions are more often ruled by how long it takes to get round to it rather than whether or not it gets done.
Posted: Thu - September 22, 2005 at 10:20 AM