Time to Open the Closed Doors of Girl Child Development

National Girl Child Day is observed to raise awareness about the rights, education, health and empowerment of girls, and to promote gender equality. Initiated in 2008, this day reflects a changing reality in which girls are increasingly excelling in education, sports and leadership. Yet, challenges such as child marriage, female foeticide and malnutrition continue to persist. Through legal measures and initiatives like Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao, sustained efforts are being made to eliminate these social evils so that girls may emerge as symbols of pride and progress for society. The core objective of National Girl Child Day is to spread awareness about girls’ rights, reduce gender discrimination, and emphasize the importance of education, health and nutrition. Today, girls are advancing in fields such as science, technology, defence and leadership, reflecting a gradual but meaningful shift in societal attitudes. Legal provisions including the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, the POCSO Act, and government schemes such as Mission Vatsalya and PM CARES for Children are actively working toward the welfare of girls.

Despite these efforts, girls continue to face exploitation and discrimination. Although the child sex ratio has shown improvement, harmful practices like child marriage and female foeticide have not been completely eradicated. Nutritional challenges such as anaemia and underweight conditions among girls remain serious concerns. There is an urgent need to dismantle patriarchal mindsets and ensure equal opportunities for girls. In the Amrit Kaal of independence, India is reshaping itself with renewed confidence, aspirations and resolve. If there is one strongest foundation of this transforming nation, it is the girl child. National Girl Child Day offers an opportunity for introspection—to assess the condition of our girls, the direction they are moving in, and the kind of future society is creating for them. The fundamental question remains: are we truly building an India where a girl child is not seen as a burden at birth, but as a creator of the nation’s future? Only when the combined strength of men and women works in harmony can a truly new India be realized.

Over the past few decades, there has been remarkable progress in the status of girls. Their participation in education has increased significantly, and girls and women have achieved extraordinary milestones in sports, science, administration, politics and entrepreneurship. Today, even daughters from rural India are making their mark in space science, startups, the armed forces and civil services. This transformation signals that in the Amrit Kaal, women and girls will not merely be participants, but leaders—becoming the driving force that will elevate the nation to its highest potential. However, alongside this hopeful picture lies a harsh reality that cannot be ignored. Crimes against girls and women—including sexual violence, domestic abuse, child marriage and cyber harassment—continue to challenge the conscience of society. Incidents of rape and violence are not merely failures of law and order; they reflect a deep collapse of our collective mindset. When a girl’s safety cannot be ensured at home, in school, on the streets or in the digital world, claims of development remain incomplete and hollow.

The vision of a New India—developed, equitable and inclusive—places women’s power, especially the empowerment of girls, at its very core under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. His approach goes beyond welfare schemes to call for a transformation of social attitudes. Initiatives like Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao have helped shift perceptions, encouraging society to view girls not as liabilities but as national assets. Programs focusing on education, health, nutrition, sanitation, digital empowerment and safety have opened new avenues of opportunity for girls. The Prime Minister’s message is unequivocal: until girls are educated, secure and self-reliant, the dream of a developed India will remain unfulfilled. His broader vision recognizes girls not merely as individuals to be protected, but as active contributors to leadership, innovation and nation-building. This is why today’s girls are confidently advancing in science, sports, governance and entrepreneurship—signaling the emergence of a balanced, equitable and empowered India led by Nari Shakti.

The root of the problem is not only the criminal, but the mindset that perceives girls as weak, dependent and submissive. This thinking originates within families and extends into society and institutions. Even today, discrimination between sons and daughters is evident in the distribution of resources, opportunities and freedom. Girls are taught silence in the name of “values,” while boys are granted entitlement and autonomy. This unequal social conditioning eventually gives rise to violence and exploitation. What is needed today is a new social perspective—one that focuses not merely on reacting after crimes occur, but on preventing them before they happen. Society must recognize that atrocities against women are not women’s issues alone; they represent a moral failure of the entire community. Strict laws are necessary, but far more essential is a transformation in social consciousness. As long as questions are directed at the victim—about her clothing, her timing, her freedom—the confidence of perpetrators will remain intact.

At the same time, girls and women must also reshape their own thinking. Self-reliance is not only economic, but mental and intellectual. Education must aim beyond degrees, fostering self-confidence, self-respect and decision-making ability. Girls must be empowered to recognize their rights, raise their voices against injustice and never consider themselves inferior in any form. The need of the hour is to raise girls who are not merely “tolerant,” but alert, aware and empowered. Governance and administration play a decisive role in this transformation. Policies will be effective only when they reach the grassroots and are implemented with sensitivity. Gender sensitization must be mandatory across policing, judiciary, education and healthcare systems. Fast-track justice, survivor-centric procedures and psychological counseling must move beyond policy documents and become lived realities. In the digital age, specialized strategies are also required to address cyber safety and online harassment.

Equally important is the role of men and boys. Gender equality is not solely a women’s responsibility. Boys must be taught respect, coexistence and equality from an early age. True balance will emerge only when men see themselves not as “protectors,” but as partners. Patriarchy will weaken only when both fathers and mothers equally believe in the capabilities and potential of their daughters. The vision of a “developed nation” in the Amrit Kaal cannot be realized if half of its population continues to live in fear, discrimination and insecurity. The girl child is not merely a citizen of the future—she is a builder of the present. Investment in her education, safety and empowerment is the nation’s greatest capital. When a girl is secure, educated and confident, she does not just transform her own life—she shapes the future of generations.

On National Girl Child Day 2026, it is imperative that we move beyond slogans and ceremonial observances. Real change must begin in our homes, schools, workplaces and communities. Our mindset must shift—girls do not need pity or protection alone; they deserve respect and equal opportunity. When society, governance and girls themselves collectively shoulder the responsibility of transformation, the girl child of Amrit Kaal will undoubtedly stand at the highest peak of the nation—not as a symbol, but as a decisive force of strength, wisdom and future-shaping leadership.