National Scheme of Incentive to Girls for Secondary Education | UPSC Notes

The National Scheme of Incentive to Girls for Secondary Education (NSIGSE) was notified on 10th May 2008 as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme by the Ministry of Education, Government of India. The scheme would help in eradicating the dropout rates among girls at the Secondary stage of education- particularly those from the economically backward families-so that at least they are motivated to continue their education up to the Secondary level. The scheme provides monetary incentives for the completion of class VIII and admission to class IX. This proves as a strong motivation at household level for sending girls to school. Eligible beneficiaries under the Scheme get ₹ 3,000 in the form of a one-time grant deposited in a fixed deposit account. On completion of conditions under attaining the age of 18 years and passing Class X, the amount becomes repayable.

The topic basically comes under the purview of UPSC examinations in General Studies Paper II of the mains exam. The very topic would fall under the broad subject of Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice, and international relations. A detailed analysis of the impact caused by the scheme, the objectives behind it, along with any challenges put across, will serve as inputs to critical questions on aspects of social empowerment, educational reforms, and gender justice in India.

What is the National Scheme of Incentive to Girls for Secondary Education?

The National Scheme of Incentive to Girls for Secondary Education (NSIGSE) is a scheme of the government of India aimed at motivating girls from economically and socially backward families to pursue secondary education. According to the scheme, girls who complete class VIII and get enrolled in class IX will get an incentive amount of ₹3,000 in the form of a fixed deposit account opened in her name. This amount is retrievable only when the girl attains 18 years of age and passes Class X, thus incentivizing continuation of education. This scheme covers SC and ST girls and unmarried girls below 16 years from families listed under BPL.

Background

The NSIGSE was formed out of the broader goal of reducing gender disparities in education, particularly to ensure that girls from marginalized communities get equal opportunities in secondary education. Despite unprecedented enrolment at the primary level of education, girls have been dropping out of secondary school due to socio-economic factors and the prevalent discouragement to female education in culture. The State Governments, recognizing financial constraints and early marriages as a significant deterrent, introduced the scheme to ensure economic support and reassurance to families of girl students.

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Objectives of the National Scheme of Incentive to Girls for Secondary Education

The major objectives of NSIGSE are as follows:

• Drop Out Reduction: The scheme would reduce dropout rates, especially of girl students at the transitioning stage from upper primary to secondary schooling, by providing financial incentives.
• Encourage Gender Equality: It has the clear-cut aim of bridging the gender gap in secondary education through motivating girl students towards joining schools and staying there.
• Support Disadvantaged Groups: It is targeted to provide educational opportunities to SC, ST, and economically weaker girls to attain social equity.
• Delayed Early Marriages: Because this scheme would ensure that girls stay longer in school, it indirectly helps in delaying the age at marriage, which is connected with better health and socio-economic outcomes.
• Improve the rate of female literacy: It is proposed to improve the overall female literacy rate by educating girls up to the secondary level.

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Key Features of the National Scheme of Incentive to Girls for Secondary Education Scheme

The NSIGSE scheme has been premised on various salient features which can enable it to successfully realize its objectives. These include:

• One-time grant: It has a provision to offer ₹ 3000 grant to eligible girls as financial Incentives.
• Fixed Deposit: The incentive would be credited in the form of a fixed deposit in the name of the girl conditionally accessible.
• Conditional Access: It said the amount would be withdrawable when the girl turns 18 years old and also successfully passes her Class X examination.
• Most Disadvantaged Target Group: Targets girls from the SC and ST categories and those from below-poverty-line families so as to ensure that the benefits reach most disadvantaged sections.
• Scheme Coverage: In all States/Union Territories of the country, hence it is an all-India scheme.
• Monitoring Mechanism: Periodic tracking and monitoring of the beneficiaries to be done to ensure compliance and successful implementation.
• Collaboration: The scheme thus involves interagency coordination for its smooth implementation by the Central Govt, State Governments, Educational Institutions, and the Financial Institutions.
• Incentives to Transition: Economic security to the family and incentive to the family to continue the education beyond Class VIII.

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Eligibility for Availing the NSIGSE Scheme

Following is the eligibility criteria that an applicant needs to fulfill for the availing NSIGSE scheme:

• Category: The girl student actually belongs to SC or ST categories. Besides this, unmarried persons below 16 years from BPL families are eligible.
• Educational Requirement: The girl actually has passed class VIII and enrolled in class IX in a recognized institution.
• Age Restriction: The money is available only when the girl child attains the age of 18 years and also appears in Class X or higher examination. 

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Benefits of NSIGSE

The NSIGSE scheme provides the following benefits, addressing the stated objectives of the Scheme:

• Dropout Rate Reduction: This incentive being directly directed at family level indirectly reduces the dropout rates in the secondary stage.
• Social Equity regarding Gender: Addresses gender disparity in educational opportunities; more girls can now attend and finish secondary school.
• Economic Empowerment: Eases the economic burden on economically weaker families as it allows for access to affordable education.
• Social Empowerment: It is expected that more girls will be empowered and contribute to society by decision-making and choosing options in life.
• Encouragement of Higher Education: It promotes girl-child education and vocational training, thus the probability that they will have better career and economic prospects.
• Health and Well-being: Early marriage postponement significantly improves girls' health and well-being.
• Skill Building: It imparts in girls the necessary knowledge and skills to function effectively in the work environment.
• Long-term Effect: This helps realize the wider objectives of national development through the development of an educated and skilled female population.

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Challenges Associated with the NSIGSE Scheme

Notwithstanding its above positive effects, the NSIGSE scheme does have a number of challenges:

• Limited Awareness and Outreach: Most of the remote and rural pockets are unaware of the scheme, reducing its reach and effectiveness.
• Implementation Gaps: Administrative and logistical barriers in releasing money and monitoring the progress of beneficiaries can delay benefits to eligible students.
• Socio-cultural Attitudes: Deep-rooted socio-cultural norms and attitudes pertaining to female education and early marriage are still some of the major hurdles.
• Financial Constraints: Inadequate funding and resources reduce the coverage of the scheme and its effectiveness.
• Monitoring and Evaluation: Weak mechanisms of monitoring and evaluation result in anomalies in reporting and implementation.
• Inclusive Coverage: Ensuring actual coverage for all the beneficiaries, particularly those in inaccessible areas, is a challenge.
• Sustainability: There may be issues regarding long-term sustainability of the acquired gains in education solely based on fiscal incentive with no socio-economic solutions for problems.
• Coordination Issues: Seamless coordination between several entities is required for the proper implementation, which is often cumbersome to do.

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