• Friday, 4 July 2025

Educate daughters campaign faces snag in lack of fund

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BY DHIRENDRA SHAH,Janakpur, July 4: The flagship initiative of the Madhes Province Government, the Chief Minister Beti Padhau, Beti Bachau’ (Educate Daughters, Save Daughters) campaign, has come to a grinding halt, with the suspension of its hallmark Daughter Education Insurance / Fixed Deposit Savings Account Programme. 

As a result, the future of insurance applications submitted online by 9,456 girls in the current fiscal year 2024/25 remains uncertain. According to Mahendra Mahato, Acting Director of the Education Development Directorate in Janakpurdham, the insurance process was stopped after the Ministry of Education and Culture failed to release the required premium funds requested by partner banks. 

Previously, under an agreement with Global IME Bank, each girl was insured at a premium of Rs. 37,457.60. However, this year, after two rounds of tender calls, Global IME Bank quoted a revised premium exceeding Rs. 97,000, while Prime Bank proposed over Rs. 93,000.

Kishore Kapar, spokesperson of the Directorate and the head of the Planning and Programme Division, stated that banks attributed the increased premium rates to falling interest rates, making it unfeasible to continue with previous pricing. Consequently, no agreement could be reached.


Although the Directorate had submitted the bank quotations with necessary remarks to the Ministry over a month ago, no approval has been granted to date.

Director Mahato added that based on verbal instructions from the ministry, citing financial incapacity, the allocated budget of Rs. 100 million for this year’s insurance programme has been surrendered. As per the Financial Procedures and Fiscal Accountability Act, 2019, unutilised funds must be returned by March end.

Since its inception in fiscal year 2018/19, the campaign has insured 14,453 girls, including 3,783 in the last fiscal year alone. Alongside insurance, the campaign initially offered public service preparation classes, bicycle distribution, construction of girl-friendly toilets, and cash awards for outstanding SEE performers. However, these programmes have also gradually shut down due to persistent budget constraints.

Education and Culture Minister Rani Kumari Tiwari said that only two banks had participated in the recent tender process, both quoting high premiums. Due to this, concerned officials hesitated to endorse the evaluation reports. The government is now weighing whether to announce a new tender or collaborate directly with the state-owned National Insurance Corporation.

Furthermore, the bicycle distribution programme was previously suspended following corruption charges filed by the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority. Even after the legal resolution, the programme was not resumed. Similarly, the construction of girl-friendly toilets and public service classes was discontinued due to a lack of funds.

With the daughter insurance programme, the last active component of the campaign, now also suspended, many girls in the province stand to lose access to long-term educational security. Concerned parents and stakeholders have begun urging the provincial government to revive  the initiative.

Initially, each new-born girl was insured for Rs. 100,000. From mid-February 2020, the coverage was increased to Rs. 300,000. Since January 15, 2022, girls born in the province have been automatically enrolled for this insurance if their parents applied online. Upon fulfilling certain criteria, including passing the SEE and reaching 20 years of age, the insured girl would receive the full payout.

In March 2022, the government amended the schedule of the Provincial Government Work Division Regulations-2022, adjusting the names and responsibilities of provincial ministries. After the renaming and restructuring of the Ministry of Social Development, the programme is now being implemented under the Ministry of Education and Culture through the Education Development Directorate.

As per the 2021 operating guidelines, the policyholder must not marry before the legal age or drop out before SEE to qualify for the payout. Otherwise, the amount reverts to the campaign’s central fund.

Campaign coordinator Priyanka Yadav said that around Rs. 200 million is required annually to sustain the insurance programme. However, in the proposed budget for FY 2025/26, only Rs. 100,000 has been allocated for the campaign. Minister Tiwari has stated that additional funds will be reallocated from other budget headings as needed.

The sudden halt of the key campaign has drawn criticism from civil society and parents alike, who argue that the province must uphold its commitment to girls’ education and well-being.

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