NEW DELHI: The government on January 23, 2026 to mark National Girl Child Day claimed steady progress in girls’ education, health and empowerment, citing higher school enrolment, improved sex ratios at birth and rising female participation in STEM. But crime records, labour data and state-level demographic evidence point to a contradicting picture.
The government document quotes UDISHE (Unified District Information System for Education) reports that girls’ gross enrolment ratio at the secondary level has reached 80.2% in 2024-25 and that women now constitute 43% of STEM enrolments, among the highest globally. It also notes an improvement in the national sex ratio at birth from about 918 in 2014-15 to 930 in 2023-24.
However, data released by the National Crime Records Bureau complicates this narrative. NCRB figures for 2023 show 4.48 lakh crimes against women, translating to a rate of 66.2 cases per 1 lakh women, with Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh reporting the highest absolute numbers. Domestic cruelty by husbands or relatives accounts for the largest share, while abduction, sexual assault and cybercrime continue to rise.
Demographic data at the state and district level also reveals uneven progress. Independent demographic research shows that MP alone accounted for an estimated 2.8 lakh “missing girls” in the mid-2000s, largely due to abortions and higher female child mortality.
According to MP government, only 12 of its 50 districts meet the benchmark sex ratio at birth of 952 girls per 1,000 boys, with districts like Harda recording ratios as low as 894.
In Haryana, where Beti Bachao Beti Padhao was launched, the sex ratio at birth fell from 923 in 2019 to 910 by 2024, pointing to continued sex selection despite campaigns, (Data from Civil Registration System (CRS) up to December 2024)
Education data masks exclusions. While enrolment has risen, independent reporting across Jharkhand, MP and Rajasthan shows girls dropping out due to poverty, domestic labour, and early marriage and safety concerns. The government reviews admit retention challenges but does not quantify dropout rates post-secondary, particularly among Dalit, Adivasi and Muslim girls.
Labour outcomes are even starker. According to International Labour Organization estimates and Periodic Labour Force Survey trends, India’s female labour force participation is among the lowest globally, with most working women concentrated in informal, unpaid or precarious work, limiting the translation of educational gains into economic independence.
Reports of missing women and girls further complicate the empowerment narrative. In Odisha alone, over 44,000 women and girls have reportedly been missing, with NCRB data indicating that many missing cases overlap with trafficking and forced marriage.