Government-Led Educational Policies and Their Impact on Girls’ Secondary School Enrolment and Dropout Rates in India

Svara Kasliwal, Grade XII, Aditya Birla World Academy, Mumbai, India, 400012

Abstract

For decades, the landscape of girls' education in India was marked by a stark reality: classrooms that emptied out as girls reached adolescence, their potential curtailed by a complex web of social, economic, and cultural barriers. However, the past few decades have witnessed a significant, albeit uneven, transformation, a shift profoundly influenced by a sustained series of government-led educational policies. This article argues that to a significant and substantial extent, these policies have been the primary catalyst in boosting secondary school enrolment and curbing dropout rates among girls in India. It examines the pivotal role of targeted interventions such as the Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya (KGBV) scheme, which provided residential schools in educationally backward areas, and conditional cash transfer programs like the National Scheme of Incentive to Girls for Secondary Education (NSIGSE), which directly mitigated the economic opportunity costs for families. Furthermore, the analysis explores how broader initiatives like the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) and the Right to Education Act (RTE) created a more enabling ecosystem through infrastructure improvements, including gender-segregated toilets, and a strengthened legal framework. While acknowledging the persistent challenges of deep-rooted social norms, safety concerns, and questions surrounding educational quality that limit the absolute efficacy of policy, the article concludes that governmental action has been decisive in dismantling key barriers, demonstrating a clear and measurable correlation between strategic policy implementation and the advancement of female secondary education in India.