Entitlements
Although the government provides a wide range of entitlements and services for adolescents, awareness and/or reach of these entitlements were limited.
Wide gaps between awareness of education entitlements and uptake
There was near universal awareness of education entitlements among adolescents in both Bihar and Uttar Pradesh (90–99 percent, respectively). However, receipt of scholarships, free textbooks, and uniforms was comparatively lower.
Delivery of health entitlements is skewed towards married adolescent girls
Very few adolescents had heard about adolescent-friendly health clinics or had received services from these clinics in the year preceding the interview. Most older adolescent girls (83–93 percent) were aware of Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) in their village in both Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, while somewhat fewer younger adolescent girls (60–77 percent) and younger and older boys had heard about them (55–80 percent).
More married adolescent girls, in comparison to any other category of adolescents, had interacted with village-level frontline workers, such as ASHAs and Anganwadi Workers (AWWs).
Although more adolescents in Bihar had heard of the Weekly Iron and Folic Acid Supplementation (WIFS) program than those in Uttar Pradesh, less than 10 percent of adolescents in either state had received supplements.
Skill development
Awareness of the state Skill Development Missions was low. Between 15 to 30 percent of adolescents had heard of government training programs and very few—8 percent or fewer—were aware of a centre that offered vocational skills training under the Skill Development Mission.
Six to 8 percent had ever attended a formal vocational training programme.