Top 12 Government Schemes for Girl Child

List of Government Schemes for Girl Child in India

1. Central Government Schemes for Girl Child

   • Beti Bachao Beti Padhao

   • Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana

   • Balika Samridhi Yojana

   • CBSE Udaan Scheme 

   • National Scheme of Incentive to Girls for Secondary Education

2. State Government Initiatives for Girl Child

   • Mukhyamantri Kanya Suraksha Yojana

   • Ladli Lakshmi Yojana

   • Delhi Ladli Scheme

   • Mukhyamantri Rajshri Yojana

   • Mazi kanya Bhagyashree Scheme

   • Tamil Nadu Chief Minister’s Girl Child Protection Scheme

   • Nanda Devi Kanya Yojana

Central Government Schemes for Girl Child

In this section, let us learn the main initiatives led by the Central Government for the benefit of girl children:

1. Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP)

   Beti Bachao Beti Padhao is a flagship scheme launched by the Government of India in 2015 with the aim of addressing the declining trend of the child sex ratio and promoting the education and empowerment of girls.

   Features of Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP):

   • Raising awareness through mass media campaigns, rallies, and community mobilization activities

   • Works with different stakeholders, such as government departments, NGOs, and community leaders, to address the root causes of gender discrimination against girls

   • Ensure equal access to quality education for girls by constructing and upgrading schools, providing scholarships, and promoting enrolment.

   • It addresses barriers such as child marriage and gender-based violence

   • Encourages community participation through the formation of Women's Self-Help Groups (SHGs), village-level committees, and community events

   • Prevents selective abortions by enforcing Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act

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2. Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana (SSY)

   Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana (SSY) is a small-savings scheme launched by the Government of India as a part of the "Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP)" campaign. It encourages parents to save for the future education and marriage expenses of their girl child.

   Features of Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana (SSY):

   • Aims to ensure financial security and empowerment for the girl child from an early age

   • The parent/ legal guardian can open Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana Account (SSA) for the girl child below the age of 10 years 

   • SSA account can be opened in any post office or authorized banks across India

   • The scheme offers a higher interest rate as compared to other savings schemes

   • The parent/ legal guardian can avail of income tax benefits on the contributions and maturity amount under the Income Tax Act, 1961

   • The minimum annual investment in the SSA account is Rs. 250, and the maximum investment limit is Rs. 1.5 lakhs annually

   • The account matures when the girl child reaches the age of 21 or when she marries after reaching the age of 18

   • On maturity, the girl child can withdraw the total sum.

3. Balika Samridhi Yojana (BSY)

   The Balika Samriddhi Yojana is a government scheme launched in 1997 to provide financial assistance to girl children from families falling in the Below the Poverty Line (BPL) category.

   Features of Balika Samriddhi Yojana (BSY):

   • BSY scheme provides financial assistance of Rs. 500 on the birth of a girl child

   • The girl child further receives an annual scholarship in the range of Rs. 300 to Rs. 1000 until the completion of her education from 1st to 10th standard

   • To be eligible for BSY, the girl child must fulfill the following conditions:

   • Be born on or after August 15, 1997

   • Belong to a BPL family

   • Be enrolled in a school

   • Only two daughters from a family are eligible to apply for this Central Government Scheme.

   • The scheme helps to change the negative attitudes towards girl children in society.

4. CBSE Udaan Scholarship Program

   The CBSE Udaan Scholarship Program is one of the best government schemes for girls administered by the Ministry of Education. This is a scholarship program launched by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) with the aim to help meritorious female students of economically vulnerable families in India to obtain their higher education from prestigious engineering institutions.

   Features of the CBSE Udaan Scholarship Program:

   • The scheme is available for girl students studying in class XI in a CBSE-affiliated school

   • The student must be enrolled in Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics (PCM) stream

   • Provides free online learning resources to the selected female students, which include video lectures, study materials, and practice questions

   • This program works towards encouraging more girls to enroll in the best engineering colleges throughout the country.

   • Offers peer learning opportunities and mentorship programs for meritorious female students

   • The scheme conducts regular assessments to track the progress of the selected students.

5. National Scheme of Incentives to Girls for Secondary Education

   The Department of School Education and Literacy of the Ministry of Education launched this central government scheme in 2008. The scheme aims to improve the enrolment of girl children in the 14-18 years of age group from SC/ST communities in the secondary education stage. 

   Features of the National Scheme of Incentives to Girls for Secondary Education:

   • It is primarily intended for girls belonging to SC/ST families of lower socio-economic backgrounds and who have passed the Class VIII examination.

   • The Ministry of Education deposits Rs. 3000 in a Fixed Deposit (FD) account in the name of the girl child.

   • This amount gets accumulates to a sufficient educational corpus with high fixed deposit interest rates.

   • The entire accumulated sum can be withdrawn only when the girl child turns 18.

   • This central government scheme does not allow premature withdrawal from the FD account.

   • To be eligible for this scheme, the girl should be enrolled in Class IX of a State Government- Aided or Local Body- run School.

State Government Schemes for Girl Child

Now, let us learn the important State Government Schemes for Girl Child from the list mentioned below:

1. Mukhyamantri Kanya Suraksha Yojana (MKSY)

   The Mukhyamantri Kanya Suraksha Yojana is a government-run scheme that provides financial assistance to girl children born in families below the poverty line (BPL) in Bihar.

   Features of Mukhyamantri Kanya Suraksha Yojana (MKSY):

   • The scheme was launched in 2007 with the aim of promoting the birth and education of girl children in the state

   • This State-government scheme rewards parents on the birth of a girl child with Rs. 2000

   • The government deposits this amount in a Fixed Deposit Scheme in the name of a girl child

   • The girl child is entitled to withdraw the amount along with interest upon reaching 18 years of age

   • The birth certificate of the child is mandatory to avail of the benefits under this scheme

   • Parents/ legal guardian of the girl child must be permanent residents of the State of Bihar and fall in the Below Poverty Line category.

2. Ladli Lakshmi Yojana

   Ladli Lakshmi Yojana is a financial assistance scheme for girl children initiated by the Government of Madhya Pradesh in 2007. The scheme aims to promote girl child education and offer them a better life in the future. 

   Features of Ladli Lakshmi Yojana:

   • Ladli Lakshmi Yojana is administered by the Department of Women and Child Development, Government of Madhya Pradesh

   • The scheme further strives to improve the sex ratio and girl child education in the state

   • The state government deposits Rs. 2000 – Rs. 6000 for Class VI – Class XII in the name of the girl child

   • Additional deposits of Rs. 200 are paid to the girl during XI and XII class

   • The government also gives Rs. 25,000 in instalments to the girl child for pursuing their graduation/ professional degree

   • The parents of the girl child should not be taxpayers as per the Income Tax Act, 1961

3. Delhi Ladli Scheme

   The Delhi Ladli Scheme (DLS) is a government-run scheme launched in January 2008 to provide financial assistance and other benefits to girl children from economically weak backgrounds.

   Features of Delhi Ladli Scheme (DLS):

   • The aim of this scheme is to empower the girl child economically and socially.

   • The scheme provides financial benefits to eligible families for registering the birth of a girl child in their house.

   • The annual income of the girl child's family must be equal to or less than Rs. 1 Lakh.

   • The State Bank Life Insurance Cooperation Limited (SBIL) manages the fund of this scheme.

   • The following financial benefits are provided to the girl children under this scheme:

   • Rs. 11000 if child delivery occurs in a medical institution

   • Rs. 10000 if child delivery occurs in a home setting

   • Rs. 5000 for admission of the girl into 1st standard

   • Rs. 5000 for admission of the girl into the 6th standard

   • Rs. 5000 for admission of the girl into the 9th standard

   • Rs. 5000 for admission of the girl into the 11th standard

   • Rs. 5000 for admission of the girl into the 12th standard

4. Mukhyamantri Rajshri Yojana

   Mukhyamantri Rajshri Yojana is a financial assistance scheme launched in 2008 by the Government of Rajasthan for the economic empowerment of girl children in the state.

   Features of Mukhyamantri Rajshri Yojana:

   • The scheme aims to stop child marriages and reduce the gender-selected child mortality rate in society.

   • Only permanent residents of Rajasthan are eligible to avail of the benefits of this government plan for girl children.

   • Financial assistance of Rs. 50,000 is provided to the parents of female children from the time they are born until they complete their graduation. 

   • On the birth of a girl child, a sum of Rs. 2500 is paid to the mother.

   • Rs 2,500 is paid after the child has completed one year of immunization and Rs. 2,000 on completion of 2 years of immunization.

   • Other financial assistance to the girl child includes:

   • Rs.4,000 when she enrolls in any public school in Grade 1

   • Rs.5,000 when a child enters Grade 6

   • Rs. 11,000 when the girl enters Grade 11

   • Rs. 12,000 on completion of Grade 12

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5. Mazi Kanya Bhagyashree Scheme

   Mazi Kanya Bhagyashree Scheme was introduced by the Maharashtra government to improve the lives of girls belonging to low-income families and marginalized groups. 

   Features of Mazi Kanya Bhagyashree Scheme:

   • Under this government scheme, the mother of a single girl child receives Rs. 5000 with a maturity period of 18 years.

   • Rs. 25,000 is provided to the family having two girl children.

   • To avail of the benefits of this scheme, the family income should be below Rs. 7.5 lakhs.

   • A maximum of two girl children are covered under this scheme.

6. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister's Girl Child Protection Scheme

   The Chief Minister's Girl Child Protection Scheme is a Tamil Nadu Government initiative that aims to promote gender equality through direct government spending in a Fixed Deposit Scheme (FD) in the name of the girl child.

   Features of Chief Minister's Girl Child Protection Scheme:

   • The government deposits a sum of Rs. 50,000 for a single child born after August 01, 2011.

   • Rs. 25,000 are deposited for two daughters in the family.

   • The FD is made with the Tamil Nadu Power Finance and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited.

   • An annual incentive of Rs.1800 is given to the girl child every year from the 6th year of deposit in order to meet education expenses.

   • This deposit scheme is renewed at the end of every 5 years.

   • On completion of 18 years of age, the deposited amount, along with interest, will be given to the girl child.

   • To get this benefit, the girl child should appear for the 10th standard public examination.

   • To get this benefit, the girl child should appear for the 10th standard public examination.

7. Nanda Devi Kanya Yojana

   The Nanda Devi Kanya Yojana is a government scheme launched in 2009 by the Government of Uttarakhand to promote the welfare of girl children in the state. The scheme provides financial assistance to girl children born in families living below the poverty line.

   Features of Nanda Devi Kanya Yojana:

   • Economically poor girl children born after January 01, 2009, can avail of the benefits of this scheme.

   • Maximum 2 girl children per family are covered under this scheme.

   • Rs. 5,000 are paid to a Fixed Deposit scheme (FD) in the name of the girl child and her mother. 

   • She receives the deposit amount along with the accrued interest after completing her senior secondary education and attaining 18 years of age.

   • All permanent residents of Uttarakhand who fall in the category of below the poverty line can avail of the perks of this scheme.

Child Plan versus Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana and PPF

Wrapping It Up

The government schemes targeted toward the girl child play a crucial role in promoting their education, empowerment, and overall well-being. These schemes provide financial assistance, scholarships, skill development opportunities, and support for healthcare and nutrition. By addressing gender inequality and encouraging girls' education, these initiatives contribute to creating a more inclusive and progressive society.