The Indian government has always been at the forefront of promoting Indian women to ensure their social upliftment and lead a financially burden-free life. Hence, it has launched numerous schemes and initiatives for women, especially young girls, aimed at ensuring better financial status when they grow up and need funds for other important activities. Not only the central government but also various state governments have launched such welfare schemes for women and young girls. One such scheme is Kanyashree Prakalpa Yojana, launched by the state of West Bengal. The scheme is widely recognised as an ideal welfare scheme for girls and women to help them attain a good education.

Objectives of Kanyashree Prakalpa Yojana

The government of West Bengal launched the Kanyashree Prakalpa Yojana in 2013 to provide financial help to the females of West Bengal to get an ideal education. Initially, the Kanyashree Scheme was launched to provide financial assistance to female children of West Bengal for their primary and secondary level education. However, due to its success and significant positive impact, the West Bengal government extended the scheme for female children to attain postgraduate courses. The main aim of the Kanyashree Prakalpa Scheme is to ensure that female children have adequate funds to get an ideal education and discourage their early marriage.

Here are the objectives of the Kanyashree Prakalpa Yojana:

• Monetary incentive: The scheme aims to provide monetary incentives to the female children of West Bengal to complete their primary, secondary, and postgraduate education.
• Reducing child marriage: The scheme aims to educate female children to reduce the practice of child marriage. Hence, reducing infant mortality and maternal mortality rates.
• Beneficiary: The scheme provides financial support directly to the female children so that they can use the funds for education as they need.

Eligibility for Kanyashree scheme

Here is the eligibility of the Kanyashree scheme:

• The female child should be a resident of the state of West Bengal.
• To get the K1 Kanyashree scholarship, the female child should be unmarried and between the ages of 13 and 18.
• The above condition of annual income is void if:
• The female child has 40% or more disability
• She lives in a house registered under the Juvenile Justice Act 2000
• She is an orphan
• The female child is pursuing sports or vocational training.
• A one-time grant of Rs. 25,000 for a female child completing 18 years as of 1st April 2013.

Composition of Kanyashree Prakalpa Yojana

The Kanyashree Prakalpa Yojana is one of the most popular welfare schemes by the West Bengal government, which provides financial assistance to female children for education. The Kanyashree scheme has two components:

• K1 (Annual Kanyashree scholarship): The K1 Kanyashree scholarship is the primary assistance under the scheme, a grant of Rs. 1,000 provided annually to the female beneficiary. The grant is provided to unmarried female children between the ages of 13 and 18 who are studying in class VIII equivalent or above.
• K2 (One-time grant): K2 is the second Kanyashree scholarship provided to unmarried female children when they reach 18 or 19 years old. The grant is Rs. 25,000 and is provided to female children pursuing higher education, occupational, vocational or sports training.
• K3: K3 is the third level of the Kanyashree scholarship, where the unmarried girl child above the age of 19 receives Rs. 2,000 monthly for arts and Rs. 2,500 monthly for science education.

Application process for Kanyashree Prakalpa Yojana

Listed below is the application process for the Kanyashree Prakalpa Yojana:

• Bank account: If a bank account in the name of the female children does not exist currently, one must be opened. This is because the amount of grants is directly credited to the beneficiary’s bank account.

• Application form: The female child must collect the application form from the school or college in which she is currently studying.

• Submitting the application form: The application form must be duly filled out with relevant documents and submitted afterwards to get an acknowledgement number as proof of submission.

• Grants: Once the application is approved, the beneficiary will receive the K2 grant and the K1 grant annually directly into the bank account.

Documents for Kanyashree Scheme

During the application form filling, all the relevant documents must be attached to ensure the successful approval of the form. Here are the required documents:

• Birth certificate
• Certificate to establish that the girl is unmarried
• Proof of education is signed by the institution head or by the home's superintendent if under the JJ Act.
• Income statement of the family.
• The first page of the bank’s passbook showcases the name, account number, address and other details.
• Disability certificate, if applicable.
• Declaration of guardian in case the girl child is an orphan.
• Recent passport-size photographs.

Conclusion

The Kanyashree Prakalpa Yojana is a transformative initiative that has brought about positive change in the lives of millions of girls in West Bengal. By addressing the key issues of child marriage, education, and gender inequality, the scheme has empowered girls to take control of their futures and break the cycle of poverty. Through continued efforts to raise awareness and improve implementation, the Kanyashree Prakalpa Yojana has the potential to inspire similar initiatives across India and beyond, contributing to a more equitable and prosperous future for all girls.

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