Lok Sabha Question No. 1600 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-02-10
Subject: Scholarship under PM CARES for Children Scheme
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Sunil Baburao Mendhe

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1600

TO BE ANSWERED ON 10.02.2023

## SCHOLARSHIP UNDER PM CARES FOR CHILDREN SCHEME

## 1600. SHRI SUNIL BABURAO MENDHE:

Will the Minister of WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government proposes to start scholarship under the PM CARES for Children scheme in the country, if so, the details thereof and the criteria set under this scheme;
- (b) the details of the targets set and the amount earmarked and released to various States including Maharashtra under the scheme; and
- (c) if not, the time by which it is likely to be implemented?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT (SHRIMATI SMRITI ZUBIN IRANI)

(a) to (c) : PM CARES for Children scheme has been launched to support children who have lost both parents or surviving parent or legal guardian or adoptive parents due to COVID-19  pandemic. The objective of the Scheme  is to ensure comprehensive care and protection of Children in a sustained manner, and enable their  well  being  through  health  insurance,  empower  them  through  education  and equip them for self-sufficient existence with financial support till 23 years of age. The scheme is accessible through an online portal i.e. pmcaresforchildren.in.  An amount of  Rs.  341.87  Crores  has  been  credited  to  the  accounts  of  children  including Maharashtra under the Scheme.  Benefits given to 4345 eligible children including 790 children in Maharashtra under the Scheme.

As per the guidelines of PM CARES for Children Scheme, all children are eligible to avail the benefits of the scheme, who have lost :

- i. both parents or
- ii. surviving parent or
- iii. legal  guardian/adoptive  parents/single  adoptive  parent  due  to  COVID-19 pandemic, starting from 11.03.2020 the date on which WHO has declared and characterised COVID-19 as pandemic, shall be entitled to benefits under the scheme and
- iv. child should not have completed 18 years of age on the date of death of parents.

A  pro-rata  amount  has  been  credited  in  the  post  office  account  of  each identified child in such a manner that the corpus for each child becomes Rs.10 lakhs at  the  time  of  attaining  18  years  of age.  Children  are  entitled  to  receive  monthly stipend between the age of 18 and 23 years, by investing the corpus of Rs.10 lakhs into Monthly Income Scheme of Post Office. They are entitled to receive the amount of Rs.10 lakh on attaining the age of 23 years. Children staying with relatives are receiving Rs.4000/- per month under Mission Vatsalya Scheme. Under the scheme, provision  has  been  made  for  admission  in  the  nearest  Kendriya  Vidyalaya Sangathan/Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya or Private Schools. Further, annual scholarship  of  Rs.20,000/-  per  child  have  been  provided  to  3962  school  going children of class 1-12, as on 31.01.2023.  As per PM CARES for Children portal, State-wise details of children of class 1-12, as on 31.01.2023, who have received scholarship is at Annexure-I.

Children  are  also  assisted  in  obtaining  education  loan  for  Professional courses / Higher Education in India for which interest is borne by PM CARES Fund. All  children  have  been  enrolled  under  Ayushman  Bharat  Pradhan  Mantri  -  Jan Arogya  Yojna  (AB  PM-JAY)  with  a  health  insurance  cover  of  Rs.5  lakh.  The coverage of health insurance would be provided till they attain the age of 23 years.

Children  can  also  avail  the  benefits  of  'Swanath  Scholarship  Scheme  for Students' which is being implemented by All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) to  study  further  in  AICTE  approved  Institutions  and  courses.  Under  the scheme, Rs.50,000/- per annum is provided to each student for every year of study (i.e. maximum 4 years for first year admitted Degree students and maximum 3 years for  Diploma  Students)  as  lump  sum  amount  towards  payment  of  college  fee, purchase of computer, stationery, books, equipment, software etc. These children are  also  covered  under  the  initiative  of  AICTE,  'Kaushal  Augmentation  and Restructuring Mission of AICTE' (KARMA), for all AICTE approved institutions in the country to overcome the dual challenge of scarcity of skilled manpower in jobs and low skill level of those who are presently in jobs.

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ANNEXURE - I

ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (A) TO (C) TO THE LOK SABHA UN-STARRED QUESTION NO.1600 FOR ANSWER ON 10.02.2023 ASKED BY SHRI SUNIL BABURAO MENDHE REGARDING SCHOLARSHIP UNDER PM CARES FOR CHILDREN SCHEME

The State/UT-Wise Details of children of Class 1-12 received scholarship under PM CARES for Children Scheme (as on 31.01.2023)

| Sl. No.   | States/UTs                         |   No. of children of Class 1- 12 received Scholarship |
|-----------|------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------|
| 1         | ANDAMAN AND NICOBAR ISLANDS**      |                                                     0 |
| 2         | ANDHRA PRADESH                     |                                                   316 |
| 3         | ARUNACHAL PRADESH                  |                                                     7 |
| 4         | ASSAM                              |                                                    47 |
| 5         | BIHAR                              |                                                    69 |
| 6         | CHANDIGARH                         |                                                    12 |
| 7         | CHHATTISGARH                       |                                                    98 |
| 8         | DADRA & NAGAR HAVELI & DAMAN & DIU |                                                    12 |
| 9         | DELHI                              |                                                   129 |
| 10        | GOA                                |                                                     6 |
| 11        | GUJARAT                            |                                                   205 |
| 12        | HARYANA                            |                                                    84 |
| 13        | HIMACHAL PRADESH                   |                                                    22 |
| 14        | JAMMU & KASHMIR                    |                                                    17 |
| 15        | JHARKHAND                          |                                                    45 |
| 16        | KARNATAKA                          |                                                   205 |
| 17        | KERALA                             |                                                   106 |
| 18        | LADAKH**                           |                                                     0 |
| 19        | LAKSHDWEEP**                       |                                                     0 |
| 20        | MADHYA PRADESH                     |                                                   390 |
| 21        | MAHARASHTRA                        |                                                   727 |
| 22        | MANIPUR                            |                                                    18 |
| 23        | MEGHALAYA                          |                                                    11 |
| 24        | MIZORAM                            |                                                    14 |
| 25        | NAGALAND                           |                                                    12 |
| 26        | ODISHA                             |                                                   101 |
| 27        | PUDUCHERRY                         |                                                    11 |
| 28        | PUNJAB                             |                                                    37 |
| 29        | RAJASTHAN                          |                                                   191 |
| 30        | SIKKIM**                           |                                                     0 |
| 31        | TAMIL NADU                         |                                                   343 |
| 32        | TELANGANA                          |                                                   225 |
| 33        | TRIPURA**                          |                                                     0 |
| 34        | UTTARAKHAND                        |                                                    40 |
| 35        | UTTAR PRADESH                      |                                                   411 |
| 36        | WEST BENGAL                        |                                                    51 |
| Total     |                                    |                                                  3962 |