With an objective of financial inclusions and women empowerment, Rajasthan State Government introduced a socio-welfare scheme Bhamashah Yojana. It intends to uplift the recurring condition of women in the state through financial and non-financial benefits. Further, Bhamashah Yojana is also the first step towards the digitisation of Rajasthan.

Keep reading to know about Bhamashah Yojana scheme details and its application process.

The scheme was envisaged in 2008 in remembrance of Bhamashah, a prominent minister, financier and army general. Under this scheme, the eligible candidates are delivered end-to-end financial and non-financial services and benefits through their respective bank accounts transparently.

All eligible applicants will receive Bhamashah Cards linked to the bank account of the female beneficiary. It provides the beneficiaries and their family members with the following benefits.

• Education scholarships for students
• Loan for business set up
• Women receiving training for professional careers
• Free medical treatment of certain diseases and surgeries at Government-approved hospitals
• Proof of identity for free and subsidised ration

Apart from a wide range of cash benefits directly transferred to bank accounts, this card also serves as biometric identification and core banking functions for women beneficiaries.

The primary intent behind Bhamashah Yojana is to elevate the status of women in Rajasthan through financial and non-financial assistance. In simple words, Bhamshah Yojana aims to empower women to be the decision-maker of their families for effective utilisation of cash and non-cash services under several public welfare schemes. A few other objectives include-

• It aims to enable banking services for all the residents of Rajasthan.
• This scheme acts as a shared database for identifying the beneficiaries and their family members for other similar schemes.
• Bhamashah Yojana ensures transparency and accountability in every aspect of the scheme.

Nonetheless, prospective applicants need to fulfil the criteria to proceed with the application.

The eligible beneficiary under Bhamashah Yojana includes -

• Women
• Family
• Students
• Pensioners
• Individuals
• Below the poverty line households
• Annapurna Beneficiaries
• Antyodaya Families

The eligibility of this scheme is determined in the following aspects.

• Applicants must be a resident of Rajasthan
• All women of the state who require financial or non-financial aid for themselves and their families
• Students only enrolled in Government educational institutions (schools, colleges, universities) can apply for scholarships provided under the scheme
• Anyone above 18 years old planning to establish a new business and in need of financial assistance is eligible

Prospective applicants can apply for Bhamashah Yojana online in the following steps.

• Step 1: Visit the Bhamashah Enrollment page.
• Step 2: Navigate to ‘Bhamashah Citizen Registration’ and click on the option.
• Step 3: Fill up the mandatory fields with accurate information.
• Step 4: Click on ‘Submit’ to receive the registration number for Bhamashah enrollment.
• Step 5: Click on the link to enrol and enter the registration number to open Bhamashah Citizen Enrollment form.
• Step 6: Provide information related to applicants (woman-head of the family) along with nominees (family members).
• Step 7: Applicants will receive a Bhamashah Receipt Number to upload supporting documents.

Note: Anyone without an Aadhaar Card can get it through an e-Mitra-kiosk to continue with the application process.

Additionally, applicants can track the application status of the Bhamashah Yojana scheme through the same portal.

Village Panchayats and Municipal Corporations of Rajasthan in the rural and urban areas coordinate camps in all wards to provide application forms for Bhamashah Yojana scheme. Potential individuals can collect their forms from their nearest camp and fill up the mandatory field as per instructions. Besides, they must attach a set of documents required to proceed further with the application.

The following are the essential supporting documents mandatory for Bhamashah Yojana scheme application.

• Application form
• Birth certificate
• Identity proof of applicants and nominees (family members)
• Address proof of applicants and nominees (family members)
• Aadhaar Card
• Ration Card
• Bank account details
• Any utility bills like electricity, water, telephone, etc.
• Caste certificate of the applicant and family members
• Letter as a proof of experience of the applicant (for business loans)
• Recent passport size photograph of the applicants and the nominees

Bhamashah Yojana benefits that are directly credited in the account of the female head of a household include -

• The direct transfer of the benefits cuts down the possibilities of fund erosion allotted under the scheme, assuring maximum transparency.
• It disburses a benefit of ₹ 2,000 to the eligible applicants in 2 instalments.
• Bhamashah Card serves as biometric identity proof for women beneficiaries to get ration from registered PDS shops.
• The scheme also extends an additional ₹ 100 per family member of a household with a valid Aadhaar Card.
• Bhamashah Yojana scheme facilitates medical insurance of worth ranging between ₹ 30,000 to ₹ 3 lakh for treatment and emergencies for economically backward classes.

Renamed as Ayushman Bharat Mahatma Gandhi Rajasthan Swasthya Bima Yojana in 2019, Bhamashah Yojana has dispersed approximately ₹ 2,600 crores ($370 million). Apart from this, Rajasthan State Government has also introduced several other similar schemes such as Bhamashah Swasthya Bima Yojana, Bhamashah Rojgar Yojana etc., to confirm a steady advancement of the state.