Chief Minister’s Girl Child Protection Scheme in India
India is a country where a girl child is still subjected to the century-old patriarchy. Therefore, our Government has implemented several schemes for a girl child to end gender discrimination.
The Girl Child Protection Scheme is one such scheme that the Tamil Nadu government introduced in 1992. It is a government initiative to promote the welfare and education of girl children and offers financial assistance and benefits to ensure their secure future and empowerment. Keep reading to know the further details about this scheme.
What Is Chief Minister’s Girl Child Protection Scheme?
Chief Minister’s Girl Child Protection Scheme aims to empower and protect girl children’s rights. Therefore, it focuses on preventing gender discrimination through Government’s direct investment.
The scheme aims to provide financial assistance to girl children of poor families as well as to promote girl child education, small family norms, increase the child sex ratio, discourage the preference for male child & eradicate female infanticide.
Objectives of Chief Minister’s Girl Child Protection Scheme
The scheme aims to provide financial assistance and support to targeted beneficiaries. This ensures improved livelihoods, economic growth, and overall development in the community. Below are the brief objectives of this scheme:
- Ensures a girls’ education till middle school by supporting their enrolment and retention in school.
- Prevents under 18 girl’s marriage by improving awareness and providing financial aid.
- Encourages families and parents to adopt family planning norms and not have further kids after 2 girl children.
- Empowers girl children socially and financially and protects their rights.
- Enhances the family’s mindset and role in improving the status and living of girl children.
- Scholarships and financial support for the education of the girl child.
- Monetary inducement for families towards the birth and raise of daughters.
- Assistance for the health and nutrition of the girl child.
- Policies to stop early child marriages.
- Enhancement of women's status, including girls.
- Promoting the admission and retention of the girl child in school and ensuring that she studies at least up to the intermediate level of education.
- Afford protection to the girl child's rights and economic and social relief to the girl child.
- Enhance the family system in the development of the status of the girl child.
Modes of Deposits Under the Girl Child Protection Scheme
The Girl Child Protection Scheme offers various modes of deposits to ensure financial security for the future of girl children. These options aim to encourage savings and provide long-term benefits for the child's education and well-being. Below are the 2 modes of deposits in this scheme for a girl child:
Scheme 1:
Any girl born on or after 1st August 2011 will receive ₹ 50,000 as a fixed deposit with the receipt. Families with 1 girl child will receive it from Tamil Nadu Power Finance and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited.
Scheme 2:
A girl will receive ₹ 25,000 as a fixed deposit with the receipt under this scheme. Tamil Nadu Power Finance and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited will give it to families with 2 girls.
Features and Benefits of the Girl Child Protection Scheme
The Girl Child Protection Scheme is a government initiative designed to ensure girls' safety, education, and empowerment.The Girl Child Protection Scheme provides the following benefits:
- Girls will receive ₹ 1800 annual incentives every year after 6 years of deposit to support their education expenses.
- The State Governments will renew this amount every 5 years.
- Girls will receive interest on this deposit on completion of 18 years of age. It aims to support their higher education. Therefore, they must appear for their 10th standard board examination to get this benefit. The precise amount of maturity benefits for both the deposits are below:
Note: From 2013-14, Government included the benefits of Marriage Assistance Scheme to Girl Child Protection Scheme for those enrolled in 1992 to 1995.
Eligibility Criteria for Chief Minister’s Girl Child Protection Scheme
The Chief Minister’s Girl Child Protection Scheme aims to promote the welfare and education of girl children.Below are the eligibility requirements for this scheme:
- Applicant’s family must have an annual income below ₹ 72,000.
- The parents of the girl child must not have any boy child.
- Family of a girl child must enrol her in any educational institution.
- The girl should be unmarried.
How to Apply for Chief Minister’s Girl Child Protection Scheme?
The Girl Child Protection Scheme aims to ensure the safety and well-being of girl children through various support measures. The parents must meet the following officers with all required documents to apply for the scheme:
- District Social Welfare Officers
- Child Development Project Officer
- Extension Officers (Social Welfare)
- Rural Welfare Officers (Women)
- District Programme Officer
To apply, follow these steps to ensure your application is submitted correctly. Here is the application process:
- Step 1: The applicant should gather copies of the necessary documents needed to apply for the concerned scheme.
- Step 2: The applicant should visit the nearest Common Service Center (CSC) and complete the Biometric Verification Process.
- Step 3: In the application form, fill in all the mandatory fields and upload copies of all the mandatory documents.
- Step 4: Request a receipt or acknowledgement from the CSC. Ensure that the receipt contains essential details such as the date and time of submission, and a unique identification number (if applicable).
NOTE:
- The Parents/grandparents should be a domicile of Tamil Nadu for 10 years at the time of applying).
- The application should be submitted before the second child completes 3 years of age.
Documents Required to Apply for Girl Child Protection Scheme
To apply for this scheme, you'll need to gather and submit specific documents to ensure a smooth application process. Below are the necessary documents required to apply for this scheme:
- Aadhaar card
- Ration card
- Family income certificate
- Marriage certificate
- Community certificate
- Medical certificate of sterilization
- Certificate for not having a male child, issued by Tahsildar
- Birth certificate of the child
- Family photo
The Chief Minister’s Girl Child Protection Scheme aims to enhance the status of girl children by offering financial support and ensuring their education and welfare. Eligibility criteria and necessary documents ensure that the benefits reach the intended recipients efficiently. This initiative plays a crucial role in empowering young girls and promoting gender equality.
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FAQs about Chief Minister’s Girl Child Protection Scheme
How many beneficiaries are there till date under the Girl Child Protection Scheme currently?
The Girl Child Protection Scheme has benefitted around 10,15,975 beneficiaries till 2021.
Which scheme can I enrol my single girl child under to receive ₹ 50,000?
Chief Minister’s Girl Child Protection Scheme will give a single girl child an initial fixed deposit of ₹ 50,000.
What are the eligibility criteria for the Scheme?
Families must have an annual income not exceeding ₹72,000, and they should have only two female children with no male child.
How much assistance is provided under the Scheme?
An amount of ₹25,000 each is deposited in the names of two girl children in the form of fixed deposits till they reach 18 years of age.
When can the girl children access the deposited amount?
The deposited amount and accrued interest will be given to each girl child upon reaching 18 years of age.
Can families with more than two female children be benefited from the scheme?
No, the scheme is specifically for families with only two female children and no male child.
Who can I contact for more information about the scheme?
You can contact the District Social Welfare Officer or Extension Officer (Social Welfare) for more information.
Is there any time limit for applying?
Yes, the application should be submitted before the second child completes 3 years of age.
Under the scheme, are there any special provisions for families with twins or triplets?
No, the scheme treats all families with two female children equally, regardless of whether they are twins, triplets, or siblings born at different times.
Can families with disabled girls and children be included in the scheme?
There's no specific provision mentioned for disabled girl children under the scheme.
How is the interest on the fixed deposit calculated for each girl child?
The interest is calculated based on the fixed deposit rate provided by the Tamil Nadu Power Finance and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited, separately for each girl child.