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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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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• Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Yojana
• Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana
• Chief Minister Rajshree Yojana Scheme
• Women Empowerment Schemes in India