PM Cares for Children Scheme
Recently, the Prime Minister has started various facilities under the ‘PM Cares for Children’ scheme for the children who lost their parents in the Covid-19 epidemic.
PM Cares for Children
- This scheme was launched in May 2021. The objective of this scheme is to help and empower children affected by Covid.
- Under this scheme, those children will be covered, whose parents or either of the parents have no surviving guardian or legal guardian / adoptive parent during Kovid-19, such children will be called ‘PM-CARES’. Assistance will be given under the ‘For Children’ scheme.
Key points:
- Fixed Deposit in the name of the child: A corpus of ten lakh rupees will be constituted for each child till he attains the age of 18 years.
- Schooling: Children below the age of ten years will be admitted as day scholars in the nearest Kendriya Vidyalaya or private school.
- School Education: Children in the age group of 11 -18 years will be admitted to any residential school of the Central Government such as Sainik School, Navodaya Vidyalaya etc.
- Assistance for Higher Education: The child will be assisted in getting education loan for vocational courses, higher education in India as per the existing education loan norms.
- Health Insurance: All such children will be enrolled as a beneficiary under the ‘Ayushman Bharat Yojana’ (PM-JAY) with a health insurance cover of Rs.5 lakh.
The need for these measures:
- India is currently battling a second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the pandemic has led to an increase in the death of parents of many children.
- Along with this, the possibility of child trafficking in the guise of adoption of these children has also increased.
- There has also been an increase in ‘child marriage’ related cases during the lockdown implemented due to Kovid-19.
Source – The Hindu
