The PM CARES for Children Scheme
Recently the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MoWCD) has issued detailed guidelines for The PM CARES for Children Scheme.
PM CARES for Children Scheme was launched in May 2021. The scheme is designed to provide assistance to all children whose parent(s) or survivor parent or legal guardian or adoptive parent has died due to COVID-19.
The age of the child should not be more than 18 years on the date of death of the parents.
The objective of the scheme is to ensure comprehensive care and protection of children in a sustained manner and enable their welfare.
Nodal Agency:
Ministry of Women and Child Development at the Central level. The Department of the State/Union Territory Government dealing with Juvenile Justice at the State level. District Magistrate at the district level.
Benefits under the scheme include:
Fixed deposit in the name of the child: PM CARES (‘Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief Fund in Emergencies) will create a corpus of Rs 10 lakh for each child through a specially designed scheme.
It will provide monthly financial assistance or stipend from the age of 18 years and on reaching the age of 23, he will get the amount of the fund.
School Education: Ensuring the admission of children below the age of 10 years in the nearest Kendriya Vidyalaya or private school as day scholars.
If the child is admitted in a private school, then fees will be given from PM Cares under the Right to Education (RTE) rule. The cost of uniforms, textbooks and notebooks will be paid from PM Cares.
School Education: (for children in the age group of 11-18 years) The child shall be admitted to any residential school of the Central Government such as Sainik School, Navodaya Vidyalaya etc.
If the child is maintained by a parent/grandparent/extended family, he/she will be admitted as a day scholar in the nearest Kendriya Vidyalaya or private school.
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. The interest on this loan will be paid by PM Cares.
Or, a scholarship equivalent to tuition fee/course fee for undergraduate/professional courses under Central or State Government schemes. For children who are not eligible under the existing scholarship schemes, PM CARES will provide an equivalent scholarship.
Health Insurance: All children will be enrolled as beneficiary under Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY). This will include a health insurance cover of Rs 5 lakh.
The premium amount will be paid from PM Cares till the child reaches the age of 18 years.
Source – PIB
