| The focus of Kanyashree Prakalpa is on the upliftment of such girls from poor families who cannot pursue higher studies because of economic constraints. This program has earned recognition at the international level from the United Nations Development Programme and UNICEF. |
Kanyashree Prakalpa is a flagship welfare scheme by the Government of West Bengal, particularly to uplift and empower young girls, mainly coming from economically backward families. Women Education in India has been a growing concern. This is designed with the objective of promoting education, preventing early marriages, and promoting higher education with the help of financial incentives.
Child marriage has been highly prevalent in various regions of India, especially with huge emphasis on the rural areas. Kanyashree Prakalpa was undertaken with the vision of breaking the trend and providing girls the freedom to remain in school without monetary tensions. The child belonging to the economically weaker section of families will not drop out from school due to their poor economic conditions. The program received United Nations Public Service Awards for social empowerment.
Kanyashree is an initiative of the Government of West Bengal to improve the lives and status of the girls by providing cash support to the low-income families so that no families would enforce early child marriage upon their daughters due to financial constraints.
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Some of the highlights of the scheme are presented below in the table:
Particulars | Highlights |
Objective | To discourage early marriage and lower the dropout rate |
Project type | Scholarship scheme for girls |
State | West Bengal |
Ownership | Government of West Bengal |
Established by | Mamata Banerjee |
Date of establishment | 8 March 2013 |
Website |
There are two components of the scheme:
- Annual scholarship of Rs. 1000.00
- One time grant of Rs. 25,000.00
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Kanyashree Prakalpa Features
There are three principle financial support programs under the scheme.
K1 Annual Scholarship
- Girls in the age group between 13-18 years of age will get ₹1,000 as annual scholarship.
- This scholarship is paid annually until the girl student finishes her education and does not get married.
K2 One-Time Scholarship
- Beneficiaries who are between 18 to 19 years of age receive a one-time amount of ₹25,000.
- This is for higher education or vocational training.
K3 Scholarship
It supports postgraduate study.
Not Repayable
The benefit offered is not repayable because the beneficiaries will not be asked to pay it back.
DBT
This includes transferring the money directly to the recipient's bank account for transparency and timely disbursement.
The main objective of this Scheme is to prevent child marriages and promote higher education for girls. It aims to empower girls in developing skills and enhancing abilities. It also focuses on improving health and nutrition for the girls.
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Eligibility Criteria of Kanyashree Prakalpa
To avail the benefits of the scheme under this scholarship, the applicant has to qualify the following eligibility criteria:
Age
- K1 Scholarship: The applicant must be a girl between the age group of 13-18 years.
- K2 One-Time Grant: Girls between 18-19 years of age.
- K3 Scholarship: Girls in post-graduate studies who are seeking monetary help.
Educational Criteria
Girls studying in classes 8 to 12 in government-aided or recognized schools can apply for the yearly scholarship provided under the scheme.
Citizenship
This scheme is for girls who are residents of West Bengal and studying in school and college in the West Bengal
Residency
Applicant should be a resident of West Bengal.
Family Income
The family income should not be more than ₹1,20,000 per year.
Exemption is allowed to:
- Orphan girls
- Girls with disability.
- Girls who reside in Government run homes.
Marital Status
Unmarried girls are eligible to apply. At the time of application, the girl should not be married.
Who Can Apply for Kanyashree Prakalpa?
This scheme is designed to support girls who are committed to their studies despite belonging to a poor background. The applicants eligible for this scheme are:
- Girls who are studying in Govt. or Govt. sanctioned Institutions such as schools, colleges, technical institutions, and vocational courses.
- Girls coming from the weaker financial backgrounds of society and who are unable to pay for education because of poorer financial backgrounds.
- Students who wish to continue their uninterrupted study from upper secondary to higher secondary to higher education.
Kanyashree Prakalpa: Eligibility for Student Admission
The applicant student should be enrolled in any course.
- They should be enrolled in any government or government-aided educational institute (school, college, or vocational training).
- He regularly attends classes and sincerely follows his study.
- They must not be married and are not involved in such activities that will disturb her from studying.
Kanyashree Prakalpa: Exclusion
1. Age Limit: The girls who are between 13-18 years of age are eligible. Girls who are less than 13 years or more than 18 years are not eligible.
2. Income Limit: The income of the family must be ₹1.2 lakh or less per annum. Families with an income of more than this are not eligible.
3. Marital Status: The scheme is available only for unmarried girls. Married girls are not eligible.
4. Type of School: The scheme is for girls who study in aided or government schools only. Private school girls are not eligible for the scholarship each year.
5. Residence Requirement: The scheme is for girls residing within West Bengal and studying in West Bengal schools or colleges.
This scheme is designed to help the most needy and weaker girls, so that only those in actual need avail themselves of the benefit.
Application Procedure for Kanyashree Prakalpa
Applying for Kanyashree Prakalpa is simple. Here are the steps to do it:
1. Obtain Application Form
You can get it from schools, colleges, or download it from the official website of Kanyashree Prakalpa.
2. Fill Up the Form
Provide personal details, educational information, and bank account details.
3. Attach Documents
- Birth Certificate or Aadhaar Card to show age.
- Enrollment Proof such as School or College ID or Admission Certificate.
- Family Income Certificate issued by the Government Authority.
- Bank Account Details where the money is to be received.
4. Submission and Verification
- Application form along with the attached documents is submitted to the school authority.
- The school verifies and sends the application to the district office.
5. Approval and Disbursement
After verification, the amount is directly credited to the girl's bank account through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).
Selection Criteria of Kanyashree Prakalpa
Selection of beneficiaries is based on:
- Meeting all the eligibility criteria concerning age, residence, and marital status.
- School and government authorities verifying documents.
- Continuous present attendance and enrollment in any school.
Kanyashree Prakalpa: Benefits, Impact and Importance
- Kanyashree Prakalpa is a programme that is not just on funds but also on social development towards a cause of equal coexistence between both genders.
- Enhances the education of girls, ensuring at least secondary schooling.
- The program will thus intervene to prevent child marriage.
- Empowerment of young ladies through financial independence and decision making.
- Poverty Cycle Breaking through the better education and job opportunities for girls.
- The scheme has had a tremendous positive effect upon young girls in West Bengal
- More girls are remaining in school beyond school ages, and there is lesser rate of dropping out.
- Families are now sending their daughters to school instead of marrying them off early.
- Girls are now more likely to attend college and pursue vocational training.
- Girls become confident, independent, and in control of their future.
Benefits of Kanyashree Prakalpa
The scheme has the following benefits:
- Financial Relief is a major benefit. It reduces the burden on families that are already burdened with education expenses.
- It gives women self-reliance and higher education.
- This increases the level of literacy and, therefore, employment.
- Social Change Benefit is also there. It brings about gender equality by the negation of an old culture of child marriage.
Kanyashree Day
14 August is observed as Kanyashree Day for the purpose of popularizing the scheme throughout the state. The launch of the scheme was celebrated initially on 14 August 2013, via programs all over the state. In Kolkata, the event was presided over by the Chief Minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee. Various district-level awareness campaigns were conducted in favor of this scheme.
Kanyashree University
The state government of West Bengal is setting up Kanyashree University in Nadia district and Kanyashree colleges right up to the panchayat level in order to empower girls. The Kanyashree University would be only for women. In January 2019, the existing Chief Minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee, laid the cornerstone of the new Kanyashree University at Krishnagar in Nadia district.
Statistics at a Glance
Data is presented below:
From its inception, a total of 57,28,574 girls have been benefited under K1 category and 23,38,620 girls under K2 category by the Kanyashree Prakalpa scheme. In total, the scheme has reached 60,02,139 unique girls, empowering them with financial support for education, thereby working to prevent early marriage.
Conclusion
Kanyashree Prakalpa has been a game-changer for the educational and social empowering of young girls in West Bengal. The program brought finances to thousands of girls with the aim of promoting higher education by discouraging early marriages being practiced callously and thoughtlessly against them. Through this scheme, it introduced transparency by direct benefit transfers and was a precedent for all such schemes introduced in other states.
This, therefore, brings out the significance of investment in girls' education since an educated girl benefits not only the family but society at large. This will usher in a future whereby women are educated, independent, and decision-making individuals themselves. This will translate to a better, stronger, and more progressive India.
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